Federalist Radio Hour | The Biblical Case For Ditching Social Justice
Host: Matt Kittle | Guest: Dr. Christina Crenshaw
Date: March 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the ideological and theological divide between modern "social justice" as popularized in secular discourse, and the concept of "biblical justice." Joining host Matt Kittle is Dr. Christina Crenshaw, assistant professor at Arizona Christian University and author of Redeeming Justice: Reclaiming God's Vision for Doing Good in the World. Their discussion dissects the philosophical roots and real-world consequences of blending humanist social justice with Christian practice, aiming to clarify the distinctiveness and enduring value of a biblically-rooted view of justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Motivation Behind the Book

• Crenshaw's Personal Catalyst (03:17-05:43)

  • 2020-2021 was a transformative period, exposing confusion about "social justice" language within the church.
  • “Even within the church, we don't have the kind of language and impetus for doing social justice work that is in any way distinguishable from those who are doing it from a humanistic perspective.” — Dr. Christina Crenshaw (03:34)
  • She was troubled that Christians were supporting policies contrary to both biological and biblical truths (e.g., Biden’s Title IX executive order on gender).

• Root Differences in Justice Visions

  • Social justice is described as rooted in "Marxist, humanist, progressive, relative ideology," whereas biblical justice is grounded in scriptural interpretation (05:10).

Social Justice Movements vs. Biblical Justice

• Secular Appropriations of Christian Language (08:05-11:49)

  • Dr. Crenshaw argues secular progressivism often co-opts Christian concepts (“love your neighbor”) for political aims.
    • “The very actions that the left accuses the right of doing when they call something Christian nationalism, they do it as well. They just won’t own the label.” — Dr. Christina Crenshaw (08:22)
  • Criticizes what she sees as the hypocrisy of labeling right-wing integration of faith as "Christian nationalism" while secular left deploys Christian rhetoric for policy arguments (e.g., masking, vaccines, border policy).

• Misapplication of ‘Love Your Neighbor’

  • Crenshaw claims progressive Christians misuse this command by prioritizing affirmation of contemporary cultural trends over biblical truth.
    • "When Jesus says love your neighbor, he means tell them the truth... The truth will set you free... The idea of love your neighbor by... placating to whatever culture says is in vogue... is holistically incompatible with what the Bible says.” — Dr. Crenshaw (10:26)

The Role of Critical Theory and Postmodernism

• Philosophical Underpinnings (13:30-16:49)
  • Postmodern thought, especially from the Frankfurt School, is credited with “untethering” truth from Judeo-Christian norms and promoting critical theories (oppressed vs. oppressor).
  • The biblical worldview, by contrast, recognizes universal sinfulness and need for redemption in Christ, providing a "level playing field."
    • “What's different about the biblical worldview is it looks at all of us and says, hey, it turns out you’re all sinners… you need Christ because none of you is innocent.” — Dr. Crenshaw (15:09)

The Infiltration of Critical Theories in Christian Education

• Concerns About Christian Schools (16:49-20:58)
  • Kittle references a Tennessee Christian prep school’s drift from its Christian roots due to critical theory influences.
  • Crenshaw notes a trend (especially pre-2023) of DEI initiatives and curriculum shifts, prompting parent pushback and greater scrutiny on gender and sexuality policies since 2020.

The Impact of Policy Changes & Parental Activism

• Title IX and Gender Policy as a Tipping Point (23:08-25:39)
  • The Biden administration’s reversal of Title IX protections sparked what Crenshaw describes as a “collective rising” of parents advocating for traditional boundaries in girls' spaces.
    • “I did see a collective rising in, in parents on or with parents on that issue... when it comes to protecting our daughters... we have to speak up on this.” — Dr. Crenshaw (24:18)

Cultural Pressures and Personal Costs

• Facing Backlash in Academia (28:12-32:33)
  • Crenshaw recounts being labeled “transphobic” and targeted for cancellation after voicing concerns about gender issues publicly as a professor at a Christian university.
  • The ordeal led to institutional changes around free speech and was a catalyst for her book.
    • "To me, this is so logical. This is so simple. How are we confused on this? I realized culture was so confused, and not just culture, but the church. And that deeply concerned me.” — Dr. Crenshaw (30:27)
  • She critiques “compassion” that affirms “a lie that a male can be a female,” arguing this is unjust to women and rooted in circular, illogical critical theory thinking.

