African American Theological Ethics: A Reader

by Peter J. Paris, Julius Crump

This volume in the Library of Theological Ethics series draws on writings from the early nineteenth through the late twentieth centuries to explore the intersection of black experience and Christian faith throughout the history of the United States. The first sections follow the many dimensions of the African American struggle with racism in this struggles against theories of white supremacy, against chattel slavery, and against racial segregation and discrimination. The latter sections turn to the black Christian vision of human flourishing, drawing on perspectives from the arts, religion, philosophy, ethics, and theology. It introduces students to major voices from African American Christianity, including Frederick Douglass, Richard Allen, W. E. B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin, Barbara Jordan, James H. Cone, and Jacqueline Grant. This is the essential resource for anyone who wishes to understand the role that Christian faith has played in the African American struggle for a more just society.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Steve Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent overview of the range of significant, important themes, work and voices within the African American tradition. Ware centers certain themes, for instance emphasizing the importance of freedom within the tradition. Yet he does not diminish the range of opinions, emphases, and diversity within African American theological thinking and practice. The bibliography alone was worth the price of the book for me, encouraging further reading from a variety of voices.

Apart from many specific conversations and points I found helpful, I really appreciated Ware's discussion of his methodology. In his introduction, he speaks to some of the limits of the Protestant Reformed theological tradition, in which I was first taught theology, pointing out that "when theology is fixated on the task of clarifying topics as categories, theology becomes esoteric and disconnected from the lived experience where Christian faith is expressed and evolves." Generally, there are many discussions in the text that help ground my theological thinking not just in theory about God, but in the fully embodied human experience.

I only gave it four stars because it is a textbook in format and writing style - a short textbook, but a textbook still, and textbooks are dryer, more formal reading than I prefer.

[Suzy G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A broad range of thought on African American theology. Read for seminary class, Reading Black Theology.