An interview with James Cone
This past week I attended a conference organized by the Ekklesia Project on the topic of race and racism in the Church. Before the conference I read James Cone’s 1970 book A Black Theology of Liberation and after reading it I felt ashamed that it had taken me so long to read one of his books in its entirety. I’m currently devouring one of his later books, God of the Oppressed, and I am increasingly sure that Cone is one of the most important contemporary American theologians, hands down.
God of Oppressed is impressive both in terms of content and in terms of method. Of all the liberationists I have read, he has the most methodological clarity, I think. It would be good to “do what he is doing” in my own work on Appalachia. And not only is he an important model for theological method, the content of his theology will be important to engage in the context of a region that struggles with race/racialism/racism.
Of course, Cone has been associated with the controversy surrounding Jeremiah Wright in recent months, and his Black Theology has been condemned by various pundits and bloggers. (Mostly white dudes, of course.) This is to be expected, if we take Jesus at his word: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5: 11-12).
To get a taste of Cone himself, unfiltered by FOX News or Rush Limbaugh, check out the interview above. Also be sure to check out David Horstkoetter’s collection of posts on Obama/Wright/Cone. He suggests you check out Bill Moyers’ interview with Cone as well in which he elaborates on his recent work on the cross and the lynching tree.
The best thing Cone ever said, in God of the Oppressed I think, is “Jesus is black because he was an oppressed Jew.” Similarly, “Jesus is Appalachian, because he was an oppressed Jew.”
Dr. Cone has some wonderful things to say, especially on God becoming one of the oppressed and the powerless in the form of Jesus on the cross. I also really liked his analysis on the nature of violence as an instrument of those in power, and that when those in power take up a religion then that religion will also become tragically bound up with violence.
One major point upon which I object is when he talks about violence in terms of “justice and reparations.” He appears to be under the impression that forgiveness cannot really be granted unless the oppressor gives back what they took from the oppressed, and while I see that true genuine repentance of the heart should and will lead to a transformation of life from that point on, Dr. Cone seems to think that there is no forgiveness unless this is done. This strikes me as quite unBiblical, particularly in relation to 1 Corinthians 13 which speaks of true godly love keeping no records of wrongs. Even more unsettling still is that he appears to speak of forgiveness and justice in terms of entire races of people; ie, that the entire white race must make amends for the actions of their ancestors. I find that to be very wrong.
I’m a fan of the theology of liberation, but even this must be coupled with a theology of grace, and there doesn’t seem much of that in the interview. Jesus became one of the oppressed upon that cross, but it was also upon that cross that He proved Himself to be a God of unfathomable love.
Grace surely is important, and Cone does touch on it in his work. However, lets reconsider what he is talking about. Cone describes a continuing and on-going abusive relationship. Racism isn’t gone, and so the oppression still continues, just in different forms. Like other abusive relationships, say, physical abuse in a marriage, do we tell the beaten wife or husband to forgive as they are being struck? Justice is about righting the relationship, not limited to reparations of stuff (although this is necessary to undue centuries of abuse), but about treating each other as human. Sure we aspire to be like Christ, but this doesn’t mean that death wasn’t defeated after Jesus forgave on the cross.