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

Are You Accursed If You Tithe?
Are You Accursed If You Tithe?
#STRask
December 15, 2025
Questions about whether anyone who tithes is not a Christian and is accursed since Paul says that if you obey one part of the Mosaic Law you’re obliga
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Risen Jesus
March 18, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
Prove to Me That Jesus Is Not a Created Being
#STRask
January 26, 2026
Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not bei
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
Lora Ries: Border Security and Immigration Policy
Lora Ries: Border Security and Immigration Policy
Knight & Rose Show
December 7, 2025
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose welcome Lora Ries to discuss border security and immigration policy. They explore Biden's policy changes, like ending R
When I Can’t Stop Thinking About Something, Is That God Speaking?
When I Can’t Stop Thinking About Something, Is That God Speaking?
#STRask
December 1, 2025
Questions about whether having a recurring thought is an indication God is speaking to you, what to say to someone who says they sinned because “God t
Does Open-Mindedness Require Studying Other Religions Before Becoming a Christian?
Does Open-Mindedness Require Studying Other Religions Before Becoming a Christian?
#STRask
February 9, 2026
Questions about the claim that if Christians really want to be open-minded, they need to read and study other religions before committing to Christian
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Life and Books and Everything
March 10, 2026
If you don’t like freewheeling conversation, laughter, and banter among friends, then this may not be the episode for you. But if you are interested i
Isn’t the Covenant in Scripture Explicitly with Israel and Not the Gentile Nations?
Isn’t the Covenant in Scripture Explicitly with Israel and Not the Gentile Nations?
#STRask
March 12, 2026
Questions about what gives modern Christians confidence that they’ve inherited the Jews’ covenant with God if Scripture explicitly says it was with Is
The Making of the American Mind with Matthew Spalding
The Making of the American Mind with Matthew Spalding
Life and Books and Everything
February 2, 2026
The United States is unique in how much attention it pays to its founding, its founders, and its founding documents. Arguably, the most famous and mos
Did Jesus Prove He Wasn’t Sinless When He Overturned the Tables?
Did Jesus Prove He Wasn’t Sinless When He Overturned the Tables?
#STRask
December 29, 2025
Questions about whether Jesus proved he wasn’t sinless when he overturned the tables, whether Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Mark 3:22–26 was a b
How Can We Know Who Is Teaching the Same Gospel Paul Taught?
How Can We Know Who Is Teaching the Same Gospel Paul Taught?
#STRask
February 16, 2026
Questions about how we can know who is teaching the same gospel Paul taught, and whether or not Jeremiah 1:5 supports the idea that we pre-existed in
What Do You Think About Churches Advertising on Social Media?
What Do You Think About Churches Advertising on Social Media?
#STRask
January 19, 2026
Questions about whether there’s an issue with churches advertising on social media, whether it’s weird if we pray along with a YouTuber, and whether C
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Knight & Rose Show
March 7, 2026
Wintery Knight and guest host Terrell Clemmons welcome Dr. Brian Miller to discuss the the evidence for fine-tuning in physics and cosmology and the m
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
#STRask
November 13, 2025
Question about why it seems like the Bible teaches you how to be a proper slave owner rather than than saying, “Stop it. Give them freedom.”   * It s