“To sing about freedom and to pray for its coming is not enough. Freedom must be actualized in history by oppressed who accept the intellectual challenge to analyze the world for the purpose of changing it” mentioned James Cone. This paper looks at one of the prominent figures of Black Theology, James Cone and explores Black Liberation Theology.
Black Theology is an off shout of Liberation Theology. Liberation Theology and Black Theology were mainly a response to the socio-political realities of the oppressed in both Latin America and America. James Cone was perhaps one of the founding proponent of Black Theology as Gustavo Gutierrez was to Liberation Theology, voicing and working for a transformation of equality, equity and justice for all. Even though, “Gutierrez would refute him being one of the founding “fathers” of liberation theology” says Miller and Grenz.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
I offer a little history of James Hal Cone (1938-2018). He was nurtured in a Christian family in the segregated period of American history, in a place called Fordyce, Arkansas. Even during that time, James as a black thinker received excellent schooling at various prestigious theological centers: Philander, Garrett and Northwestern University. His focus was on Systemic Theology with his PhD thesis on “The Doctrine of Man in the Theology of Karl Barth” in 1965. He was heavily influenced by works of Karl Barth, William Hordern, Martin Luther, Jnr., Malcolm X and Paul Tillich. Many of whom are known as humanist or existentialist, particularly two of whom were engaged in the fight for freedom and liberation of oppressed, pursuing a path of socio-political change.
Although, Cone practiced ministry from a youthful age, he was mainly in academia. He began his teaching career as a Professor at his alma mata, Philander Smith College, in 1966 and did a stint at Adrian College in Michigan and culminating his teaching life at his beloved Union Theological Seminary in New York. While at Union, he had the prestigious “Charles A. Briggs Chair in Systematic Theology, awarded in 1977”. Cone was a distinguished lecturer and prolific writer on issues of theology, African experience, history and culture. Cone’s works or publication stemmed from 1969 with a final piece in 1999, among which are: “Black Theology and Black Power (1969), A Black Theology of Liberation (1970), For My People: Black Theology and the Black Church (1984), Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or Nightmare (1992), and Speaking the Truth: Ecumenism, Liberation and Black Theology (1999)”.
Now to the influence of Liberation Theology and the rise of Black Theology. One of the distinctive marks of Liberation Theology is contextualization. Liberation Theology is contextual thinking in view of faithful reading of Scripture. Gustavo Gutierrez says
“Liberation Theology is critical reflection on praxis in light of the Word of God. In this process, Gutierrez is relegating theoretical reflection to second place in the hermeneutical circle. It is the “second act” following on the heels of the Church’s first act, namely praxis, or engagement in God’s liberating work in the world. In other words, theological reflection involves bringing Scripture or the Word of God to bear on Christian involvement with and for the poor so as to orient and guide such action, while at the same time providing an appropriate language for speaking about the God who is active in liberation.”
Liberation Theology is taking a critical and careful look at the existential realities of the oppressed, using Scripture as a source of justice and transformation.
Liberation Theology is the sharing in and with the oppressed individuals in the breaking down of the systemic powers of darkness that deny and destroy people rights and privileges. This is perhaps one of the foundations or principles of Liberation Theology, that is the need for liberation whether social or political, the need to make liberation the salvation story of the oppressed. Liberation Theology is the shaping of a life, where all are treated with dignity, worth and value; where all are given the best opportunities to realize the dream of abundant living and good stewardship of creation. The second principle of Liberation theology is a critique of the social/political reality of the individuals for change and transformation. Liberation Theology is a shifting of theology from abstract to existential reality that sees real change in the present and future.
Grenz and Miller posit that “Liberation Theology is the struggle of the marginalized. Implicit in liberation theology is the assumption that theology is contextual. That is, by its very nature theological reflection is inescapably linked with a specific historical, social situation.” Liberation theology was linked to the context of oppression in Latin America. In other words it is using a method called “sociology of knowledge” or “hermeneutic of suspicion” which is taking a look at the circumstances of the humans in order to provide a critical assessment of the “poverty that seems to endemic, pervasive and imposed”. It is using the knowledge, to effect change and transformation.
Liberation theology is a theology from the bottom up. It is a “theology of the poor” mentions Grenz and Miller. The poor in Latin America is unique and significantly different from those in wealthy countries of the West. The poor asserts Liberation is “the result of sinful social structures that work on behalf of the extreme wealth of a small minority and impoverish the vast majority”.
One of the most controversial aspects of Liberation Theology is “its analysis of the causes of Latin American poverty, especially its use of Marxist social analysis to understand both the situation and its solution”. In this view, the problem of poverty is imposed by countries of the West through various systems and mechanism in the market. It is an institutional violence against the poor and vulnerable of society, “with regimes ruling with an iron fist, ignoring human rights, civil liberties and basic dignity.”
Stuck on your essay?
