James Hal Cone (born August 5, 1938) is an advocate of
Black liberation theologyThis theology maintains that African Americans must be liberated from multiple forms of bondage — social, political, economic and religious. This formulation views Christian theology as a theology of liberation -- "a rational study of the being of God in the world in light of the existential...
, a
theologyThe term "theology" literally means the study of God, deriving from the Greek word theos, meaning 'God', and the suffix -ology from the Greek word logos meaning "discourse", "theory", or "reasoning"...
grounded in the experience of African Americans, and related to other
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
liberation theologiesLiberation theology is a school of theology within Christianity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church. It emphasizes the Christian mission to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, particularly through political activism. Its theologians consider sin the root source of poverty, the sin in...
. In 1969, his book
Black Theology and Black Power provided a new way to articulate the distinctiveness of theology in the black Church. James Cone’s work was influential and political from the time of his first publication, and he remains so today. His work has been both utilized and critiqued inside and outside of the African American theological community.
He is currently the
Charles Augustus BriggsCharles Augustus Briggs , American Presbyterian scholar and theologian, was born in New York City, the son of Alanson Briggs and Sarah Mead Berrian.-Life & Thought:...
Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New YorkUnion Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets...
.
Biography
Cone was born in
Fordyce, ArkansasFordyce is a city in Dallas County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,799 at the 2000 census.The city is the county seat, home to the 1911 Dallas County Courthouse .-Geography:Fordyce is located at ....
and grew up in
Bearden, ArkansasBearden is a city in Ouachita County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,125 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Camden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Bearden is located at ....
. He and his family attended Macedonia
African Methodist Episcopal ChurchThe African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the "AME Church", is a Methodist denomination founded by Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the mid-Atlantic area that wanted independence from white Methodists...
. He received a B.A. degree from
Philander Smith CollegePhilander Smith College is a private, historically black college that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The student body averages around 850 attendees, with around 30% of that figure attending part time. Although known historically as a school...
in Arkansas in 1958, a B.D. degree from
Garrett-Evangelical Theological SeminaryGarrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is a graduate school of theology of the United Methodist Church located in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1853, Garrett-Evangelical is on the campus of Northwestern University and continues many associations with the university...
in 1961, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from
Northwestern University{{Infobox university|name = Northwestern University|image_name = NU seal.png|motto = Quaecumque sunt vera |mottoeng =Whatsoever things are true |established = 1851|type = Private|calendar = Quarter...
in 1963 and 1965, respectively. He taught theology and religion at Philander Smith College, Adrian College in Michigan, and beginning in 1970 at
Union Theological SeminaryUnion Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets...
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, where he was awarded the distinguished Charles A. Briggs Chair in
systematic theologySystematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs. Inherent to a system of theological thought is that a method is developed, one which can be applied both broadly and particularly...
in 1977.
Hermeneutics
The hermeneutic, or interpretive lens, for James Cone's theology starts with the experience of African Americans, and the theological questions he brings from his own life. He incorporates the powerful role of the black Church in his life, as well as racism experienced by African Americans. For Cone, the theologians he studied in graduate school did not provide meaningful answers to his questions. This disparity became more apparent when he was teaching theology at
Philander Smith CollegePhilander Smith College is a private, historically black college that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The student body averages around 850 attendees, with around 30% of that figure attending part time. Although known historically as a school...
in
Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Pulaski County. The Metropolitan Statistical Area, had a population of 675,069 people, according to 2008 census estimates...
. Cone writes, “What could
Karl BarthKarl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas. Beginning with his experience as a pastor, he rejected his training in the...
possibly mean for black students who had come from the cotton fields of
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the...
,
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
, seeking to change the structure of their lives in a society that had defined black as non-being?”
Cone's theology also received significant inspiration from a frustration with the Black struggle for civil rights; he felt that Black Christians in North America should not follow the "white Church", on the grounds that it was a willing part of the system that had oppressed black people. Accordingly, his theology was heavily influenced by
Malcolm XMalcolm X , also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African-American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist. To his admirers, he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against...
and the
Black PowerBlack Power is a political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies. It is used in the movement among people of Black African descent throughout the world, primarily African Americans in the United States...
movement.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States and he is frequently referenced as a human rights icon today. King is recognized as a martyr...
was also an important influence; Cone describes King as a liberation theologian
avant la lettre.
