OpenTheo

Apologetics and Critical Race Theory with Neil Shenvi

Life and Books and Everything — Clearly Reformed

Apologetics and Critical Race Theory with Neil Shenvi

September 12, 2022
Life and Books and Everything
Life and Books and EverythingClearly Reformed

Although Neil has a PhD in theoretical chemistry, he’s made a name for himself as an expert on Critical Race Theory (and Critical Theory more generally). Is CRT just a legal theory? Can anyone know what it really is? Is CRT just a plot by conservatives to gin up votes? Should Christians take CRT and chew the meat and spit out of the bones? Kevin and Neil answer these questions and many more. They also dive into Neil’s new book on apologetics and explore the wild world of evangelical Twitter.

Timestamps:

Intro and Sponsor: Crossway [0:00-2:35]

Guest Introduction: Neil Shenvi [2:36-14:46]

Neil's Map of Evangelical Twitter [14:47-22:27]

Why Believe? [22:28-28:43]

What is Apologetics For? [28:44-36:50]

Sponsor 2: Westminster Seminary Press [36:51-38:02]

How to Understand Critical Race Theory [38:03-1:10:06]

Pastoral Responses [1:10:07-1:20:26]

Books:

Why Believe: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity - Neil Shenvi

The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis

Cold Case Christianity - J. Warner Wallace

Critical Race Theory: An Introduction - Richard Delgado

Is Everyone Really Equal? - Ozlem Sensoy & Robin D'Angelo

God is a Black Woman - Christena Cleveland

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More From Life and Books and Everything

From Silence, to Complexification, to Capitulation
From Silence, to Complexification, to Capitulation
Life and Books and Everything
September 26, 2022
Evangelicals who set down the path toward LGBTQ acceptance rarely turn around and head back in the other direction. In this episode of Life and Books
A Lifetime of Books and Ministry with D.A. Carson
A Lifetime of Books and Ministry with D.A. Carson
Life and Books and Everything
September 28, 2022
With more than 50 books and hundreds of articles, not to mention scores of edited works, Don Carson has written a lot. In this retrospective on life a
Evangelicalism, Elites, and Excellence with Aaron Renn
Evangelicalism, Elites, and Excellence with Aaron Renn
Life and Books and Everything
October 12, 2022
Coming out of a consulting background, Aaron Renn is now a regular contributor to many important conversations among Christians and conservatives. In
Judge Not
Judge Not
Life and Books and Everything
September 9, 2022
The injunction not to judge is a necessary warning for us all, not least the religious person who can easily be tempted to look down on those who seem
Keep a Close Watch on Your Life with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Keep a Close Watch on Your Life with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Life and Books and Everything
August 30, 2022
After a summer break, the triumvirate is back together to talk about books and biography. Kevin and Justin highlight some of their favorite books from
A Lesson from Liz Cheney’s Loss
A Lesson from Liz Cheney’s Loss
Life and Books and Everything
August 26, 2022
People know when their leaders no longer like them In this episode, Kevin reads from an article he wrote for WORLD reflecting on one lesson from Liz C
More From "Life and Books and Everything"

More on OpenTheo

How Can I Improve My Informal Writing?
How Can I Improve My Informal Writing?
#STRask
October 6, 2025
Question about how you can improve your informal writing (e.g., blog posts) when you don’t have access to an editor.   * Do you have any thoughts or
Why Would Any Rational Person Have to Use Any Religious Book?
Why Would Any Rational Person Have to Use Any Religious Book?
#STRask
December 8, 2025
Questions about why any rational person would have to use any religious book, whether apologetics would be redundant if there were actually a good, un
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
#STRask
December 18, 2025
Questions about how one can justify calling Jesus the Messiah when he didn’t fulfill the Hebrew messianic prophecies, and whether the reason for the v
E. Calvin Beisner: Climate and Energy Policy
E. Calvin Beisner: Climate and Energy Policy
Knight & Rose Show
January 4, 2026
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose welcome Dr. E. Calvin Beisner to discuss climate and energy policy. They explore Biblical dominion and stewardship, con
How Could the Similarities Between Krishna and Jesus Be a Coincidence?
How Could the Similarities Between Krishna and Jesus Be a Coincidence?
#STRask
October 9, 2025
Questions about how the similarities between Krishna and Jesus could be a coincidence and whether there’s any proof to substantiate the idea that Jesu
What Are Some Good Ways to Start a Conversation About God with Family Members?
What Are Some Good Ways to Start a Conversation About God with Family Members?
#STRask
October 30, 2025
Questions about how to start a conversation about God with non-Christian family members, how to keep from becoming emotional when discussing faith iss
Christmas Cranks and Christmas Blessings with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Christmas Cranks and Christmas Blessings with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Life and Books and Everything
December 17, 2025
If you are looking for a podcast where three friends talk about whatever they want to talk about and ramble on about sports, books, and grievances, th
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
#STRask
January 15, 2026
Questions about Christians condemning LGB people just because of how they love, how God can expect someone to be celibate when others are free to marr
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
#STRask
January 12, 2026
Questions about how to answer the challenge that God doesn’t need a “pound of flesh” to forgive sins but can simply forgive, and whether the claim in
How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
#STRask
November 17, 2025
Questions about how to convince someone that evil exists, whether Charlie Kirk’s murder was part of God’s plan, whether that would mean the murderer d
The Heidelberg Catechism with R. Scott Clark
The Heidelberg Catechism with R. Scott Clark
Life and Books and Everything
November 3, 2025
You may not think you need 1,000 pages on the Heidelberg Catechism, but you do! R. Scott Clark, professor at Westminster Seminary California, has writ
What Tools of Reasoning Help You Know What’s True, Right, and Good?
What Tools of Reasoning Help You Know What’s True, Right, and Good?
#STRask
December 4, 2025
Question about what tools of reasoning help us determine whether something is true or false, right or wrong, good or bad before bringing Scripture int
Protestants and Catholics: What’s the Difference? With Chad Van Dixhoorn, Blair Smith, and Mark McDowell
Protestants and Catholics: What’s the Difference? With Chad Van Dixhoorn, Blair Smith, and Mark McDowell
Life and Books and Everything
November 26, 2025
How should Protestants think about the Catholic Mass? About the Eucharist? About the history and development of the papacy? In this panel discussion,
What Are the Top Three Apologist Pitfalls to Watch Out For?
What Are the Top Three Apologist Pitfalls to Watch Out For?
#STRask
October 2, 2025
Question about the top three pitfalls to watch out for when you start using apologetics in conversations with others.   * What are the top three apol
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
#STRask
November 20, 2025
Questions about how to advocate for Christian policy without making the government interfere in every area of life, and the differences between the mo