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Understanding the Times

Cultural | Dr. Voddie Baucham - https://youtu.be/GRMFBdDDTkI

Text - 1 Chronicles 12:32 – “Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.”

Why is this important, why does this matter?  Racism is real and it’s sinful. Oppression is real and it’s sinful.  Too many citizens have been killed by police officers. Too many police officers have been killed by citizens Debate on these topics today has ceased debate that seeks solutions and understanding but rather has been reduced to name-calling and shutting down the side. Two main problems today -  The first is a great irony in that these issues do need to be debated and talked about however the very fact of deciding to engage on these topic’s disqualifies you.  The second is ignorance and misuse of the terms.

Results – Shut Down, Do not engage, Disqualify and Anathema  anath·e·ma | \ ə-ˈna-thə-mə \ o Definition of anathema 1a: someone or something intensely disliked or loathed —usually used as a predicate nominative… this notion was anathema to most of his countrymen.— Stephen Jay Gould b: one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority 2a: a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b: the denunciation of something as accursed c: a vigorous denunciation : CURSE

Cultural Marxism vs

1. Classical Marxism -

a. is the oppression of the masses b. Religion is the opiate of the masses which in-turn allows for the oppression of the masses c. Three Main Ideas i. History has had main 3 stages 1. Ancient 2. Feudal 3. Capitalist ii. 1. Internal within each of the above stages internal would lead to struggle and this struggle would lead to the next stage iii. Historical 1. Capitalism would fall – it had to fall because it was the exploitation of the masses (internal contradiction) and therefore workers would unite and result in a that would over-throw Capitalism 2. A Revolution did occur but not everywhere - it was not successful a. Late 19th and early 20th century followers of Marx sought to explain why the revolution wasn’t successful b. Enter Cultural Marxism

2. Cultural Marxism a. Two Goals i. Explain Why Classical Marxism didn’t achieve the overthrow of Capitalism ii. Overturn the Cultural b. Two Key Players ( & The School) i. Antonio Gramsci – an Italian Marxist 1. – The domination or rule maintained through ideological or cultural means, usually achieved through social which allow those in power to strongly influence the values, norms, ideas, expectations, and behavior of the rest of . 2. Cultural Hegemony is Patriarchal a. Even though a majority, women are considered a minority. 3. Cultural Hegemony in the United States a. White, Male, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Able-bodied & Native-Born i. Cisgender – adj. denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex. b. Everyone who is not ALL those things is a minority c. Everyone who is a minority is a victim of the Cultural Hegemony and is at war with it. d. Everyone who IS all those things is Privileged = The Hegemony 4. Gramsci developed this concept in-order to explain why the revolution didn’t happen the way Karl Marx predicted. a. Marx was focused on economics b. Gramsci focused on cultural aspect – therefore the overthrow of capitalism would have to be a “Hegemonic Revolution.” 5. Gramsci’s two idea’s to overturn the Hegemony a. Control the Robes in Society – people that wear robes. i. Judges, Professors, Pastors & Politicians 1. Leverage these positions against the Hegemony b. Gain Political Power i. By promising to advocate for oppressed groups against the Hegemony

Small Group Questions:

1. Would you agree with Voddies’ statement that racism is real? What is your with racism?

2. Do you avoid conversations about Social or White Privilege? If so, why?

3. Do you think Gramsci’s idea of “controlling the robes” has been successful?

4. If you find yourself defined as part of the Hegemony do you feel you have privilege?

Other ideas or questions/notes: ______

Cultural Marxism - continued

ii. 1. Group of researchers associated with the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt am Main, , who applied Marxism to a radical interdisciplinary social . The Institute for Social Research (Institute für Sozialforschung) was founded by Carl Grünberg in 1923 as an adjunct of the University of Frankfurt; it was the first Marxist-oriented research center affiliated with a major German university. 2. Why Marxism didn’t succeed (according to The Frankfurt School) a. Mass Media i. The thought that newspapers and even some radio promoted the ideas of the Hegemony ii. People became passive and gave into the information put forth by the Hegemony 3. Strategy of Frankfurt School to overturn the Hegemony a. Leverage Mass Media i. Newspaper, Radio, Magazines, etc.… b. Reduce everything to discussion of Race, Class, Sex,…(i.e.. Groups) 4. 1935 The Frankfurt School moved to New York/Columbia University a. Products of the Frankfurt School i. , Critical Racism Theory, & Multi- ii. The Media and the Educational system have taught us to view ourselves not as a whole but as a part of Sub-Groups that are being oppressed by the Hegemonic power that rules and governs our .

iii. – Kimberli Crenshaw 1989 1. Degrees or Intersections of oppression. The theory the overlap of various social identities, such as race, gender, sexuality and class contributes to the specific type of oppression and discrimination experienced by marginalized people or groups. 2. A grownup expression of Cultural Marxism.

iv. Structural/Systemic Racism 1. A person that holds racist views towards others 2. Or, you are a person that is part of the cultural hegemony and therefore you are inherently racist. a. Racism without a Racist 3. The idea that the hegemony disproportionately targets black males a. Mike Brown Case - “Hands up don’t shoot!” i. Never happened – confessed as a lie. ii. Yet this was presented as Systemic/Structural Racism and every time something like this happens its another bit of evidence of Structural Racism b. The end result is that you don’t engage because no matter what your answer is you are a racist. 3. Why is this important a. This is an agenda not just an idea. i. Disruptive and transformative b. The result of this agenda is real pain, real sin and real brokenness that doesn’t get addressed i. Voddies message to young black males - We can’t live like this 1. 75% of black fathers are not there ii. We don’t address the problems that need to be addressed 1. Fatherlessness 2. Real Racism 3. Gospel Hope c. By creating Constituency and Stereo Types it creates a movement away from the issues that do need to be addressed by arguing against the System i. Not either/or but both/and

1. Argue against abortion laws 2. Share the Gospel to change the hearts and minds of mothers so they don’t kill their babies 3. Problems/Pathologies exist in Individuals/ and Systems d. In-Christ there is no Jew, Gentile, male/female – one in Christ i. Go the extra mile ii. In-Christ we can no longer dismiss one another because of where someone falls on this issue iii. Check your privilege – everybody – members of the body – if you have learned to shut down the other side…… check that

Small Group Questions

1. Do you think structural/systemic racism is real? What would be an example? 2. How can we as believers engage on the topics that do need to be addressed without being shutdown because of Social Justice or White Privilege terminology? 3. Do you think The Frankfurt School’s idea of leveraging the Media has been successful? Example? 4. Combining the ideas of Gramcsi & The Frankfurt School gives us the structure of Cultural Marxism a. Define the Hegemony and oppressed Groups in order to create struggle b. Control the Robes – Judges, Professors, Pastors & Politicians c. Frankfurt Schools association with Columbia University to the ideas of Critical Theory, , Political Correctness, etc….. within American Academia Question – Which group suffer the most?