Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What does a new abolition look like — and what does the cross have to do with it?
In Week 1 of Theology for Troublemakers, Gary Dorrien traces the roots of the Black social gospel, from the founding of the NAACP to the fearless anti-lynching crusade of Ida B. Wells and the prophetic ministry of Reverdy Ransom. This isn't ancient history — it's the living tradition that gave us Martin Luther King Jr., and the one we're still drawing on today.
In this live Q&A, Gary joins Tripp & Aaron to go deeper on the questions Week 1 raised:
— What made the Black social gospel distinct from the white Social Gospel movement?
— How did Wells and Ransom hold together faith and radical political action?
— What does it mean to gather at the cross when the cross and the lynching tree are the same thing?
— And what would a new abolition actually look like right now?
Bring your questions. This is the kind of conversation that doesn't happen in most classrooms.
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Want to go further? Theology for Troublemakers is a full course with Gary Dorrien — one of the leading voices in Christian social ethics, professor at Union Theological Seminary, and author of the landmark Black Social Gospel trilogy. The course covers the social gospel, Reinhold Niebuhr, democratic socialism, community organizing, and more.
Join the class at homebrewedclasses.com
What does a new abolition look like — and what does the cross have to do with it?
In Week 1 of Theology for Troublemakers, Gary Dorrien traces the roots of the Black social gospel, from the founding of the NAACP to the fearless anti-lynching crusade of Ida B. Wells and the prophetic ministry of Reverdy Ransom. This isn't ancient history — it's the living tradition that gave us Martin Luther King Jr., and the one we're still drawing on today.
In this live Q&A, Gary joins Tripp & Aaron to go deeper on the questions Week 1 raised:
— What made the Black social gospel distinct from the white Social Gospel movement?
— How did Wells and Ransom hold together faith and radical political action?
— What does it mean to gather at the cross when the cross and the lynching tree are the same thing?
— And what would a new abolition actually look like right now?
Bring your questions. This is the kind of conversation that doesn't happen in most classrooms.
---
Want to go further? Theology for Troublemakers is a full course with Gary Dorrien — one of the leading voices in Christian social ethics, professor at Union Theological Seminary, and author of the landmark Black Social Gospel trilogy. The course covers the social gospel, Reinhold Niebuhr, democratic socialism, community organizing, and more.
Join the class at homebrewedclasses.com
