Between Malcolm and Martin: James Cone's Black Theology as Pragmatic Ideological Alternative

摘要

The pioneering work of theologian James Cone is examined for political insights. Cone's Black Theology is identified as a distinct political ideology capable of providing guidance in the struggle for Black liberation. Black Theology is not merely orthodox Black nationalism coated with a veneer of Christianity. It is a pragmatic, organic response in the struggle against oppression. Black Theology is also distinguished from Black nationalism and Black liberalism in its ideational dimension. Its simultaneous embrace of competing tendencies from these ideologies and its unique answer to the foundational question “What is Blackness?” warrant its treatment as an independent ideological expression.