Douglas Groothuis, in this book, introduces Critical Theory (capitalized), an ideology which has had--and has--an enormous influence in the USA. And he is surely broadly on track by claiming that it has its roots in Marx. The original power struggle has now shifted to culture, and "fire in the streets".

But there is, I think, a deeper current to Critical Theory, which makes this all look very different. There is what I have called "magical optimism"--which is to say, ideologies which require magic to succeed. These were typical of the Enlightenment.

With this in mind, we can see a powerful timeline of influence: Adam Smith ... GWF Hegel ... Karl Marx. We could also show it like this: the Enlightenment Project ... (Adam Smith ... GWF Hegel ... Karl Marx). All espoused the magical optimism that I refer to, which was typical of modernism (not capitalized).

But now, when we take another look at Groothuis, we realize that he is close to Adam Smith. He believes with "magical optimism" in the triumph of individualism. Communal responsibility, while he does not completely reject it, would not describe his thought. This has the effect of removing communal sin from his worldview--and, I think, very much dilutes the notion of sin.

We could show it like this: the Enlightenment Project ... Douglas Groothuis. In this sense, Groothuis is another magical optimist, just wearing different clothes. Having said this, however, this book is well written and thought-provoking, and I think deserves to be read.

NOTE: My product quality rating lies at a mere 3/5 because Kindle Cloud, which I used to read this book, was awkward.

Thoroughly enjoyed his writing and look forward to reading his next books.

At a time in history when the U.S. is more divided than any other time since the Civil War, few people would argue that our country is at a crossroads. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are facing serious problems (and possible solutions) that threaten the very foundation on which the United States was established.

Whenever an individual or group faces a crisis, in order to find the best possible solution, the problem must be clearly defined and solutions must be carefully evaluated. Clear and thoughtful analysis becomes all the more critical with so much at stake. CRT is espoused by many to be the solution to the issues that currently divide the U.S. - not the best solution, the ONLY solution. This alone should give us pause and cause to evaluate it carefully. No solution should be above scrutiny. Like any possible solution, CRT should be reasonably and thoughtfully considered. Fire in the Streets by Douglas Groothuis helps the reader do just that.

Beginning with a concise presentation of the crisis we now face and the foundations of CRT, Groothuis follows with a definition of the American Creed - the guiding principles of the American Experiment established by the founding documents of the United States. The first section of the book closes with an analysis of systemic racism in the U.S., particularly as it relates to our founding documents. Section two, moves into an evaluation of the Most Combustible Topics related to CRT including, ideology, free speech, capitalism, reparations, race, and identity. The final section of Fire in the Streets offers genuine hope in a gospel-oriented solution to the deep division we currently face and provides guidance in how followers of Christ can implement this solution - always seeking the truth in love.

Anyone who is genuinely concerned about the current cultural climate of the United States, anyone who wants to better understand CRT and the problems we face, anyone who truly desires to move toward healing, wholeness, and hope as a people will find what they are looking for in the pages of Fire in the Streets.