“ The cross and the lynching tree interpret each other. Both were public spectacles, shameful events, instruments of punishment reserved for the most despised people in society. Any genuine theology and… James H. Cone
“ The gospel of Jesus is not a rational concept to be explained in a theory of salvation, but a story about God’s presence in Jesus’ solidarity with the oppressed, which led to his death on the cross. W… James H. Cone
“ The conspicuous absence of the lynching tree in American theological discourse and preaching is profoundly revealing, especially since the crucifixion was clearly a first-century lynching. James H. Cone
“ Through the reading of scripture, the people hear other stories about Jesus that enable them to move beyond the privateness of their own stories. James H. Cone
“ People reject the cross because it contradicts historical values and expectations—just as Peter challenged Jesus for saying, The Son of Man must suffer: Far be it from You; this shall not happen to Yo… James H. Cone
“ For [Martin Luther] King nonviolence was more than a strategy; it was the way of life defined by love for others—the only way to heal broken humanity. James H. Cone
“ Unlike Europeans who immigrated to this land to escape from tyranny, Africans came in chains to serve a nation of tyrants. James H. Cone
“ Black Power, in short, is an attitude, an inward affirmation of the essential worth of blackness. It means that the black man will not be poisoned by the stereotypes that others have of him, but will… James H. Cone
“ The Christian community, therefore, is that community that freely becomes oppressed, because they know that Jesus himself has defined humanity's liberation in the context of what happens to the little… James H. Cone
“ I do think that it is impossible to do Christian theology with integrity in America without asking the question, What has the gospel to do with the black struggle for liberation? James H. Cone
“ King refused to lose hope or to relinquish the belief that all reality hinges on moral foundations. He focused his hope on Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Christ came to show us the way. Men love darkn… James H. Cone
“ If the Church is to remain faithful to its Lord, it must make a decisive break with the structure of this society by launching a vehement attack on the evils of racism in all forms. It must become pro… James H. Cone
“ Heresy is the refusal to speak the truth or to live the truth in the light of the One who is the Truth. James H. Cone
“ My message to blacks was: It is time to stop hating who you are. God created you black—love yourself, love your hands and face, big nose and lips, for that is the only way you can love God. Blackness… James H. Cone
“ I was black before I was a Christian. Martin and Malcolm, therefore, had to go together, which meant being unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian. James H. Cone
“ They shouted, danced, clapped their hands and stomped their feet as they bore witness to the power of Jesus’ cross which had given them an identity far more meaningful than the harm that white suprema… James H. Cone
“ The acceptance of the gift of freedom transforms our perception of our social and political existence. James H. Cone
“ And yet the Christian gospel is more than a transcendent reality, more than going to heaven when I die, to shout salvation as I fly. It is also an immanent reality—a powerful liberating presence among… James H. Cone
“ One can never wrestle enough with God if one does so out of a pure regard for truth, wrote French philosopher, activist, and mystic Simone Weil. Christ likes for us to prefer truth to him because, bef… James H. Cone
“ In the lynching era, between 1880 to 1940, white Christians lynched nearly five thousand black men and women in a manner with obvious echoes of the Roman crucifixion of Jesus. Yet these Christians did… James H. Cone
