By Davis Carlton
Steve Hays of Triablogue has posted a brief discussion on the concept of “race-traitors.” I find many of Hays’ writings on theological topics to be of interest, although I disagree with his rejection of Kinism. I thought I would offer my own thoughts in response to what he says in his brief post. Hays begins by noting, “The ‘race-traitor’ epithet is used both by (some) whites and blacks. Is that ever a legitimate category?”
To answer Hays’ rhetorical question: yes, race treason is a legitimate category. That the Bible condemns treason should be uncontroversial. Judas Iscariot is also identified as the traitor (Lk. 6:16), the Apostle Paul condemns traitors (2 Tim. 3:4), and Stephen accuses those who were about to stone him of being “betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:52). Race is the broadest subcategory of mankind encompassing many people from similar ethnic backgrounds. The Bible uses many different designations that radiate outward from the basic social unit of the family. Several families comprise a clan, several clans comprise a tribe, and several tribes comprise a nation. Nations are hereditary and genealogical (1 Chr. 1-8, 9:1), and are typically named for a prominent patriarch.