“Woke” – A Biblical View

by Garry Floyd

Text: James 3:17

“Woke” philosophy is not a single, formal philosophy. It’s a modern cultural and social framework that blends ideas from civil rights activism, social justice theory, and academic critical theories. The term has evolved a lot, which is why it’s often confusing and controversial.

Here’s a clear, balanced breakdown.

1. Origin of the term “woke.”
   • Originally, African American slang meaning “awake to injustice,” especially racism.
   • Popularized in the early 2010s through Black Lives Matter and social justice activism.
   • Over time, it expanded to include gender, sexuality, class, disability, and power dynamics.
   • At its core, being “woke” meant awareness of systemic injustice.
2. Core ideas commonly associated with “woke” thinking
   • These ideas appear often, though not everyone who supports social justice agrees with all of them.
     • Systemic power and oppression
       • Society is structured in ways that advantage some groups and disadvantage others.
       • Inequality is seen as systemic, not just individual behavior.
     • Identity-based analysis
       • A person’s race, gender, sexuality, etc., shape their experience of power or oppression.
       • Concepts like intersectionality argue that overlapping identities compound disadvantage.
     • Lived experience as authority
       • Personal experience, especially of marginalized groups, is treated as a key source of truth.
       • Skeptics argue this can sometimes override empirical debate.
     • Language as power
       • Words and narratives shape reality and social hierarchies.
       • Emphasis on inclusive language, pronouns, and reframing traditional terms.
     • Moral urgency
       • Silence or neutrality is often seen as complicity.
       • Calls for active allyship and public accountability.
3. Intellectual influences
   • “Woke” philosophy draws heavily from:
     • Critical Race Theory
     • Postmodernism
     • Marxist and neo-Marxist social critique
     • Feminist theory
     • Queer theory
   • These frameworks tend to:
     • Question objective neutrality
     • Critique traditional institutions
     • Focus on power rather than universal norms
4. Common criticisms
   • Critics from across the political and religious spectrum argue that “woke” philosophy can:
     • Reduce individuals to group identities
     • Promote ideological conformity and social punishment (“cancel culture”)
     • Undermine free speech and open inquiry
     • Replace shared moral standards with shifting social norms
     • Treat disagreement as a moral failure rather than a dialogue
5. How supporters would describe it
   • Supporters typically say it is about:
     • Justice, fairness, and dignity
     • Correcting historical and ongoing harm
     • Listening to marginalized voices
     • Creating more inclusive institutions
6. Why is the term so polarized
   • Supporters often use “woke” positively (awareness, compassion).
   • Critics use it negatively (ideological overreach, coercion).
   • Media and politics turned it into a catch-all label rather than a precise idea.
7. In one sentence
   • “Woke” philosophy is a modern social framework focused on identifying and correcting perceived systemic injustices, especially through identity and power analysis, but it is debated for both its moral aims and its cultural consequences.
   • Woke-ism is worldly knowledge not aligned with godly wisdom.
8. Where the Bible affirms some concerns of “woke” thinking
   • The Bible is not indifferent to injustice.
     • God condemns oppression
     • Scripture consistently rebukes exploitation, abuse of power, and injustice:
       • “Learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression.” — Isaiah 1:17
       • “Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees.” — Isaiah 10:1
       • “Let justice roll down like waters.” — Amos 5:24
     • Biblical alignment: The Bible agrees that injustice can be structural, not just personal (corrupt courts, rulers, systems).
   • God values the marginalized
     • Widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor receive special protection in Scripture.
     • Jesus repeatedly draws near to the socially rejected.
     • “Whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for Me.” — Matthew 25:40
     • Biblical alignment: Christians must not dismiss the suffering of marginalized people or excuse injustice.
9. Where “woke” philosophy diverges from biblical teaching
   • This is where the tensions become significant.
   • Identity vs. Imago Dei
     • Woke framework: Human worth is often framed primarily through group identity (race, gender, sexuality).
     • Biblical framework: Human worth is rooted in the image of God, shared equally by all.
       • “So God created man in His own image.” — Genesis 1:27
       • “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:28
     • Biblical critique: Scripture acknowledges differences but refuses to ground moral worth in identity categories.
   • Power-based morality vs. sin-based morality
     • Woke framework: Moral guilt is often assigned based on power status (oppressor vs. oppressed).
     • Biblical framework: Moral guilt is universal and rooted in sin, not social position.
       • “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23
       • “The heart is deceitful above all things.” — Jeremiah 17:9
     • Biblical critique: The Bible does not divide humanity into innocent oppressed and guilty oppressors—all stand in need of grace.
   • Lived experience vs. revealed truth
     • Woke framework: Personal experience is often treated as authoritative and immune from challenge.
     • Biblical framework: Experience matters, but God’s Word is the final authority.
       • “Your word is truth.” — John 17:17
       • “Test everything; hold fast what is good.” — I Thessalonians 5:21
     • Biblical critique: Experience must be interpreted, not enthroned.
   • Speech control vs. truth in love
     • Woke framework: Language is regulated to prevent harm; dissent can be labeled violence.
     • Biblical framework: Speech is to be truthful, loving, and free, not coerced.
       • “Speaking the truth in love.” — Ephesians 4:15
       • “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” — II Corinthians 3:17
     • Biblical critique: Truth spoken humbly may still offend, but truth is not sin.
   • Cancellation vs. redemption
     • Woke framework: Moral failure often leads to social exile with little path to restoration.
     • Biblical framework: Discipline always aims at repentance and restoration.
       • “If your brother sins… you have gained your brother.” — Matthew 18:15
       • “Such a one… forgive and comfort him.” — II Corinthians 2:7
     • Biblical critique: The gospel does not erase sinners—it redeems them.
10. Ultimate worldview conflict: Justice without the Cross
    • At its deepest level, “woke” philosophy seeks justice without redemption.
      • No doctrine of original sin
      • No Savior
      • No grace is sufficient for both victim and offender
      • But Scripture teaches:
        • “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” — James 2:13
        • “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” — II Corinthians 5:21
      • Biblical conclusion: Justice divorced from grace becomes self-righteousness.
11. A Christian posture: neither blind rejection nor full adoption
    • Christians should:
      • Reject indifference to injustice
      • Reject identity-based moral hierarchy
      • Reject coercive ideology
      • Affirm truth, grace, repentance, and forgiveness
    • As Micah summarizes:
      • “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” — Micah 6:8
12. One-sentence biblical summary
    • The Bible affirms justice and compassion for the oppressed, but rejects any worldview that replaces the image of God, the universality of sin, and the necessity of redemption with identity, power, or ideology.