To Reject and Condemn Critical Theory, Its Theologies and Ideologies, and to Rebuke Its Proponents

WHEREAS, God has created all people and they are blood related going back to our mutual fathers, Adam and Noah, and all are subject to the stain of original sin, but now also have been equally redeemed by the blood of Christ in order to be reconciled to God and to each other; and

WHEREAS, God’s Word says, “forin Christ Jesusyou are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all onein Christ Jesus. And ifyou are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:26–29); and

WHEREAS, God’s Word further says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8–9); and

WHEREAS, Racism (the sinful notion that some races are inherently superior to others), misunderstandings, and strife are present in the world and experienced in congregations due to our sin; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod abhors racism and has passed resolutions repudiating all racism (see 1992 Res. 3-03 and 2019 Res. 11-04A); and

WHEREAS, Critical Theory (CT) and its application to race, Critical Race Theory (CRT) as popularized by Ibram Kendi and Black Lives Matter outside of the Church, and by Lutherans for Racial Justice within the Church,categorizes people into groups and shows partiality to some over and against others, there by defining, dehumanizing, and dividing people into various categories of perceived and real differences; and

WHEREAS, CT has become a commonplace, multifaceted, and controversial ideology in the discussion of contemporary relations between groups of people based on race, religion, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and other perceived or real differences; and

WHEREAS, CT teaches a theology that is contrary to Scripture, denies God-given differences between people, and is counterproductive to true confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation, in that it pursues equality of outcome (“equity”) between groups which requires treating individuals unequally, rather than pursuing the grace of God in Christ; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2023 Synod convention reject and condemn the graceless, Christ less ideology and theology of CT; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2023 Synod convention also rebuke all organizations, movements, petitions, theological language, and the like that support the ideology and theology of CT; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2023 Synod convention reject and condemn any doctrines teaching that one’s differences make one inherently superior to another or that any individual is inherently oppressive (whether consciously or unconsciously) because of his or her differences; and be it further

Resolved, That the ecclesiastical supervisors of any individual or group within the Synod that supports CT or CRT be directed to address them according to the standards of this resolution under the biblical principles of church discipline; and be it finally

Resolved, That the 2023 Synod convention direct the Commission on Theology and Church Relations to produce a document exposing the dangers of Critical Theory and Critical Race Theory.