“But the inability or unwillingness of White evangelical men to reckon with what they have done—certainly historically and perhaps personally—with their place of privilege among evangelical spaces will inhibit their ability to meaningful help “reconstruct” their traditions for the better.”
This really hits for me, based on my experiences at similar conferences. White male privilege is overwhelming, yet goes unaddressed. I wonder about this, as evangelicals have been more willing to talk about racism (albeit haltingly and via marginal voices, primarily). What’s your take, Blake, on why sexism goes unacknowledged?
That’s a great point. I’ll incorporate some of that into the next part I’m writing, but from what I was able to witness, any time where a speaker seemed to enforce these staid norms, there would be like a lull where someone would have had an opportunity to push back on that framing and...it would sort of die on the vine, and they’d move on. Which is in its nonverbal way a tacit endorsement.
My gut is that evangelicals don’t want sexism to shift in these settings because of their foundational conservative theology about gender that elevates men. To address that theology as faulty- even in its application - raises too many questions, too much upheaval. It’s alarming in a way that feels too disruptive. I only say this because if I’ve ever addressed these issues, that’s the reception I’ve personally received over and over, which suggests I’ve overstepped an unapproachable norm. Then again, I’m happy to hear other theories about why this is so.
“But the inability or unwillingness of White evangelical men to reckon with what they have done—certainly historically and perhaps personally—with their place of privilege among evangelical spaces will inhibit their ability to meaningful help “reconstruct” their traditions for the better.”
This really hits for me, based on my experiences at similar conferences. White male privilege is overwhelming, yet goes unaddressed. I wonder about this, as evangelicals have been more willing to talk about racism (albeit haltingly and via marginal voices, primarily). What’s your take, Blake, on why sexism goes unacknowledged?
That’s a great point. I’ll incorporate some of that into the next part I’m writing, but from what I was able to witness, any time where a speaker seemed to enforce these staid norms, there would be like a lull where someone would have had an opportunity to push back on that framing and...it would sort of die on the vine, and they’d move on. Which is in its nonverbal way a tacit endorsement.
My gut is that evangelicals don’t want sexism to shift in these settings because of their foundational conservative theology about gender that elevates men. To address that theology as faulty- even in its application - raises too many questions, too much upheaval. It’s alarming in a way that feels too disruptive. I only say this because if I’ve ever addressed these issues, that’s the reception I’ve personally received over and over, which suggests I’ve overstepped an unapproachable norm. Then again, I’m happy to hear other theories about why this is so.
To be clear: those who are elevated are cis white men, primarily. ;-) But men overall have higher standing.