Risks of Faith: The Emergence of a Black Theology of Liberation, 1968-1998 [Hardcover]

James H. Cone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 1999

"American religious thought at its best."—Michael Eric Dyson, author of I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the birth of Black Theology to James Cone's seminal work on the theology of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the philosophy of Malcolm X, to the importance of the environmental movement, Risks of Faith presents the best and breadth of Black Theology.

"James Hal Cone has almost singlehandedly re-shaped western theological thought to make it racially inclusive by demythologizing the conventional myths and shibboleths which kept it a white spiritual and philosophical preserve for centuries."—C. Eric Lincoln, William Rand Kenan Professor of Religion and Culture (Emeritus), Duke University

"This volume of new and classic texts offers a wide-ranging introduction to the esteemed theologian's work."—Emerge

"Risks of Faith shows that Cone is as much a prophet after thirty years as he was in the beginning."—Delores S. Williams, author of Black Theology in a New Key

"Risks of Faith will be a revelation to those unaware that Black Religion reflects the finest modern manifestation of Jesus' teachings."—Derrick Bell, author of Gospel Choirs

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cone turned more than a few heads in 1969 with his ground-breaking book Black Theology and Black Power, in which then-young seminary professor offered a Christian defense of the black power movement. His career has been a lifelong effort to articulate what it means to be Christian (represented by Martin Luther King Jr., whom he considers American history's greatest theologian) and black (represented by Malcolm X, whom Cone considers a great "cultural revolutionary"). A collection of Cone's most influential essays, this book is an outstanding introduction to his thought. "White theology" receives severe criticism, for example, for its centuries of focusing attention on the abstract "problem of evil" while never acknowledging the concrete historical evil of white racism. But Cone, an equal-opportunity prophet, also pulls no punches in naming the failings of the black church. Indeed, one of the ironies of Cone's career is that the black church itself has by and large skirted the more radical implicationsAboth theological and politicalAof black theology. These pages give little hint of that, nor do they address the problems that the collapse of Marxism and the rise of the black middle class have created for Cone's facile, and incessant, use of such terms as "oppressors" and "oppressed." The book, however, provides stunning and vital insights into American realities and the possibilities for American theology. If some of the early essays seem tame now in comparison to the controversy they originally generated, that is simply a tribute to Cone's influence. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Both of these well-written and easily accessible books situate black theology in the context of the African American church and in opposition to white-dominated theologies. After a brief introduction to black theology during the slave period, Hopkins (theology, Univ. of Chicago; Shoes That Fit Our Feet) traces its more recent history--from the the Civil Rights era (1950s and 1960s) to the present. He considers the generation of the founders, examines the second generation (which came at theology from different political and cultural perspectives), and then treats more modern movements (especially vis-?-vis women and the Third World). He concludes with reflections on the challenges facing black theology today. Cone (theology, Union Theological Seminary; Black Theology and Black Power) offers a collection of essays he wrote over the last 30 years. He argues that Christ's central message to 20th-century Americans is black power, supports women's greater participation in the black church, and encourages black undergraduates to recognize the role of theology in their studies. He also suggests that Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had a complementary influence on black theology. Both of these books have the potential to make readers who are not African American somewhat uncomfortable because of the challenges they contain. Still, all readers would benefit from a reflective study of these thoughtful texts. Recommended for African American studies collections, seminaries, and larger libraries.
-Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (October 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807009504
• ISBN-13: 978-0807009505
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #706,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Mixed Bag, July 29, 2000

By 

watzizname "watzizname" (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Risks of Faith: The Emergence of a Black Theology of Liberation, 1968-1998 (Hardcover)

This is a collection of essays written over a 31-year period (1968-1998). As might reasonably be expected, Cone has matured and learned his craft better over the years. The older essays are still worth reading, but the best ones are those he wrote during the eighties and nineties, especially the ones he wrote in 1994 and 1998.

