In recent years, a wave of ideological thinking commonly referred to as “wokeism” has infiltrated various aspects of American society, including religious communities. This flawed, emotion-driven mindset transforms logical inconsistencies and dubious motives into a web of sophistry and casuistry designed solely to undermine Western Civilization. A prime example is a tweet from Visiting Professor of History at Wheaton College, Joey Cochran. In a recent post on Twitter, he criticizes “privileged white Christian men” for discussing just war theory, suggesting their viewpoint is inherently flawed due to their race and privilege.

What’s striking here is that Cochran himself is a “privileged” white “Christian” man. By his own logic, his perspective should also be dismissed, revealing a glaring inconsistency that undermines his entire argument. This outlook doesn’t just reflect a broader cultural shift towards wokeism, social justice, and Marxist ideology—it’s also demonstrative of a troubling departure from Biblical Christianity in Christian schools, which places a higher value on the merit of one’s arguments and moral character than on superficial traits like race.

The inconsistency in Cochran’s assertion is more than just a personal contradiction—it’s symptomatic of a larger, concerning trend within institutions of higher education, including those that claim to be rooted in Christian principles. When educators at schools like Wheaton publicly espouse views that dismiss the merit of arguments based on superficial characteristics like race, it raises serious questions about the quality and objectivity of the education they are providing.

Wokeism is deeply rooted in Critical Theory, which has its origins in Marxist ideology. Critical Theory aims to deconstruct societal structures, claiming they are rooted in power imbalances. It often categorizes people into groups based on characteristics like race, gender, and social class, assigning them roles of oppressors or the oppressed. This collectivist perspective stands in stark contrast to the individual moral agency emphasized in the Bible.

The social justice movement, influenced by woke ideology, focuses on redistributing power and resources from so-called “privileged” groups to “marginalized” groups. This approach often promotes policies like affirmative action, wealth redistribution, and the like. However, Biblical justice is deeply individualistic and moralistic, concerned with the state of one’s soul rather than societal power structures. The Bible teaches that true justice can only be achieved through a transformation of the heart and mind, guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles as revealed to us in Scripture.

Cochran’s tweet implies that white Christian men are somehow less qualified to speak on matters of just war due to their “white gaze.” This statement reinforces a racial lens through which every discussion or viewpoint is filtered. However, the Bible is clear that all are equal in the eyes of God, irrespective of race or social standing. Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Viewing people’s opinions as less valid based on their race is antithetical to Biblical teachings.

This kind of unreasoned, illogical thinking paves the way for students to engage in activities that are deeply troubling, especially from a Christian standpoint. Because of rhetoric like this, students are emboldened to hold pro-Hamas rallies in the aftermath of a brutal, unprovoked attack by Hamas that resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives in Israel. Yet this is the kind of distorted thinking that can result when the ideological biases of these woke educators go unchallenged. It’s a failure not just of reason, but of moral clarity, and it raises serious questions about the role that institutions of higher education are playing in shaping the next generation.

It’s worth noting that the principles of Just War Theory have a long-standing history within Christian tradition, tracing back to early Christian thinkers like Augustine—who was, incidentally, not a white man but a North African. These principles aren’t the exclusive domain of any race or social group but are grounded in reason and natural law, accessible to anyone who seeks to understand them.

Augustine’s principles were deeply influenced by his Christian faith and his understanding of Scripture. He aimed to reconcile the teachings of the Bible, particularly the ethical imperatives of the New Testament, with the sometimes harsh realities of living in a fallen world that could necessitate warfare. Augustine looked to Scripture to provide guidelines for when a war could be considered just and how such a war should be conducted. And though these principles are imperfect and fair game for criticism, Augustine and others articulated these principles not as culturally or racially specific viewpoints, but as universal truths aimed at guiding societies in making ethical decisions related to warfare.

By suggesting that these principles are somehow skewed when articulated by “privileged white Christian men,” Cochran not only misconstrues the universal applicability of these teachings but also detracts from their profound intellectual and moral contributions to human civilization. This kind of viewpoint fails to grasp that the wisdom contained in principles like Just War Theory transcends race and social standing, focusing instead on the inherent dignity and worth of all human beings.

Such a limited, racially focused interpretation of these principles reveals more about the lens through which Cochran and like-minded woke educators view the world than it does about the principles themselves. It demonstrates their own racial bias when making such outlandish assertions. When essential teachings that have guided moral thought for centuries are reduced to the racial or social identity of those discussing them, we risk losing sight of their intrinsic value. And this is to say nothing of the erasure it implies of the countless contributions from thinkers of diverse backgrounds who have engaged with and refined these principles over the years.

The most striking issue with this kind of ideology is its blatant disregard for the sovereignty of God. It seeks to dethrone God and replace His divine plan with human ideologies that focus on societal reconstruction. The Bible, however, teaches that God is the final authority on all matters—including justice, war, and social issues. His Word provides the ultimate guidelines for living a righteous life, and any doctrine that deviates from this is fundamentally flawed.

Wokeism, social justice, and Marxist ideology are not just incompatible with Biblical Christianity; they are antithetical to it. These ideologies aim to replace the divine and individualistic nature of Biblical teachings with a human-centric, collectivist agenda. In doing so, they undermine the very essence of Christianity, which is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, guided by the inerrant Word of God. As Christians, it is crucial to recognize these ideological invasions for what they are and stand firmly on the teachings of the Bible, which remains the final authority on all matters.