Summary Of A Black Theology Of Liberation By James Cone

After gaining an understand of what Liberation Theology is, exactly, it is possible to look into the different branches of liberation. When looking at Black Liberation Theology, James Cone presents fairly compelling arguments towards the importance of this branch of Liberation Theology within his novel A Black Theology of Liberation. These strengths include, but are not limited to, defining Christianity through a Black context, positing Black Theology as a theology of survival as well as a passionate language, and stating that God is Black. Cone begins his novel strong by defining exactly what it means to be Christian – or what it should mean in the very least. Cone establishes Christian theology as “a rational study of the being of God in

Cone states, “Black theology is the theology of a community whose daily energies must be focused on physical survival in a hostile environment” (pg. 11). Through this statement, he expresses the importance of this theology because of its implications towards the survival of a group of people in a world where they are targeted because of their skin color. Cone also emphasizes this idea of black survival in a spiritual context: “But there is such a thing as living physically while being dead spiritually. As long as black let whiteness define the limits of their being, blacks are dead” (pg. 12). By making this claim, Cone expresses that not only are Black Americans being physically targeted, their spirits are also being controlled and damaged by racism. Within this argument, Cone also uncovers the negative aspects of integration and what it means to the survival of the black identity within America. Cone states, “The implications of the term are now all too clear: the destruction of black identity through assimilation. Whites wanted to integrate blacks into white society – straight hair, neckties, deodorant, the whole package – as if blacks had no existence apart from whiteness” (pg. 14). Cone wants it to be known the black Americans are separate from white Americans, and that, through the process of integration, the black identity would be destroyed

Cone states, “Christian theology cannot afford to be an abstract, dispassionate discourse on the nature of God in relation to humankind; such as an analysis has not ethical implications for the contemporary forms of oppression in our society” (pg. 18). Understanding this concept is vital to any form of liberation theology, as one cannot be passive when they are attempting to obtain something from a position within the margins of society. Thus, this concept enhances the importance of Black Liberation