Monthly Archives: January 2012

On Violence: James Cone and Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Tim McGee

In the last post, I quoted James Cone, who had this critique of Martin Luther King Jr.’s perspectives on violence and nonviolent: [Martin Luther King Jr’s] dependence on the analysis of love found in liberal theology and his confidence that … Continue reading →

Posted in James Cone, MLK, violence | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

James Cone on the Liberation of Love

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Tim McGee

[Martin Luther King Jr’s] dependence on the analysis of love found in liberal theology and his confidence that the ‘universe is on the side of justice’ seem not to take seriously white violence in America. James Cone, _God of the … Continue reading →

Posted in James Cone | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

James Cone on the Uses and Limits of Karl Barth

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Tim McGee

Following up on the previous few posts, here is James Cone discussing why Barth’s criticisms are helpful for oppressors but not the oppressed: Of course, black theology is aware of the danger of identifying the word of human beings with … Continue reading →

Posted in barth, James Cone | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Black Christ (James Cone)

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Tim McGee

I begin by asserting once more that Jesus was a Jew. It is on the basis of the soteriological meaning of the particularity of his Jewishness that theology must affirm the christological significance of Jesus’ present blackness. He is black … Continue reading →

Posted in James Cone, race | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why Christians Hate The “Religion” They Invented

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Tim McGee

I wanted to avoid adding another commentary to the now ubiquitous “Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus” video. But it keeps being posted and reposted, despite a fairly obvious objection to it: only Christians of a certain kind think … Continue reading →

Posted in colonialism, politics, religion | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Theology and Ideology (more thoughts on James Cone)

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Tim McGee

Theologians must continually ask: “How do we distinguish our words about God from God’s Word…our dreams and aspirations from the work of the Spirit” (Cone, God of the Oppressed, 77). Each theological movement challenges some other movement for its ideological … Continue reading →

Posted in James Cone, race, theological method | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Theology and Creativity: James Cone on the Theological Imagination

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Tim McGee

God’s Word is a poetic happening, an evocation of an indescribable reality in the lives of the people. James Cone, God of the Oppressed, p. 17. James Cone wonderfully situates theological work within the realm of human artistic production: theology … Continue reading →

Posted in James Cone, theological method | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments