Reparations, Violence, and Peacemaking: An Honest Conversation with Drew Hart

Oct 9, 2025

In this enlightening conversation, Drew G. I. Hart, a public theologian and professor known for his work on Black liberation theology, dives deep into the relationship between the Black church and justice. He discusses how enslaved people adapted Christianity for liberation, the necessity of confrontational theology in achieving real justice, and critiques white progressivism in maintaining oppressive structures. Hart emphasizes that reparations are about healing, not mere debt, and addresses the moral complexities of violence and peacemaking in response to systemic oppression.

01:22:10

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ANECDOTE

Roots In Preaching And Dual Traditions

Drew Hart traces his roots through multiple generations of Black preachers which shaped his ministry and scholarship.
He grew into both the Black prophetic tradition and Anabaptist circles, informing his teaching and writing.

insights

INSIGHT

Love That Chooses The Oppressed

God’s universal love does not neutralize God taking sides with the oppressed.
Drew Hart follows Kelly Brown Douglas to hold both God's broad love and Christ's particularity together.

insights

INSIGHT

Adaptation Not Mere Adoption

Enslaved people adapted Christianity into a liberative, present, justice-oriented faith in hush harbors.
That adapted faith centered Jesus as co-sufferer and liberator, not a doctrine to justify bondage.

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Drew Hart's Formation in the Black Church and Anabaptism

00:53 • 4min

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Discovering the Prophetic Stream and Theological Shifts

04:31 • 8min

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Did Enslaved People Adopt or Adapt Christianity?

12:49 • 5min

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New Theological Questions from Enslavement

17:35 • 8min

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The Historical Jesus as an Oppressed Jew

25:12 • 4min

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Why White Progressives Can Perpetuate White Supremacy

29:23 • 9min

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Evaluating Theological Diversity within the Black Church

38:40 • 9min

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Prophetic Violence, Nat Turner, and Peacemaking

47:36 • 8min

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Historical Patterns, Modern Tech, and Exported Violence

55:15 • 4min

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Defending Cone: Confrontation Over Comfortable Reconciliation

59:00 • 7min

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What a 'Reparations God' Theologically Entails

01:05:49 • 8min

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Everyday Betrayal: Sympathy Without Solidarity

Reparations of the Theological Disciplines

Drew Hart

Trouble I’ve Seen

Changing the Way the Church Views Racism

Drew Hart

#12024

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

The Cross and the Lynching Tree Lib/E

In 'God of the Oppressed', James H. Cone presents a challenging perspective on the relationship between God, faith, society, and action, focusing on the liberation of the oppressed through the lens of Black Liberation Theology. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding the gospel in the context of the black community's struggle for freedom and justice.

Making It Plain

Why We Need Anabaptism and the Black Church

Drew Hart

Resurrection Hope

Kelly Brown Douglas

Resurrection Hope explores the doctrine of resurrection through the lens of Afro-pessimism, addressing questions of hope and faith in the face of historical injustice.

Drew Hart joined me to dig into questions from our God of Justice class about his lecture on the black church and American experience. We covered a lot of ground—from Drew's own journey as a preacher's kid who found his tribe in the prophetic tradition of the black church and Anabaptism, to why James Cone's confrontational theology is actually necessary for real liberation (not just comfortable reconciliation). Drew pushed back hard on white progressive Christianity that performs solidarity without changing oppressive structures, explaining why gradualism is always justice denied. We talked about enslaved people adapting (not just adopting) Christianity into something radically different from what slaveowners preached, the messy reality of violence and peacemaking when your back's against the wall, and what a reparations God actually means—hint: it's about healing, not just debt calculation. If you want theology that takes the crucified Jesus seriously, rather than abstracting him into universal principles that leave power structures intact, this conversation delivers.

Drew G. I. Hart is a public theologian and professor of theology at Messiah University. He has ten years of pastoral ministry experience and is the recipient of multiple awards for peacemaking. Hart attained his MDiv with an urban concentration from Missio Seminary and his PhD in theology and ethics from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He is a sought-after speaker at conferences, campuses, and churches across the United States and Canada. His first book, Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism, utilizes personal and everyday stories, theological ethics, and anti-racism frameworks to transform the church’s understanding and witness. Hart lives with his wife, Renee, and their three sons in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

ONLINE CLASS - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The God of Justice: Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Contemporary Longing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This transformative online class brings together distinguished scholars from biblical studies, theology, history, and faith leadership to offer exactly what our moment demands: the rich, textured wisdom of multiple academic disciplines speaking into our contemporary quest for justice. Guests this year include John Dominic Crossan, Kelly Brown Douglas, Philip Clayton, Stacey Floyd-Thomas, Jeffery Pugh, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Andy Root, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Noreen Herzfeld, Reggie Williams, Casper ter Kuile, and more! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get info and tickets here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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