Defining the Terms of Cultural Marxism (PDF)
Defining the Terms of Cultural Marxism from a Christian Perspective (PDF)

by Allen Quist

Marxism
The worldview promoted by Karl Marx which asserts that all people are divided into two classes–the exploited class (proletariat) versus the ruling class (bourgeoisie). Marx predicted that the exploited class would rise up and take over the ruling class and create a classless society with a socialist economy. He said: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” All Marxism is officially atheistic and accordingly holds that morality does not exist. For this reason, Marxists see themselves as free to engage in immoral behavior of any kind. Don’t expect Marxists to tell the truth, value basic human rights, or respect human life.

Cultural Marxism
The revision of Marxist dogma formulated by Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci who said that economics is not the most important feature of history and life, but rather culture is the controlling factor of history and life. Gramsci also said that for the Marxist revolution to succeed (called the “Great Reset”), Marxists must control the media and education. Cultural Marxists are sometimes called the “new Gnostics” because some of them believe they hold secret knowledge that enables them to rule the world. Most Marxists today are cultural Marxists.

Critical Race Theory (CRT)
Advocacy of the basic doctrines and practices of cultural Marxism. Marxists today try to avoid using the term “CRT” because many people now know what it means. They use the term DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) instead, a term that means the same as CRT.

DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
Adopting beliefs that require affirmation of the principles and policies of cultural Marxism: e.g., equity, anti-racism, being transgender, homosexuality, gender fluidity, climate-change ideology etc. DEI rejects all genuine standards of morality, such as the Ten Commandments and the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Diversity
Dismantling heterosexuality as the social norm (heteronormativity); identifying and targeting cultural heterosexual norms as “heterosexual privilege;” establishing transgender/homosexual/queer/gender spectrum as the social norm; and incorporating CRT-political activists in every part of civic life.

Equity
The belief that every disparate outcome (financial, education, health, etc.) between the “exploited” groups and the “ruling,” “oppressor” groups is caused by exploitation by the “ruling” group, and that those disparities are the only evidence needed to justify overthrowing all cultural norms and existing civic government. “Equity” is the core belief of all forms of Marxism. It requires that all identity groups have equal outcomes regardless of individual effort or achievement. When applied to education, it means that different groups must have the same aggregate grades, admission to various programs, scholarships, discipline, etc. and “oppressor” groups must be denied their rights and opportunities (reverse discrimination).

“Equity” is far different from “equality” which means providing equal opportunity to individuals, not groups, and requires equal standing before the law. “Equity,” in contrast, holds that our nation’s culture, institutions, and system of government are inherently racist (“systemic racism”) and must be transformed into something much different or eliminated.

Systemic Racism
The assertion that racism is so fundamentally embedded into all western culture and institutions that they are irreparably corrupt and must be dismantled, e.g., schools, churches, businesses, civic organizations, U.S. and state constitutions, moral standards, and political parties.

Inclusion
The assertion that members of “oppressed” identity groups, their values, lifestyles, and beliefs, must be accepted, affirmed, and included everywhere and in everything, but not those of the “oppressor” identity groups, whose values and beliefs must be diminished. However, only those of the “oppressed” identity group who hold acceptable cultural Marxist beliefs are considered valid representatives of their identity groups.

Anti-Racism
Requiring reverse discrimination toward members of “oppressor” identity groups to compensate for past discrimination toward members of “oppressed” identity groups; training members of “oppressor” identity groups (such as whites, males, and heterosexuals) to confess their sins, denounce their privilege and to become political activists for CRT as the only avenue for redemption from their oppressor status, and adopting reparations to compensate for real or supposed past ancestral oppression. For example, stable two-parent families that are successful are seen as “privileged” due to their “oppressor” status, and their success must be understood as racist because it is supposedly the result of implicit bias, racism, and exploitation.

Social Justice
Treating individuals unequally, according to their identity group, which is the opposite of genuine “justice;” and requiring reverse discrimination to compensate for past discrimination. This practice is contrary to the U.S. Constitution. Because of this false worldview, white children, and children from married two-parent families are taught they are racist and need redemption because of the supposed misdeeds of their ancestors who gave them privilege.
Social justice also means training “oppressor” identity groups (such as whites, males, and heterosexuals) to confess and denounce their privilege and to become political activists for CRT and who will then be known as “social justice warriors.”’

