This is the  16th part of a series on Christianity and the history of antisemitism. While we are often reminded to “Never forget,” many of us were never taught this history.

The Christian Left’s adoption of Critical Race Theory (CRT) has significantly influenced its approach to social justice, racial reconciliation, and political activism. Many progressive Christian groups see CRT as a necessary tool for understanding systemic racism and fighting historical injustices, particularly against Black Americans. However, this embrace of CRT has also raised concerns about how it interacts with Jewish history, antisemitism, and Israel.

The central issue is that CRT, as it has been applied in progressive Christian spaces, often marginalizes Jewish experiences, either by:

1. Framing Jews as “white” and privileged rather than as a historically persecuted minority.
2. Failing to recognize antisemitism as a systemic issue on par with racism.
3. Adopting anti-Zionist narratives that can slide into antisemitism.

While not all Christian Left activists intend to be antisemitic, the way CRT has been interpreted in some circles has led to exclusionary rhetoric and policies that harm Jewish communities.

I. How the Christian Left’s Adoption of CRT Can Lead to Antisemitism

1. Erasing Jewish Oppression: The “White Privilege” Framework

Many progressive Christian groups who embrace CRT operate within a Black-white racial binary—a framework that does not account for Jewish history of persecution.

• CRT often classifies Jews as “white,” ignoring Jewish oppression in both Europe and America.

  • Example: Some Christian Left activists view Jews primarily as “white oppressors” rather than as a historically marginalized group.
  • This ignores Jewish experiences with housing discrimination, employment exclusion, immigration restrictions, and violent antisemitism—all of which were legally enforced in the U.S. (as seen in a “Color of Law” analysis).

• Result:

  • Jews are often excluded from discussions of systemic discrimination because they are seen as “privileged.”
  • Progressive Christians fail to acknowledge antisemitism as systemic—instead treating it as an isolated issue rather than a structural one.

2. Selective Application of CRT: Ignoring Antisemitism as Structural Oppression

A key principle of CRT is that racism is not just individual prejudice but a systemic issue embedded in laws and institutions. However, many progressive Christian interpretations of CRT fail to extend this logic to antisemitism.

• While Christian Left activists see racism as a structural issue, they often treat antisemitism as individual prejudice.

  • Example: DEI programs in progressive Christian universities focus on racism, colonialism, and privilege, but rarely discuss systemic antisemitism.
  • Example: Some progressive Christian spaces dismiss Jewish concerns about antisemitism as a “distraction from real social justice issues.”

• Result:

  • Antisemitism is not taken as seriously as racism, sexism, or homophobia within progressive Christian circles.
  • Jews are often left out of intersectional justice movements despite being a historically persecuted group.

3. The Christian Left’s Anti-Zionism and the Slide into Antisemitism

The most contentious issue in the Christian Left’s adoption of CRT is how it has shaped progressive Christian attitudes toward Israel.

• CRT-influenced theology often equates Israel with “colonialism,” treating Zionism as an oppressive ideology rather than a response to Jewish persecution.

  • Example: Many Christian Left activists see Israel as an extension of “white settler colonialism,” despite the fact that half of Israel’s Jewish population is of Middle Eastern or North African descent.
  • Example: The use of CRT language has led some progressive Christians to compare Israel to apartheid South Africa, ignoring the complexity of Jewish indigeneity in the region.

• This has led to three major problems:

  1. Zionism is equated with white supremacy – Some Christian Left thinkers have adopted CRT’s critique of whiteness to label Zionism as a form of white nationalism, despite its role in Jewish survival.
  2. Jewish self-determination is delegitimized – Many progressive Christian organizations refuse to recognize Jewish national identity as legitimate, while affirming the self-determination of other minority groups.
  3. Classic antisemitic tropes resurface – Christian Left anti-Zionist activism has sometimes crossed into traditional antisemitic narratives, including:
     • Accusing Jews of “dual loyalty” to Israel.
     • Reviving the stereotype of Jews as global oppressors by equating Jewish advocacy groups with “Zionist control” of politics and media.

• Result:

  • Many progressive Christian movements ostracize Jewish allies unless they denounce Israel.
  • Jews who express pro-Israel views are often excluded from progressive Christian spaces, even when they also support Palestinian rights.

4. Christian Supersessionism Reinforced by CRT

Some progressive Christian circles combine CRT’s framework of racial justice with traditional Christian supersessionism (the idea that Christianity replaces Judaism).

• Some Christian Left activists use CRT language to depict Judaism as an outdated, oppressive system that Christianity “liberates” people from.

  • Example: Some Christian progressives frame Jesus as a radical anti-racist who opposed “Jewish legalism,” reinforcing negative stereotypes of Jewish tradition.
  • This mirrors historical Christian antisemitism that cast Jews as backward legalists in contrast to Christianity’s message of universal justice.

• Result:

  • CRT’s influence has revived old Christian theological tropes that delegitimize Judaism while portraying progressive Christianity as the true force for liberation.

II. How the Christian Left Can Address These Issues

To avoid sliding into antisemitism, the Christian Left must apply CRT more inclusively and recognize Jewish oppression as systemic.

1. Recognizing Jewish Oppression as Structural, Not Just Individual

• Progressive Christian activists should acknowledge that antisemitism, like racism, has been embedded in laws and institutions.
• A “Color of Law” analysis of Jewish discrimination can demonstrate how Jews faced legal exclusion in housing, education, and immigration, just like Black Americans.

2. Expanding Intersectionality to Include Jews

• Jewish history should be fully integrated into intersectional discussions of oppression.
• Christian Left DEI programs should include antisemitism as a systemic issue, not just an interpersonal bias.

3. Distinguishing Criticism of Israel from Antisemitism

• Progressive Christians can critique Israeli policies without delegitimizing Jewish self-determination.
• Recognizing that Zionism is a diverse movement (including Jews of color) prevents CRT-based rhetoric from fueling antisemitic conspiracy theories.

4. Rejecting Christian Supersessionism in Social Justice Theology

• The Christian Left should avoid reinforcing old antisemitic tropes through CRT-inspired theology.
• A truly anti-racist theology must also reject Christian anti-Judaism.

III. Conclusion: A More Thoughtful Approach to CRT in the Christian Left

The Christian Left’s embrace of CRT has done important work in advancing racial justice, but its application has sometimes led to antisemitism. By treating Jews as “white oppressors,” progressive Christians have ignored Jewish historical oppression and fueled exclusionary narratives. The failure to integrate antisemitism into systemic oppression frameworks has marginalized Jewish voices in social justice movements.

To correct this, progressive Christian activists must expand their application of CRT to include Jewish experiences of discrimination—not just when convenient, but as an essential part of any serious discussion of historical oppression. Only then can the Christian Left truly claim to be a movement for justice that includes all marginalized peoples, including Jews.