Black Faith And Theology - Fordham Theology 1 Paper

1BlackFaithandTheologyTheologyhasoftenbeenasourceofhopeforthosestruggling.KarlMarxdescribesreligionastheopiumofthepeople''foritsnumbingqualitiestowardslife sailments.FortheBlackstruggleinAmerica,theologyhasservedafundamentalpurposeforthoseenduringthestrugglesofracism.AuthorKellyBrownDouglasdiscussesthetheologicalimportanceofreligionintheBlackexperience.TheroleoftheologyinDouglasbookistoconnecttheBlackexperiencesandtheChristanstoryofJesus.Douglasnotesthatitisaparadoxicalfaiththatspeaksoffreedomamidbondage;itspeaksoflifeamiddeath.1OnlybyrecognizingJesuscrucifixionasalynchingcanwerespectitssignificance:Onthecross,Jesusfullydivestshimselfofallpretensionstopower ,privilegeandexceptionalism.2T ounderstandtheconnectionbetweenBlackfaithandtheology ,wewillexaminetheparadoxicalnatureofBlackfaith,thetheo-ideologicalframeworkthatDouglasestablishes,andtheprojectionofJesusontotheBlackstruggle.TheconnectionbetweentheBlackexperienceandTheologyliesinDouglastheo-ideologicalframework.Douglastalksaboutthistheo-ideologicalframeworkthathasevolvedtosubordinateblackbodieswithinamoreextensiveracistsystem.Douglasdescribesthisframeworkasasacredlegitimation3ofdeadlyracialenforcementsystems.DouglasprovidesanexampleofsacredlegitimizationthroughtheuseofcivilProtestantreligionin3Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,50.2Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,164.1Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,164.2AmericatoperpetuateAmericanexceptionalism.Similarly ,identifyingwhitebodiesasacherished,ontologicaltruth4legitimizestheuseofdeadlyforceonBlackbodies.ThisframeworkexiststodayasanexistentialthreattowardswhitepeoplethataBlackbodywouldcausesometypeofharm.Sadly ,weseethatthisstandyourgroundcultureplaysoutwhenthisframeworkisenacted,leadingtoverbal/physicalracialviolence,lynchings,andpolicebrutality .ThisframeworkisessentialindeterminingtheconnectionbetweenBlackfaithandTheology ,asdrawnoutinDouglasbook.Byunderstandingthisframework,wecanexplorefurthertheconnectionthatDouglasmakesbetweenBlackfaithandTheology .TheconnectionbetweenBlackfaithandTheologyinDouglasworkrequiresustodefinefaith-specificallywithinthecontextoftheBlackexperience.FaithisaresponsetoGod,5Douglasstates.FaithispossibleonlyifGodhasactedandhasinitiatedarelationshipwithhumanbeings.FaithisthehumanresponsetoGod sinvitationtobeinarelationship.BlackfaithrepresentsaresoundingyestoGod sof fer .6Faithis,therefore,arelationshipbetweentheologyandthehumancondition-withBlackfaithbeingspecifictofaithinresolveandBlacksuf fering.FaithwithintheBlackcommunitybeganwithslaveryandcontinuesaslongasslavery sef fectcontinuestoremainwithinBlacksocio-economicsandwhitesystemsofracialinjustice.FaithhashadtoendureallerasofBlackAmericanhistory ,frompost-civilW artoJimCrowtothewarondrugs,allthewayuntilmodernpolicebrutality .T ofullyunderstandtheroleoftheologyinBlackfaith,wemustbeginwhereBlackfaithitselfbegan,whichisinthecauldronofslavery .ByunderstandingthattheBlackfaithbeganduringslavery ,wecanunderstandandrespectthe6Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,139.5Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,139.4Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,50.3strengthandtenacityofthisfaithtraditionasitnegotiatesthecontradictionbetweenblacklifeandblackhope.7Althoughfaithseemstobeaverycut-and-dryconceptinDouglasexplanation,itiscomplicated.Douglaspreparesusbyexplainingtheparadoxicalnatureoffaith-especiallyasitrelatestoBlackfaithandtheology .TheblackfaithclaimthatbecauseGodisfree,soblackpeoplearetobefreewasmadeinthecontextofbondage.Thiswasnotastatementderivedfromblackpeople scurrentsituation.Rather ,itwasastatementaboutthetruthofGod.8BlackfaithwouldseemtocreateasolutiontoBlacksuf fering,andonewouldthinkthatsuf feringshouldendifoneweretobeembracedbyGod.However ,Douglasbelievedthatsuf feringwasnecessaryfortheBlackfaith.Thisistheparadoxicalnatureoffaith-thatviolenceandoppressiononlystrengthentheresolveofthosebelievinginit.FaithdoesnotprovideimmediatesolutionsforBlacklivingorthecontradictionsoffaith.Instead,itisatestamenttoaGodwhoispresenteveninthemiddleoftheparticularbrutalitiesoflivingwhileBlack.9Faithisaboutenduringthestrugglesinfrontofus,nothopingforanend.ThisrelationshipbetweenBlackfaithandTheologyshowsusthattheBlackstruggleequatestoJesusstruggle.ItelevatestheBlackstruggletoaspirituallevel.SlaverystartedtheoppressionofBlackpeoplebywhitesystemsofoppression,andthatoppressionhasperpetuatedtothisday .AsBlackpeopleendurethesesystemsofoppression,theyendurethesameexperiencethatJesusdid,accordingtotheBible.ThisisvitaltoBlacktheologyandplaysasignificantrolewiththebrutalmurderofT rayvonMartin.9Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,164.8Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,164.7Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,140.4OnthenightofFebruary26,2012,T rayvonMartin-anunarmed17-year -oldBlackteenager-wasfatallyshotandkilled.ThedeathsparkednationwideoutrageasitseemedtheonlymotivewasduetoT rayvonMartinbeingBlack.BeingBlackwasthecrime,asisseeninthetheo-ideologicalframework.Thecrimewentunpunished,however ,asMartin skillerwasacquittedofallchar ges.Lookingforanswerstowardssomekindofjustice,BlacktheologymadeanexcitingconnectionwiththedeathofT reyvonMartintothatofJesusChrist.ThesimilaritiesprovidedbyDouglasrevealmoreaboutthisissuethancanbeextrapolatedbythispaper:BothJesusandT rayvonweremembersofdespisedminorities.Bothwerefearedbecauseofwhotheywere.Bothstoodbeyondthereachofcitizensecurity .Bothof fendedthelordsoftheland.Bothwereaccusedofsedition.Bothwerekilledbytheruleoflawandorder .Acultureoflynchingvictimizedboth.Bothwerefoundguiltyoftheirdeaths.Bothdeathswouldshakeanation.BothdeathssaysomethingaboutGod.1 0ThepowerofthesesimilaritiesbringstheconnectionbetweenBlackfaithandtheologytogether .Itisaboutendurance.ItisaboutexaminingthesetragicandsenselessmurdersandbelievingthattheBlackcommunityiscapableofhangingonbecauseJesushungon.Blackfaithisarobustfaith-onethatcanbecomestrongerasmoresenselessracialtragediesoccurdaily .TheconnectionbetweenBlackfaithandtheologystrengthenstheBlackcommunity'sendurance.DouglasincorporatedseveralcomplicatedsocialandtheologicalissuesinherbookStandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.ShesuccessfullyprovidedaphilosophicalandhistoricalperspectiveregardingtheBlackbodyanditsoppressionfromWhitesystemsofracismandoppression.Douglas sbook,beingdirectedintotwoparts,laidthegroundworkforthethesisdescribedearlier .Thefirstpartexaminesfaith'scomplicatedandparadoxicalnature10Douglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015,171.5withinthecontextofBlacksuf fering.Inthebook'ssecondpart,theauthordiscussesthemeaningoffaithinastand-your -groundculture,makingaconnectionbetweenfaithandtheologyinthecaseofT reyvonMartin sdeath.Douglas sbookhelpedusunderstandtheconnectionbetweenBlackexperiencesandtheChristianstoryofJesus.T orecognizethisrelationship,weanalyzedtheprojectionofJesusontotheBlackstruggle,thetheo-ideologicalframeworkthatDouglasdisplayed,andtheparadoxicalnatureoftheBlackfaith.T ounderstandtheseconceptsistounderstandwhyBlackfaithholdssofirmthroughouttragicincidentsofracialviolenceseenbothtodayandthroughoutAmerica shistory .Itisonlyoneofmanystepsthatwecantaketomakesureviolenceagainstanyraceissolvedandthateveryonecanliveequally .6W orksCitedDouglas,KellyBrown.StandY ourGr ound:BlackBodiesandtheJusticeofGod.Orbis,2015.