Genuine Justice
The impartial application of natural law within all realms of society including economic, political, social, and criminal. Genuine justice (a) follows the principles of natural law; (b) requires that the guilty be punished and the innocent be protected; and (c) treating everyone’s legitimate claims equally according the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Empathy
An intentionally misinterpreted term. Education scholar Dr. James Lindsay describes “empathy” as applied in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to mean affirming LGBTQ beliefs and activities. To “affirm” means to accept and promote. Empathy also means to accept the false belief that people can change their gender.

Woke
Describes those who have adopted the doctrines of cultural Marxism, often without realizing they have done so.

Transgender
The fallacy that a person’s gender is determined by how one feels, not by how one is born, and that one’s external characteristics must be changed by surgery and/or by administering dangerous drugs to accommodate one’s self-perception. Since every cell in a person’s body is either male or female, being transgender is impersonating another gender, not changing gender.

Cisgender
A term invented by the cultural Marxists meant to imply that male and female genders (“binary persons”) are not a matter of biology, but rather a choice, just as being transgender is supposedly a choice.

Group Consciousness
A Marxist concept that defines people, not as individuals, but primarily by the value and status of their group identity, such as race, sex, and religion.

Evidence-Based
Another intentionally misinterpreted term that does not mean data demonstrating that a program is effective, but means, rather, that a program is continually collecting data on individuals and groups that is then applied to “interventions” to transform the cultural beliefs and values of those individuals and groups. This terminology is pure manipulation.

Culturally Responsive Teaching
Inserting systemic racism and identity politics into all subjects.

Culturally Relevant Curriculum
Curriculum that weaves a cultural Marxist equity/gender-based/climate change lens throughout the lesson plans.

Lived Experience
Determining truth by subjective experiences and feelings, bypassing Scripture, scientific study, data, and logic; cherry-picking the experiences of allegedly exploited identity groups to create a false narrative of systemic exploitation.

Marginalized Communities
Groups other than white, male, heterosexual, Christian, or supposedly oppressor individuals.

Science of Learning & Development (SOLD)
An ideological child development framework built upon a cultural Marxist worldview of systemic, embedded bias that uses brain development research as a tool and justification for transforming students’ values, and beliefs.

‘Whole Child’ Education
Using SOLD to transform education by extending the government’s authority beyond cognitive learning to encompass the development of the entire emotional, social, and cultural experiences and values of children from birth to adulthood. “Whole Child education” is a strategy for a massive indoctrination of children to a cultural Marxist worldview, closely aligned with Full-Service Community Schools.

ESG (Environmental Social and Governance)
Social credit scores that global financial entities, such as Blackrock, use to invest according to companies’ and large corporations’ implementing ESG policies (e.g., equity, transgender promotion, climate change, etc.) in their workforce, advertising, and investment practices, thereby forcing major corporations into compliance with cultural Marxist ideology and practices. Pension funds and other investment funds often perform poorly because their investments are based on ESG scores as opposed to profitability and growth potential. ESG scores are expected to progress into credit scores for individuals, as is now done in Communist China.

SEL (Social Emotional Learning)
Focusing on emotions, feelings, and subjective experiences as the foundation of learning; transforming worldviews through manipulating feelings; shifting to “competencies” in place of knowledge, in contrast to the actual purpose of education being to acquire academic knowledge and skills.

CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)
The command center for SEL which states that SEL is “a lever for Equity and Social Justice,” i.e., the central beliefs and practices of cultural Marxism.

Cultural Competency
Measurement of the degree to which a student has adopted the doctrines and practices of cultural Marxism. Students with low scores are subjected to interventions to raise their scores. A student’s standing is largely measured by surveys taken as part of social and emotional learning sessions.

Author: Allen Quist is a former 3-term Minnesota state legislator and retired professor of Political Science, Logic, and Christian Apologetics at Bethany Lutheran College (Mankato, Minnesota). He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN), a Master of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Mankato, and a post-graduate Divinity degree from Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary (Mankato, Minnesota). He is author of ten books, including FedEd: The New Federal Curriculum and How It’s Enforced (2002) and America’s Schools: The Battleground for Freedom (2005).