A Theological Anthropology for Social Justice: Renewing the UK Church’s Witness Against Racialisation
Abstract
This paper develops a theological anthropology for social justice in the UK Church, addressing the enduring problem of racialisation shaped by British exceptionalism and its colonial legacies. Through an integration of sociological and theological scholarship, including the works of Anthony Reddie, Robert Beckford, Lucy Mayblin, and Kehinde Andrews, the study critiques the social and ecclesial complicity in racial hierarchies. It proposes a Spirit-centred theology of relationality and community as a foundation for justice and reconciliation. Drawing on insights from African theology, particularly the Akurinu community's pneumatology, and Black British lived experiences, the paper offers a framework for the UK church to fulfill its prophetic calling as salt and light in an increasingly multicultural society.
Introduction
The persistence of racialisation in Britain reflects unresolved legacies of empire and colonialism, manifesting in cultural, political, and theological spheres. British exceptionalism, a narrative of moral and cultural superiority, sustains systemic injustices and undermines the UK's multicultural reality. The UK Church, as a historically complicit institution, bears a unique responsibility to address these injustices, not only through repentance but also by embodying the gospel's call to justice.
This paper responds to the urgent need for a theological anthropology that equips the UK Church to confront racialisation and promote social equity. It builds on the scholarship of Anthony Reddie and Robert Beckford, whose critiques of British Christianity expose its entanglement with empire and racial injustice. The paper also engages with sociological insights from Lucy Mayblin and Kehinde Andrews, who illuminate the structural and psychological dimensions of racialisation in Britain. The work is further informed by African theological perspectives, particularly the Akurinu community's Spirit-centred theology, offering a model for relational and communal justice.
The central argument is that the Church must reject color-blind theology and British exceptionalism, instead embracing a pneumatological framework that advocates for relationality, community, and reparative justice. In doing so, the church can become a transformative witness, promoting social equity and to heal divisions caused by racial hierarchies.
Literature Review
The enduring influence of British exceptionalism on racial hierarchies is well-documented in both sociological and theological scholarship. Camilla Schofield’s Enoch Powell and the Making of Postcolonial Britain traces how Powell's rhetoric shaped postcolonial British attitudes toward migration, embedding a racialised view of national identity (Schofield, 2013). Lucy Mayblin, in Asylum after Empire, demonstrates how colonial legacies inform contemporary immigration policies, perpetuating exclusionary practices that disproportionately affect Sub-Saharan African migrants (Mayblin, 2017). Kehinde Andrews, in Back to Black, critiques Britain’s failure to address the structural legacies of empire, calling for a radical reimagining of society that centres Black radicalism (Andrews, 2018).
Tony Sewell’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report (2021) presents a contrasting perspective, emphasising individual agency and community resilience while downplaying systemic racism. Critics argue that Sewell’s color-blind approach obscures the structural and psychological damage of colonialism, a critique echoed in Andrews’ work.
Responses from theological scholarship such as Reddie critiques the complicity of British Christianity in empire-building and racial oppression. In Is God Colour-Blind?, Reddie exposes how color-blind theology perpetuates racial injustice by ignoring the lived realities of marginalised communities (Reddie, 2009). Beckford too, in Jesus Dub, explores the intersection of theology, culture, and music, highlighting how Black British spirituality resists commodification and challenges systemic inequities (Beckford, 2006). Both scholars assert the need for a theology that is rooted in the experiences of Black British communities and responsive to their demands for justice.
African theological perspectives, particularly from the Akurinu community, offer valuable insights into Spirit-centred approaches to justice. Emerging during the colonial era, the Akurinu rejected Western cultural imperialism and embraced a pneumatology of communal worship and prayer. Their emphasis on relationality and justice aligns with the biblical vision of the body of Christ as an interconnected community (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).
Methodology
This study employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating sociological analysis, theological critique, and African epistemologies to develop a theological anthropology for social justice.
Theological Analysis
Drawing on the works of Reddie and Beckford, the study examines the theological dimensions of British exceptionalism and racial injustice. It critiques color-blind theology and explores pneumatological frameworks that emphasise relationality and community.
Sociological Inquiry
The study engages with sociological research by Lucy Mayblin and Kehinde Andrews to contextualize the historical and structural dimensions of racialisation in Britain. This provides a foundation for understanding the social challenges that the UK Church must address.
African Epistemologies
The paper incorporates insights from African theology, particularly the Akurinu community’s Spirit-centred practices, as a model for relational and communal justice. This perspective challenges Western individualism and offers a holistic vision of human flourishing.
Critical Engagement with Practice The study critiques existing Church practices and proposes actionable steps for the UK church to embody a theology of justice. This includes liturgical renewal, reparative justice, and advocacy for structural change.
Through this methodology, the study aims to provide the UK Church with a theological framework that not only critiques racialisation but also equips it to be a transformative witness in a multicultural society.