The Problem of Cultural Drift and Theological Consistency

• Baylor, Magnolia, & Shifting Beliefs (33:08-35:53)
  • Crenshaw discusses the intertwining of Waco institutions, highlighting how only a vocal minority drives progressive change.
  • Addresses the problem of Christians shifting with the culture rather than remaining grounded in Scripture.
    • “If you can believe one thing in 2016, but you've shifted in 2026... then you simply listen to culture. Culture is always shifting. But the biblical narrative, again, that's 2,000 years old.” — Dr. Crenshaw (35:15)

The Lincoln Principle & Enduring Standards

• Anchoring Justice in Timeless Truth (36:24-42:39)
  • Kittle references Abraham Lincoln’s view: seek to be on God’s side, not merely to have God on yours.
  • Crenshaw echoes this, aiming to align with “the right side of Scripture” over being on the “right side of history.”
    • “I'm not interested in being on the right side of culture or even... the right side of history. I'm interested in being on the right side of scripture, because scripture withstands time.” — Dr. Crenshaw (39:05)
  • She discusses the church’s history: acknowledging failings like slavery, but highlighting Christians’ role in ending injustice through adherence to biblical principles (41:12).

Hyper-Individualism, Self-Love, and Social Harm

• Self-Loathing and Its Consequences (42:39-46:01)
  • Kittle raises the idea that “love your neighbor as yourself” falters if people do not love themselves well, fueling self-loathing projected onto social philosophies.
  • Crenshaw sees hyper-individualism as harming common good, and proposes Christian ethics as a basis for pursuing solutions that honor God and benefit all.
    • “If your happiness is an imposition on my well-being, then we cannot allow that to be what triumphs in this situation.” — Dr. Crenshaw (45:15)

The Central Need for Christ

• Universal Sinfulness as the Leveler (46:01-46:58)
  • Crenshaw reiterates the biblical view: everyone falls short, which is why Christ is necessary.
    • “We all fall short of Christ and we always will. And that’s why we need Christ. That’s why we need the Lord in our lives.” — Matt Kittle (46:04)

Notable Quotes

• On the distinction between justice frameworks:
  • “Social justice is predicated on Marxist, humanist, progressive, relative ideology, and biblical justice is rooted in a biblical, scriptural interpretation of what it means to do justice, to do mercy, to do good.” — Dr. Crenshaw (05:10)
• On the ironic weaponization of Christian rhetoric:
  • “The hypocrisy is comical and dizzying... both sides would just come to terms with we are doing our best to integrate our faith in the public square and it is tricky and it is hard and that we would just take the Christian nationalism accusation off the table.” — Dr. Crenshaw (09:13)
• On affirmation versus compassion:
  • “When you think that you are being compassionate by affirming a lie... that is actually deeply incompassionate and a deep, deep injustice to females.” — Dr. Crenshaw (30:54)
• On the proper foundation for justice:
  • “Scripture has the ability to right the wrongs of history as we saw with slavery... we should look at an injustice and grieve and say, well, what is God's heart for this? That's what I want to advocate for.” — Dr. Crenshaw (40:25)

Timestamps & Segments

• 01:21 — Introduction of Dr. Christina Crenshaw and framing the book’s theme
• 03:17 — Crenshaw on why she wrote Redeeming Justice and church confusion on “social justice”
• 05:43 — Social justice versus biblical justice: differing motives and outcomes
• 08:05 — Political co-opting of Christian language and the Christian nationalism debate
• 13:30 — Philosophical roots: postmodernism, critical theory, Frankfurt School
• 16:49 — Parental concerns at Christian schools; rise of DEI and critical theory
• 23:08 — Title IX changes and parental activism on gender issues
• 28:12 — Crenshaw's personal story: social media backlash, “transphobia,” and the reality of cancel culture in Christian institutions
• 33:08 — Waco, Baylor, and cultural sway within Christian communities
• 36:24 — Theological commentary: Abraham Lincoln, aligning with God’s side, and scriptural authority
• 42:39 — Hyper-individualization, self-love, and consequences for the common good
• 46:01 — The necessity of Christ and “common ground through common good”
• 46:58 — Closing remarks: the central message and motivation of Crenshaw’s book

Memorable Moments

• Crenshaw describes realizing, “I expect the world to be crazy and chaotic and to lack clarity. I didn't think that that's where the church was on this. And so I wrote this book.” (30:37)
• On the shifting of boundaries around gender policy and women’s spaces, "I did see a collective rising in, in parents on or with parents on that issue." (24:18)
• Referencing the ongoing importance of having an unchanging standard: “Culture is always shifting. But the biblical narrative—again, that’s 2,000 years old. We’ve been very clear on this from the beginning. So it’s not the Bible that’s the problem. It’s people listening to culture that’s the problem.” (35:15)

Conclusion

This episode offers a thoughtful critique of the contemporary “social justice” movement from a Christian-conservative perspective. Dr. Crenshaw and Matt Kittle repeatedly return to the contrast between ever-shifting cultural standards and the enduring moral clarity offered by biblical teaching. For listeners seeking solutions to the church’s confusion over modern social justice language and practice, Crenshaw’s message is clear: lasting good must be grounded in eternal truths, not fleeting cultural priorities.