The Meaning of James H. Cone and the Significance of Black Theology: Some Reflections on His Legacy

Arguably, James H. Cone was America’s most important and controversial theologian in the twentiethcentury. Cone grew up in the 1940s and 50s in a segregated society that dehumanized black people and alienated them from the benefits and opportunities of the American system. As a result, Cone would construct distinctively a ―theological discourse in black‖ and concurrently impart meaning to Christian theological practice and discourse in American Christianity and theological landscape through his uncompromised celebration of black dignity and life, and his (re-) assessment of the black experience in the United States. For Cone, Black people have intrinsic value simply because God created them in his image for significance, freedom, and to have life in fullness. In the same angle, he contended that black culture and history also have value because God’s revelation also penetrated the cultural traditions and practices of Black people. Cone believed that the black culture in the United States has not only made significant contribution to American Christianity, it has pushed forward universal civilization and global human history toward progress, unity, and solidarity. This essay is an attempt to reflect critically on the meaning and legacy of James Cone and the relevance of black liberation theology for our current moments. It provides a critical reflection on three important interconnected and inseparable themes in Cone’s theology: (1) black suffering through the ritual of lynching—a powerful indication of the excess and exercise of white violence and the arrogance of white supremacy in American society; (2) Cone’s black theological anthropology—a positive affirmation of the worth and significance of black existence and life, and (3) Cone’s quest for black dignity and liberation—an intellectual crusade that challenges anti-black racism by promoting the liberation of black people.

Keywords: Black Liberation Theology, Liberation Theology, James Cone, Constructive Theology, Black Suffering.