Methodology
His methodology for answering the questions raised by the African American Experience is a return to
ScriptureScripture is that corpus of literature deemed authoritative for establishing doctrine within any of a number of specific religious traditions, especially the Abrahamic religions.Such bodies of writings are also sometimes known as the canon of scripture...
, and particularly to the liberative elements such as the
ExodusThe Exodus, from the Greek word έξοδος, is an event that marked the departure of the Israelites from enslavement in ancient Egypt. The event is described in the Hebrew Bible, but no other original sources...
-Sinai tradition and the life of
JesusJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
. However, Scripture is not the only source which shapes his theology. In response to criticism from other black theologians (including his brother, Cecil), Cone began to make greater use of resources native to the African American Christian community for his theological work, including slave spirituals, the blues, and the writings of prominent African American thinkers like
David WalkerDavid Walker was an American black abolitionist, most famous for his pamphlet David Walker's Appeal To the Coloured Citizens of the Worldamong the most powerful anti-slavery works ever written...
,
Henry McNeal TurnerBishop Henry McNeal Turner was a bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.-Biography:Turner was born "free" in Newberry Courthouse, South Carolina . Instead of being sold into slavery, his family sent him to live with a Quaker family. The law at the time of his birth prevented a black...
, and W. E. B. Du Bois. His theology developed further in response to critiques by black women, leading Cone to consider gender issues more prominently and foster the development of womanist theology, and also in dialogue with Marxist analysis and the sociology of knowledge.
Contextual theology
Cone's thought, along with
Paul TillichPaul Johannes Tillich was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Tillich was, along with his contemporaries Rudolf Bultmann , Karl Barth , and Reinhold Niebuhr , one of the four most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century...
, stresses the idea that theology is not universal, but tied to specific historical contexts; he thus critiques the Western tradition of abstract theologizing by examining
its social context. Cone formulates a theology of liberation from within the context of the Black experience of oppression, interpreting the central kernel of the Gospels as Jesus' identification with the poor and oppressed, the resurrection as the ultimate act of liberation.
As part of his theological analysis, Cone argues for God's own identification with "blackness":
The black theologian must reject any conception of God which stifles black self-determination by picturing God as a God of all peoples. Either God is identified with the oppressed to the point that their experience becomes God's experience, or God is a God of racism.... The blackness of God means that God has made the oppressed condition God's own condition. This is the essence of the Biblical revelation. By electing Israelite slaves as the people of God and by becoming the Oppressed One in Jesus Christ, the human race is made to understand that God is known where human beings experience humiliation and suffering...Liberation is not an afterthought, but the very essence of divine activity. (A Black Theology of Liberation, pp. 63-64)
Despite his associations with the Black Power movement, however, Cone was not entirely focused on ethnicity: "Being black in America has little to do with skin color. Being black means that your heart, your soul, your mind, and your body are where the dispossessed are." (
Black Theology and Black Power, p. 151)
In 1977, Cone wrote, with a still more universal vision:
I think the time has come for black theologians and church people to move beyond a mere reaction to white racism in America and begin to extend our vision of a new socially constructed humanity in the whole inhabited world...For humanity is whole, and cannot be isolated into racial and national groups.
In his 1998 essay "White Theology Revisited," however, he retains his earlier strong critique of the White church for ignoring or failing to address the problem of race.
Early influences
Cone wrote his doctoral thesis on
Karl BarthKarl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas. Beginning with his experience as a pastor, he rejected his training in the...
. His early books (
Black Theology and Black Power and
A Black Theology of Liberation) draw heavily on mainstream Protestant theologians such as Barth and
Paul TillichPaul Johannes Tillich was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Tillich was, along with his contemporaries Rudolf Bultmann , Karl Barth , and Reinhold Niebuhr , one of the four most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century...
.
Womanist critique
Womanist theologians, such as Delores Williams, have critiqued James Cone for both male-centered language and for not including the experiences of black women in his sources. Williams, in 1993, acknowledged in a footnote in her book Sisters in the Wilderness, that Cone has modified exclusive language for the reprinting of his works and acknowledged the issues with the previous language. However, she argues that he still does not use the experiences of African-American women in his method, and therefore still needs to deal with the sexism of his work.
