The world of the early American Puritans recently met contemporary rap music because of “Precious Puritans,” a new song by Christian rapper Propaganda. In this song, Propaganda laments the Reformed evangelical community’s reverence for the Puritans, reminding listeners of the Puritans’ complicity in the colonial slave trade. “You know they were the chaplains on slaves ships, right?” the lyrics say. “Would you quote Columbus to Cherokees? Would you quote Cortez to Aztecs? … It just sings of your blind privilege wouldn’t you agree? Your precious puritans.”
The song has generated vigorous disagreement in the Christian blogosphere. Boyce College professor (and rapper) Owen Strachan issued one of the most pointed criticisms of Propaganda. While acknowledging serious problems of racism in the evangelical tradition, Strachan argued that Propaganda was unfairly indicting all the Puritans, with no sense of historical nuance. Did this not go beyond appropriate criticism (which is due to all fallen humans), Strachan asked, to inciting contempt and even “hate” toward our Christian forbears?
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