As part of the Feminism & Christianity course I'm taking this quarter, we write brief responses to the readings, posing questions for class discussion. This particular reflection stirred some interesting conversation among my classmates so I thought I'd share it here.
In his article, “Black Theology and Solidarity,” James H. Cone discusses the emergence of Black Theology, which came about not in the universities and seminaries, but through political struggle for racial liberation and the civil rights movement. He also illustrates some of the beliefs of Black Theology, emphasizing justice for all races and the liberation from oppression preached in the “good news” of Christ. In addition, he discusses Black Theology’s connection to Third World Theologies and the growth of “Womanism” from black women’s rejection of patriarchy in Black Theology. During his discussion of Black Theology he states that it “was defined largely by Martin Luther King, Jr., when he and other Black church people began to relate the gospel to the struggle for justice in North American society. The majority of White theologians denied [this] relationship [and] claimed that politics did not mix” (38). Having grown up in a conservative Southern Baptist environment, I was never quite sure the political stance of our church until election year came around, and even then there were brief suggestions (usually by deacons) to “pray for wisdom at the polls.” Many "white" churches still seem to hold on to this idea that politics and church do not mix, but I can only count on my hand the number of church sanctuaries I’ve been to that didn’t have an American flag stationed below the cross. Is the inclusion of the American flag not considered a political gesture and stance when displayed within a church?