Other scholarly critiques
Other critique of Cone's theological positions has focused on the need to rely more heavily on sources reflecting black experience in general, on Cone's lack of emphasis on reconciliation within the context of liberation, and on his ideas of God and
theodicyTheodicy is an attempted answer to the problem of evil.Theodicy is a specific branch of theology and philosophy that attempts to justify the behaviour of God.-Origin of the term:...
.
Political commentary and controversy
Aspects of Cone's theology and words for some people have been the subject of controversy in the political context of the 2008 Presidential campaign, as
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
's pastor The Reverend
Jeremiah Wright Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus and the former Pastor of the Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago with around 8,500 members. In early 2008, Wright retired after 36 years as the Senior Pastor of his congregation and no longer has daily responsibilities at the...
noted that he had been inspired by Cone's theology.
Some scholars of Black Theology noted that alleged controversial quotes by Reverend Jeremiah Wright may not necessarily represent Black Theology. James Cone responded to these alleged controversial comments by noting that he was generally writing about historic white churches and denominations that did nothing to oppose slavery and segregation rather than any white individual.
Hoover Institute fellow
Stanley KurtzStanley Kurtz is an American social commentator who identifies with the conservative movement.-Career and works:He is an adjunct fellow of the Hudson Institute and a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, with a special interest in America's "culture wars." Kurtz writes regularly for...
, in a political commentary in
National ReviewNational Review is a biweekly magazine and web site, founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr. in 1955 and based in New York City...
, wrote that
- Cone defines it as "complete emancipation of black people from white oppression by whatever means black people deem necessary." For Cone, the deeply racist structure of American society leaves blacks with no alternative but radical transformation or social withdrawal. So-called Christianity, as commonly practiced in the United States, is actually the racist Antichrist. "Theologically," Cone affirms, "Malcolm X was not far wrong when he called the white man 'the devil.'" The false Christianity of the white-devil oppressor must be replaced by an authentic Christianity fully identified with the poor and oppressed.
Books
- Black Theology and Black Power (1969, ISBN 1-57075-157-9)
- A Black Theology of Liberation (1970, ISBN 0-88344-685-5)
- The Spirituals and the Blues: An Interpretation (1972 ISBN 0-8164-2073-4)
- God of the Oppressed (1975, ISBN 1-57075-158-7)
- For My People: Black Theology and the Black Church (Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going?) (1984, ISBN 0-88344-106-3)
- Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare? (1992, ISBN 0-88344-824-6)
- Speaking the Truth: Ecumenism, Liberation, and Black Theology (1999, ISBN 1-57075-241-9)
- Risks of Faith: The Emergence of a Black Theology of Liberation, 1968-1998 (1999, ISBN 0-8070-0950-4)
External links
{{wikiquote|James Hal Cone}}
- Union Theological Seminary - James H. Cone
- Terry Matthews, "A Black Theology of Liberation"
- Noel Leo Erskine, "Black Theology as Public Discourse"
- PBS, "This Far By Faith - James Cone"
- PBS, "Bill Moyers' Journal", November 23, 2007
- Answers.com on James Hal Cone
- James H. Cone and black liberation theology By Rufus Burrow, Published by McFarland
McFarland & Company is a United States publishing company located in Jefferson, North Carolina. Its majority owner and editor-in-chief is Robert Franklin, who began the enterprise in 1979. McFarland employs a staff of 42, and as of 2005 had published some 2,800 titles.-Subject matter:Its target...
, 1994, ISBN 0786411465
- Introducing Black Theology of Liberation By Dwight N. Hopkins, Published by Orbis Books
Orbis Books, is an American imprint of the Maryknoll order, that has been a small but influential publisher of liberation theology works, founded by Nicaraguan Maryknoll priest Miguel D'Escoto with Philip J. Scharper in 1970. It was the first to publish Gustavo Gutiérrez's seminal work A Theology...
, 1999, ISBN 1570752869
- Black Faith and Public Talk By Dwight N. Hopkins, Published by Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas, United States. It is the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Association...
Press, 2007, ISBN 1602580138
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