Black Liberation Theology: A Contextual Theological Expression of African-American Communal Spirituality (original) (raw)
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Black Theology: An International Journal, 2010
In this essay, I posit that the original way in which the concept, heuristic, and signifier "liberation" functioned in U.S. Black Liberation Theology has by both form and content been un/consciously resignified into a discourse of cultural legitimation. The signifier "liberation" has become decontextualized (politically, economically, and culturally) in the second and third iterations of U.S. Black Liberation Theology, causing the discourse to become perpetually oriented towards past, not present or future, alternative dreams of social transformation and sites of strudle informed by the Black Christian radical tradition. In order to accomplish such work, this article employs a postcolonial perspective to the sources and discursive strategies within U.S. Black Liberation Theology. The second section ofthe article examines the historical and social processes involved in the slippage between liberation and legitimation, probing key moments and issues of class difference that led to (1) the disengagement of U.S. Black Liberation Theology with the cries ofthe living poor and marginalized and (2) the development of evasive discursive strategies within U.S. Black Theology that render Black Liberation Theology into a middle-class theology.
Scriptura, 2012
The article argues that there is still need of black theology. Although apartheid is believed to have died and blacks have political power, the socioeconomic and cultural realities and conditions that necessitated black theology are still prevalent. For as long as the black experiences involve pain and suffering there will be need to reflect theologically on what it means to be black in the South African context. This time around, as black theology is resuscitated, it should not merely be an academic-intellectual enterprise of the elites but it should seriously be in such a way that it has an organic relationship with the poor and oppressed. For black theology to be sustainable it has to be done in the context of theological reflection not from the Ivory towers such as academia but together with and alongside the poor and the oppressed, as well as their ecclesiastical and social movements
The Future of Black Theology of Liberation
Verbum et ecclesia, 2024
The death of Black Theology of Liberation (BTL) has been announced, and many were invited to the funeral. This article rejects vehemently such a death as a myth, and provides two reasons why such a theology would have a place to address theologising in the world. It firstly argues that BTL attributes its birth through stories. These stories are captured in history; embodied stories that are told. Secondly, it is found in a broader epistemology than that provided by the Enlightenment paradigm. Therefore, it is not only found in conceptual, argumentative discourses, but other forms of knowledge systems, including stories, poetry, and personal storytelling. However, this has still not been equally appreciated and explored. Taking the above two reasons into account, the death of BTL cannot be announced by academics, since they were never the sole custodians thereof, only recipients of the tradition of an oppressed people
Between 1517 and 1840 it is estimated that twenty million blacks were captured in Africa, transported to America, and brutally enslaved. The experience of these blacks — and their descendants — serves as the backdrop for understanding contemporary black liberation theology. During slave trading days, blacks were crammed into ships like sardines into a can and brought across the Atlantic. Many died at sea from dysentery, smallpox, and other diseases. "Some starved themselves to death refusing to eat. To prevent this form of suicide, hot coals were applied to the lips to force the slaves to open their mouths to eat." 1 Upon arriving on American shores, the slaves — men, women, and children — were forced to work from sunrise to sunset. Even old and ailing slaves were forced to work.
In this essay, I posit that the original way in which the concept, heuristic, and signifier ‘liberation’ functioned in U.S. Black liberation theology have by both form and content been un/consciously resignified into a discourse of cultural legitimation. The signifier ‘liberation’ has become decontextualized (politically, economically, and culturally) in the second and third iterations of U.S. black liberation theology, causing the discourse to become perpetually oriented towards past, not present or future alternative dreams of social transformation and sites of struggle informed by the black Christian radical tradition. In order to accomplish such work, this article employs a postcolonial perspective to the sources and discursive strategies within U.S. black liberation theology. The second section of the article examines the historical and social processes involved in the slippage between liberation and legitimation, probing key moments and issues of class difference that led to (1) the disengagement of U.S. black liberation theology with the cries of the living poor and marginalized and (2) evasive discursive strategies within U.S. black theology that turn black liberation theology into a middle class theology.
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies
Black theology, which is linked to black power in the context of the United States of America and black consciousness in the context of South Africa is often regarded as having nothing to do with spirituality, faith and salvation. It is often regarded by critics as radical, militant and political. In some circles its theological character is questioned. Advocates of liberation theology, past and present are accused of mixing religion with politics. The article traces the history of black theology, as part of liberation theology, which started in the 1960s in three contexts, namely Latin America, United States of America and South Africa. The article argues that spirituality, faith and salvation are central to black theology of liberation. The critical theological reflection that black theology of liberation is all about happens in the context of the spiritual journey of the poor believer and oppressed.Contribution: The contribution that this article makes is to serve as a corrective...
The Subject of Black theology, has been met with much controversy within various theological circles and among varied theologians. It often seems, consists of movement in two directions, one political and the other cultural. However, for all practical purposes and implications, Black theology is the official religion of black power, the black Church, and the black community. The arduous task of black theologians rest in the ability to explain how these two directions complement each other, while uniquely merging them into some form of systematic unified project. What then, somehow, ensues is a liberation theology for a people whose history has been scarred and marked by centuries of racial injustice, slavery, and oppression in America. This process cannot be left to secular reason alone, as it is incapable of answering the issues that this constituency face in light of their respective experiences in America and within the Church as it relates to their relationship with God, His Christ and His Spirit. Secular reason when supplemented by language (or concepts, or beliefs) of faith, God, Christ, and Spirit, Matters of concern to the community then satisfies the longing in a radical black politics and black Cultural manner, then it no longer seems independent of, or even at odds with, the issues raised and portrayed by the community or by black theology. When God is aligned with the poor and the oppressed, and His work is interpreted as a freeing agent of the poor and the oppressed, then its meaning is found in the language and practices of the black community as a systematically oppressed
Communion Ecclesiology and Black Liberation Theology
Theological Studies
The author argues that the focus of both communion ecclesiology and Black liberation theology have as their central theme the unity of the human community. This unity is also an explicit value of traditional African religions. Only recently has the silence and indifference of the U.S. Catholic Church regarding racism been more widely recognized. The Black liberation theology of James Cone has emphasized that the Church as the Body of Christ must exhibit five specific characteristics. These are central to the realization of communion.]
Black Consciousness and Black Theology: Di ya thoteng di bapile (relationship for liberation)
HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies
The aim of this article is to point out that Black Consciousness and Black Theology are conceptually and philosophically comrades in arms, fighting side-by-side for the liberation of the oppressed masses, especially the black people emerging from apartheid South Africa. Through the literature review, the two philosophical disciplines are historically sketched, defined, and compared. The Setswana idiom, Di ya thoteng di bapile (comradeship), like many African proverbs and idioms, is philosophically employed as a way of decolonising theology. The idiom is used to demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between Black Consciousness and Black Theology in fighting against structural injustices in societies. Historical evolvement of the two disciplines is narratively presented to demonstrate how the two philosophies can continue to fight together towards the liberation of the marginalised masses in post-apartheid South Africa. The article concludes by sketching some strategic initiatives that can be undertaken to create the space for these two disciplines to symbiotically lead to the liberation of people living under the new form of political, cultural and socio-economic marginalisations. The strategic initiatives include the enhancement of self-reliance, prophetic role, and dialogical processes that lead to emancipation of those who sense self-pity, dependency syndrome, and loss of sense of quality life. These initiatives can be achieved through symbiotic cooperation of Black Consciousness and Black Theology, eventually leading to human liberation from any form of oppression.