Cone's "Black Theology" is a "Liberation Theology." Cone contends that liberation is the central message of the Bible. While it is clear that a message of liberation can be found in the Bible, it is not the central message of the Torah or the Prophets. The particular liberation that these books extoll is liberation OF THE JEWS. Not until the Pauline Epistles and the lectionaries of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John do we get some hint of a message of liberation for everybody. Even then, the message of liberation is not really for everyone; Paul advises slaves to obey their masters "in all things", and advises masters to give their servants "that which is just and equal," (Col. 3:22-4:1)

But although Cone sometimes overstates his case, this is definitely a book to be taken seriously. Cone gives us whites the opportunity to see ourselves thru the eyes of an intelligent and articulate black person. We may not greatly like all that we see, but it is up to US to remake ourselves into non-racists. Neither James Cone, nor Malcolm X., nor Martin Luther King, nor Whitney Young, nor any of their black successors can do that for us. WE must act. Cone can help show us how, but WE must take seriously the need to change ourselves. We must cure ourselves of racism, and sexism, and every other ism that permits us to discount others because of their race, religion, sex, sexuality, etc.

If we don't realize that there is a problem, we are not going to solve it. Read "Risks of Faith." If you are not a Christian, just ignore Cone's Christian bias. It isn't essential to the insights you can obtain from the book. Insights into the content and pervasiveness of racism can help Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Pagans, and others, as well as Christians to see where their act needs cleaning up and to get going on what needs to be done.

This book should strike a responsive chord especially among Jews, who have been persecuted in most of the same ways, and just as unfairly, as blacks.

Thank you, James H. Cone, for "Risks of Faith." Keep up the good work.

[e-mail]

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful message, January 25, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Risks of Faith: The Emergence of a Black Theology of Liberation, 1968-1998 (Paperback)

James Cone is one of the pivotal figures in theology of the twentieth century. From the turbulent times of the 1960s to the present, he has been writing and revising theological thought from the Black perspective in North America; early in his career he set the general tone for his work by challenging the establishment's comfort with permitting Blacks to remain virtually invisible. With writings such as 'God is Black,' there is no mistaking Cone's intentions.

This is no mere book of essays or collected works. In it, Cone draws upon his large body of work, but also his direct experiences. He recounted the early experience with his doctoral advisor, fighting in class over the aspects of racism in the very structure of theology, a theology largely constructed by white male academics that never even considered the issue of race and what a difference context would make. He recounts his experiences later, now the teacher with students, continuing the cause over and against theologies that come into vogue (one example related at the end of the text is Cone's suspicion with ecological ideas in theology, as they distract from key issues of humanity's inability to relate even to itself in crucial ways).

Cone divides the book into three primary sections -- Black Theology and Black Power; Martin and Malcolm; and Going Forward. The first of these takes place in the context and aftermath of the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement in the streets of America and the slow awakening on the part of academia and church hierarchies that race matters, not just to preserve the peace, not just to right an ancient wrong, but because the fundamental equality and justice due to all persons demanded it.

In the 1980s, Cone began the task of evaluating the historical and lasting impact of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, two pivotal figures, not just theologically, but politically and socially as well, whose impact both on the Black community and the wider global community will continue to be felt for generations. Cone examines both the reinterpretations and the canonisations that both King and Malcolm X have undergone; these range from the sentimental to the bizarre (Cone points out the number of high-profile African-American leaders who seem to believe that Malcolm X is a black-Republican icon!). Ultimately, King's influence in the Christian community is so great that he is second to none in the American theological enterprise, with the crucial and important difference vis-a-vis most other theologians who would be ranked as 'the best' in that King was a theologian of action, a do-er as opposed to a detached thinker. Malcolm X's influence, despite his outsider status with regard to Christianity, remains strong due to the context, the emphasis, and the moral content of his message.

In the final section, Cone looks toward the future. Critical issues remaining include the role of gender in Black society (indeed, as it does in general society) -- Cone retells the history of slavery in brief, saying there was no gender distinction in the brutality of slavery, and that the time for greater understanding between black men and women is at hand. Recapturing a sense of the importance of religion and theology among the current generation of Black students in college is also key, as many regard the church and Christian culture of their parents and grandparents part of the old baggage to be shed. Cone also shows the amount of work to be done -- that the just society of King's vision is no closer to reality now than it was a generation ago, and that our general sense of ease at permitting this keeps him as angry as when he first started on the road to a full expression of Black theology.

Much of this work derives from Cone's writings, but again, this is not a simple collection of essays or selected works. Cone reflects critically on the development of his thought, what has changed and what has remained the same. This is an excellent introduction to Cone, a theologian whose voice continues to be needed.