Outdated

God of the Oppressed by James H. Cone explores “White Theology” as we know it, and how our cultures’ predominantly white history has shaped our core religious values. James H. Cone argues that “Black Theology” has a deeper meaning then repeated scriptures and services, linking the history of Christianity with the history of African Americans. Cone uses oppression of people as the keystone of his argument with supporting ideas to concrete his thoughts. Neither White Theology or Black Liberation Theology is better then the other, and therefore a combination of the two seem most appropriate for the modern generation.
Theology comes from pre-existing social structure and context. Cone says this is true for both the white Europeans and the black African Americans who came to America. Unfortunately in today’s society most, if not all, relations to our migrating ancestors have disappeared, leaving a new Generation of whites and blacks with similar memories, and social structure. According to Cone, if Tom is black and Bob is white, they are both 15, and have grown up together in the same neighborhood and have been through the same experiences their theologies should match. This however is not the case and some whites and blacks continue to separate themselves religiously, without much reason. Cone says, “White theologians, because of their identity with the dominant power structure, are largely boxed within their own cultural history” (Cone 47). How can a reader of my generation understand this statement fully with a Black President for the last year? I haven’t experienced a life with racism or seen people be held back by their color, so my existing social structure has been a fair one, with equality for all. So instead of Bob and Tom continuing to express what there great ancestors felt they should express a theology that represents their lives.
Cone says, “ Blacks’ concern is with the scripture as a living reality of the concreteness of their existence.” He also speaks about Whites’ constantly questioning the Scriptures and asking questions about God’s existence. I think that both intervening holy texts into daily lives and self-questioning about one’s faith are both very important in having a good understanding of a theology. These two actions shouldn’t be separated by color or by pre-existing ideas, but instead brought together to encapsulate a fuller idea of ones religion.
James H. Cones explores the differences of white and black theologies and how and why they have been created a certain way. However because Cone’s paper is so outdated it is hard for individuals of my generation to believe Cone. Such as our white religion is racist without acknowledging it, or that our black religion is representative of oppression without facing it.