Discussion
The Church in Britain is called to be 'salt and light' (Matthew 5:13-16), a prophetic community illuminating the nation’s ongoing struggle with racialisation. In a society shaped by colonial legacies and racial injustice, the gospel offers a transformative vision of human dignity and social equity. To fulfill this calling, the church must critically examine British exceptionalism and its relationship to the historical and present marginalisation of Black and diaspora communities. Through a renewed trust in the Holy Spirit, centered on a theological anthropology of relationality, the UK church can reclaim its mission as an agent of justice and reconciliation.
The Legacy of Racialisation in Britain
British exceptionalism, rooted in colonialism, perpetuates a myth of moral and cultural superiority. Camilla Schofield in Enoch Powell and the Making of Postcolonial Britain argued that figures like Powell tapped into anxieties about migration and national identity, shaping a political culture resistant to multiculturalism (Schofield, 2013). Mayblin’s work on migration further reveals how Britain's colonial history informs restrictive immigration policies that racialise and marginalise Sub-Saharan African communities (Mayblin, 2017). These policies are part of a broader cultural mindset that continues to view Blackness through a lens of suspicion and inferiority.
Sewell’s controversial report on race disparities (2021) exemplifies this mindset by adopting a color-blind approach that downplays systemic racism. While Sewell emphasises family and community resilience, his epistemology of Blackness overlooks the psychological and structural damage of colonialism. Critics like Andrews, in Back to Black, challenge such narratives, arguing that they obscure the ongoing effects of empire on racial inequalities. Andrews calls for a radical reimagining of society that confronts the colonial roots of racism (Andrews, 2018).
Theological Responses to British Exceptionalism
The Church’s complicity in the construction of racial hierarchies must be acknowledged. Reddie critiques how British Christianity has historically aligned itself with empire, perpetuating racial oppression. In Is God Colour-Blind?, Reddie uses storytelling to expose the contradictions between the Gospel’s message of liberation and the Church’s colonial legacy. He argues that colour-blindness within theology mirrors society’s attempts to erase the realities of racial injustice (Reddie, 2009). Similarly, Beckford, in Jesus Dub, highlights how British theology often commodifies Black culture while failing to address systemic inequities (Beckford, 2006). For Beckford, the gospel demands reparative action that goes beyond symbolic gestures.
The Holy Spirit and a Renewed Theological Anthropology
A theological anthropology for social justice must begin with the Spirit of God as the foundation of human identity and community. The Spirit, as both personal and communal, empowers believers to live out the Gospel’s call for justice. Paul’s vision of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 underscores the interdependence of all members, challenging hierarchies of race and class. This vision aligns with African theological concepts like ubuntu, which emphasize relationality and mutual care.
The Akurinu community in Kenya offers a compelling model of Spirit-led resistance to colonialism. Emerging independently during the 1920s, the Akurinu rejected Western cultural imperialism and embraced a pneumatology rooted in prayer and indigenous knowledge. Their emphasis on communal worship and justice reflects a theological anthropology that counters individualism with relationality. By learning from such traditions, the UK Church can deepen its understanding of the Spirit’s work in fostering equity and reconciliation.
Practical Implications for the UK Church
To address racialisation, the Church must prioritise teaching on the Holy Spirit’s role in renewing hearts and communities. Worship practices, shaped by Spirit-led music and cultural expressions, can become sites of theological reflection and resistance. Beckford’s exploration of music as theology demonstrates how Black British spirituals and gospel traditions embody resilience and hope. However, these practices must avoid commodification and instead serve as catalysts for structural change.
The Church must also engage in reparative justice, acknowledging its complicity in slavery and colonialism. Reparations, as argued by Reddie and Andrews, are not merely financial but involve restoring relationships and dismantling oppressive systems. This includes advocating for policies that address disparities in education, housing, and immigration.
Finally, the Church’s prophetic witness requires a rejection of British exceptionalism. By embracing a cosmopolitan theology, the church can model a vision of society where diversity is celebrated, and justice is central. This involves confronting the myth of moral superiority and embodying the humility of Christ, who came to serve and reconcile.
Conclusion
The UK Church stands at a crossroads. To be salt and light in a nation grappling with racialisation, it must renew its trust in the Spirit of God and embrace a theological anthropology rooted in relationality and justice. By confronting its colonial past and centring the lived experiences of marginalised communities, the Church can offer a transformative witness that reflects the heart of the Gospel. As Beckford writes, 'True worship is not in the song but in the justice it inspires' (Beckford, 2006, p. 84). The time has come for the UK church to embody this truth and lead the way toward a more equitable and reconciled society.
Bibliography
Andrews, Kehinde. Back to Black: Retelling Black Radicalism for the 21st Century. Zed Books, 2018.
Beckford, Robert. Jesus Dub: Theology, Music, and Social Change. Routledge, 2006.
Mayblin, Lucy. Asylum after Empire: Colonial Legacies in the Politics of Asylum Seeking. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.
Reddie, Anthony. Is God Colour-Blind? Insights from Black Theology for Christian Faith and Ministry. SPCK, 2009.
Schofield, Camilla. Enoch Powell and the Making of Postcolonial Britain. Cambridge University Press, 2013.
Sewell, Tony. Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report. HM Government, 2021.
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