Black Faith Before Colonizers: A Conversation w/ Pastor Kristian A. Smith

Lurie Breaks It Down

Women's Empowerment Network

Society & Culture, News, History, Politics, Culture

5.0 • 612 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2026

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Pastor Kristian A. Smith joins to challenge traditional religious interpretations, discussing how seminary education revealed contradictions in biblical teachings and offering a more liberating theological perspective focused on love rather than fear. Kristian A. Smith is a public theologian, Spiritual Humanist, and digital pastor of The Faith Community Virtual — an inclusive, justice-rooted ministry anchored in Greatest Commandment Theology. A proud child of the Black Church and fifth-generation Baptist preacher, Kristian holds a Master of Divinity from Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology. He is the host of Holy Smokes: Cigars and Spirituality and the author of "Breaking All The Rules and Question Your Answers: A Deconstruction Survival Guide." Known for deconstructing harmful theology and advancing spiritual liberation, Kristian builds beloved community one honest conversation at a time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Look, we break it down, down, down, down, down.
0:05.0	She break it down, down, down, down, down.
0:11.7	She got a message for the people, a brilliant mind and a clean soul.
0:17.3	She's standing up to the evil in making sure that we all grow strong enough
0:22.5	To break these change we're in
0:24.2	They keep us in this painful condition
0:26.9	She gave us truth and division
0:29.5	That's why we listen
0:31.3	She break it down, down, down, down, down
0:34.6	She break it down, down, down. Down, down, down. She break it down, down, down, down, down.
0:41.3	The whitest thing I have ever heard.
0:47.3	What is your response to this idea of ethnic idolatry?
0:52.3	Whiteness never wants you to celebrate blackness because when you celebrate your blackness,
1:01.0	you actually unmask whiteness.
1:04.0	There is no nuance.
1:06.0	Christianity was in Africa.
1:08.0	Don't ask me any more questions.
1:09.0	Part of the Jewish tradition is anti-fundamentalism.
1:13.7	Yes. It's called the Talmud and the Midrash. It's not enough to call something African
1:19.8	by name. It has to be a part of your praxis if you really want to lay hold to that. Whiteness
1:26.3	and capitalism are two demons that continue to eat the human soul.
1:30.5	Fundamentalism is attractive because it's simple.
	...

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