Book by James H. Cone
In his book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, James H. Cone does an excellent job of demonstrating how the lynching (murdering) of black people is no different to the crucifixion of Jesus the Christ. When Christianity justifies racism and lynching it stands in direct contradiction to the very religion it claims to uphold; it is like re-crucifying Christ; it is a rejection of the gospel; it is anti-Christian or anti-Christ!
“Every time a white mob lynched a black person, they lynched Jesus. The lynching tree is the cross in America. When American Christians realize that they can meet Jesus only in the crucified bodies in our midst, they will encounter the real scandal of the cross.”
Early in the book, James thoroughly criticises Reinhold Niebuhr, who did little or nothing about the lynching of black people in the United States. His actions did little to confirm the value of his message as a prominent theologian during the 20th Century. Then, in chapter three James contrasts Martin Luther King Jr. with Reinhold Niebuhr. MLK was willing to die even though he would much prefer to live. He was at times afraid of his own martyrdom, and yet he embraced it in the same manner that Jesus embraced the cross.
“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life… But I am not concerned with that now. I just want to do God’s will. And he has allowed me to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”
Chapters one and four delve into the theology of the cross, and how black people have continued in their faith because they see their God as the God who suffers with them. Jesus was lynched and unites with them in their own lynching, grief, and struggles against racial oppression. James quotes many spirituals, poetry and other forms of art that have helped strengthen the black community.
My favorite chapter, chapter five is about the influence of black women on the civil rights movement.
“The civil rights movement is also a women’s movement. Women started it (“If Rosa Parks had not sat down, Martin Luther King Jr. would not have stood up”).”
I especially appreciated Fanny Lou Hamer’s poignant “Is this America?” speech and the story of Billie Holiday and her song, “Strange Fruit,” which
“elicits reverence for the dead from blacks and terrible guilt from whites who still reap privileges from the society that lynching created.”
Anyone deconstructing racism should read this book!
