Living Stones in the Household of God: The Legacy and Future of Black Theology

Rating:
Summary: Building blocks for the future...
Review: In the past generation, Black Theology has made a dramatic impact on the American theological scene.  Beginning formally with the work of James Cone (drawing on the experiences of others, and the general cultural experience of the African American people in the slavery and post-slavery settings), Black Theology has become a significant force in Christian theological discourse, and has even served as the seed-bed for other types of liberation theologies (Womanist theology, for example). 
 
This book, `Living Stones in the Household of God: The Legacy and Future of Black Theology,' edited by Linda Thomas, is at once both a history and a theology text.  While the overall direction of the book is forward-looking, as a good scholar Thomas knows that the future cannot be understood outside of the context of the past and present.  Thomas' own professional focus is the integration of theology with anthropology, which combines the God-human relationship with human interrelationships in culture.  Thomas states that `one might mistakenly think that black theology is concerned with the God-black human relationship in black culture only' - this is not the case, as the emphasis spreads out beyond the borders of the United States, beyond the boundaries of black culture, and seeks to address all black people everywhere in looking toward God-human relationship. 
 
Along with Linda Thomas, contributors include `founding father' James H. Cone, Edward P. Antonio, Lee Butler, Iva E. Carruthers, M. Shawn Copeland, Dwight N. Hopkins, Yvonne Young-ja Lee, D. Stephen Long, Karen E. Mosby-Avery, Jim Perkinson, José David Rodriguez, Rosemary Radford Ruether, George E. Tinker, Emilie M. Townes, Lacey Warner, and Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.   One important thing to note about this list is that not all contributors are African-American; this diversity of contributors speaks to the breadth and influence of Black Theology on the liberation theological development of other cultures and peoples.  For example, Rosemary Radford Ruether is a white, Catholic, feminist theologian; George Tinker is a Native American theologian, working with issues that involve indigenous peoples in North America as a primary task. 
 
Thomas' introduction sets the stage for the primary sections of the book - Black Theology and the Black Church; Black Theology and the White Church; Black Theology and Global Religions; and the future of Black Theology.  Thomas gives her perspective on issue in  brief, highlighting issues which must be addressed - gender issues and sexual orientation are two primary themes, in addition to economic and social justice, which has formed the core of Black Theology from Cone forward.  Thomas also highlights the issue of the treatment of children, for they are the embodiment of the future. 
 
Black Theology in a black church context is different from the white church context.  As Jeremiah Wright explains, doing black theology in the black church depends upon four things: the geographic location, psychological location, cultural location, and theological location of the ministers and people in the church.  In looking at these issues, Wright emphasises the importance of these factors.  With regard to cultural location, he states, `if a people do not know where they came from, then they will be forever heading in the wrong direction.'  He also says that `any people who forget their story will die, and the large number of African Americans who have forgotten their story is overwhelming.'  Finally, Wright highlights the difference between thinking about and studying black theology and actually doing black theology - going to schools, working with people in need, making a real difference, these are things that make the doing of black theology important.
 
On the other hand, the testimony and witness of black theology, both in its embodiment and its scholarly/academic side, has made an impact on the white church context.  According to Ruether, liberation theology is multidimensional, and ignores groups of people at its peril.  Long asks two questions - what has the white church learned, and what should it learn, from black theology?  Long steps through several lessons (of audience, of Christocentricity, of political relevance, etc.) showing the important impact that Black Theology has upon the dominant, mainstream white churches and culture.  Perkinson talks in terms of lifelong social and spiritual struggle, using Black Theology both as a source of inspiration and as a rekindling of outrage to give him strength.
 
The section on relations in global perspective includes discussion of both Christian ecumenical actions and those further afield.  Editor Linda Thomas contributes an article here on postmodern anthropology, what she terms `socially-engaged research' by outsiders to religious contexts.  Tinker looks at the Native American situation in survey, highlighting issues that cross over with insights necessary to other theological strands.  Yvonne Lee looks at the Korean experience, particularly a post-colonial perspective that seeks to find God beyond the `official' traditions.  Dwight Thomas gives an analysis of the importance of global interfaith dialogue for Black Theology, looking at the EATWOT process as well as other perspectives necessary fo for the world-wide effort.
 
Copeland talks about Black Theology as having an ages-old lineage.  He states that Black Theology was `born in the moans of the Middle Passage... reared in slavery and weaned in Reconstruction' - Black theology is a prophetic theology, one that takes the crucifixion as of primary importance, and something all must face with honesty.  The text ends with an essay by Cone, who writes about his vocation as a teacher and writer. 
 
While this book is not technically a festschrift to James Cone, in some portions of the book one gets the feel that this is a major theme.  This book assumes some knowledge of current theological strands and historical issues; it is not an introductory text by any means, although one can get out of it a great deal without needing to be an expert in history or theology.  For ministers and seminarians, this is very important reading, regardless of the tradition or denomination one belongs to.  This affects us all.