Dr. Vincent Bacote on the role of the Black Church in American Christianity and the Need for Diverse Voices in our Theology
Be the Bridge Podcast
Be the Bridge
4.8 • 779 Ratings
🗓️ 1 March 2026
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this Black History Month conversation, Latasha Morrison and Dr. Vincent Bacote explore the role of the Black Church in American Christianity. They discuss the contextualization of theology, the importance of understanding race and ethnicity, and the challenges faced by the evangelical identity. Dr. Bacote emphasizes the need for diverse voices in theology and the moral voice of the Black Church in society. The conversation also touches on the theological vacuums present in the evangelical church and offers hope through the resilience of Black evangelicals.
Join in the conversation on our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn to let us know your thoughts on this episode!
Executive Producer - Latasha Morrison
Producer & Editor - Sarah Connatser
Music from "Bridge" by Ellie Holcomb, used by permission
Links:
Connect with Be the Bridge:
Our Website
Facebook
Instagram
BTB YouTube
Join the online community BTB Connect
Connect with Dr. Vincent Bacote:
Not all views expressed in this interview reflect the values and beliefs of Latasha Morrison or the Be the Bridge organization.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Be the Bridge, Be the Bridge to the other side. |
| 0:05.8 | Hey, Be the Bridge community. |
| 0:07.8 | It is great to be here in this Black History Month, and we have a treat for you. |
| 0:13.5 | I met this person a couple years ago at an event, and we have stayed connected. |
| 0:19.3 | He, his name is Dr. Vincent Baycote. |
| 0:21.9 | He is the professor of theology |
| 0:23.6 | and the director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics |
| 0:27.4 | at Wheaton College. |
| 0:29.0 | And we are so honored to have him here. |
| 0:31.8 | He is an author of Reckoning with Race |
| 0:34.3 | and Performing the Good News |
| 0:35.6 | in Search of a better evangelical theology, |
| 0:38.2 | the political disciple, a theology of public life, the spirit and public theology, |
| 0:45.7 | appropriating the legacy of Abram Kuiper, and has contributed to books including on Kuiper, |
| 0:51.6 | aliens in the promised land, keep your head up and prophetic evangelicals. |
| 0:58.3 | He is a regular columnist for the comment magazine and contributes to other magazines, including |
| 1:03.7 | books and culture and Christianity today. And so we are so happy to have you here. |
| 1:21.3 | You're also a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society of Christian Ethics, and you reside in Chicago area with your family. |
| 1:27.4 | And I got a chance to meet your entire family and hang out for a little bit at this event. Welcome to the Be the Bridge community. |
| 1:29.8 | It's an honor to have you here. Thank you. It's a real privilege to have this conversation. |
| 1:34.5 | Yeah, there's so much we can talk about, but it's so funny. I met you a couple years ago, and I |
| 1:42.3 | remembered the name, and I think someone from our team was having some ongoing conversations with your wife |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Be the Bridge, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Be the Bridge and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.