Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering [Hardcover]

Sherman A Jackson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195382064 | ISBN-13: 978-0195382068 | Publication Date: July 9, 2009

In his controversial 1973 book, Is God a White Racist?, William R. Jones sharply criticized black theologians for their agnostic approach to black suffering, noting that the doctrine of an ominibenevolent God poses very significant problems for a perennially oppressed community. He proposed a 'humanocentric theism' which denies God's sovereignty over human history and imputes autonomous agency to humans. By rendering humans alone responsible for moral evil, Jones's theology freed blacks to revolt against the evil of oppression without revolting against God. Sherman Jackson now places Jones's argument in conversation with the classical schools of Islamic theology. The problem confronting the black community is not simply proving that God exists, says Jackson. The problem, rather, is establishing that God cares. No religious expression that fails to tackle the problem of black suffering can hope to enjoy a durable tenure in the black community. For the Muslim, therefore, it is essential to find a Quranic/Islamic grounding for the protest-oriented agenda of black religion. That is the task Jackson undertakes in this pathbreaking work. Jackson's previous book, Islam and the Blackamerican (OUP 2006) laid the groundwork for this ambitious project. Its sequel, Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering, will solidify Jackson's reputation as the foremost theologian of the black American Islamic movement.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sherman A. Jackson is Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies and African-American Studies at the University of Michigan

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195382064
• ISBN-13: 978-0195382068
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #910,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb overview, September 14, 2009

By 

V. R. Gardner "Vika" (Meadville, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering (Hardcover)

Prof. Jackson does a masterful job of describing the problem of suffering in the four major Islamic theological schools and then developing that presentation around the idea of the suffering of Blackamericans. Done in comparison to similar ideas in Black Christianity, the underlying question is one of whether oppression and the suffering it creates is created by God and must therefore be passively endured, or whether it is a creation of humans and therefore can be rejected and struggled against. How many scholarly books have you read to the end because you wanted to find out not just how it came out, but how the whole argument was crafted? Jackson's book is one.

The majority of this work could readily be used to study the idea of God and His omnibenevolence and omnipotence in Islam, and as that alone is well worth the price of the book. Anyone interested in a careful but clear presentation of the idea of God in Islam will find this new work well worth the time put into it. Jackson's rigorous prose is precise without ever becoming stodgy. Those who have had the opportunity to hear him speak will find the same engagement and insight he brings in person alive in his books as well.