The Cross and the Lynching Tree

by James H. Cone

Overview

The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626980051
Publisher:	Orbis Books
Publication date:	02/21/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	53,777
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

James H. Cone (1938-2018) was the Bill and Judith Moyers Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary. His books include A Black Theology of Liberation, Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare, and The Cross and the Lynching Tree, winner of the 2018 Grawemeyer Award in Religion.

Leon Nixon is a professional actor, playwright, and filmmaker. A Los Angeles native, he has performed in short films, web series, and on stage in dramatic and comedic roles.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xiii

1 "Nobody Knows de Trouble I See": The Cross and the Lynching Tree in the Black Experience 1

2 "The Terrible Beauty of the Cross" and the Tragedy of the Lynching Tree: A Reflection on Reinhold Niebuhr 30

3 Bearing the Cross and Staring Down the Lynching Tree: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Struggle to Redeem the Soul of America 65

4 The Recrucified Christ in Black Literary Imagination 93

5 "Oh Mary, Don't You Weep" 120

Conclusion: Legacies of the Cross and the Lynching Tree 152

Notes 167

Index 197

Editorial Reviews

When we see the crucifixion as a first-century lynching, we are confronted by the re-enactment of Christ's suffering in the blood-soaked history of African Americans," writes Cone (systematic theology, Union Theological Seminary; Black Theology & Black Power). With accessible allusions to Jesus, the sufferings of Old Testament figures, the lynchings of at least 5000 African Americans, and reflections of notable 20th-century Christian thinkers, including W.E.B. Du Boise, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Martin Luther King Jr., Cone points out that while many ordinary Christians, black and white, saw the cross "as the defining heart of the Christian faith," they were oblivious to its parallels in America's lynching tree. Cone forcefully shows that Jesus's cry to God after his crucifixion/lynching, "Why hast thou forsaken me!" speaks to the condition of blacks in America especially during the Jim Crow era and civil rights struggles. He notes that most white theologians have been blind to any analogy between the cross and the lynching tree and that lynch mobs were made up mainly of God-fearing Christians. VERDICT Cone calls for us to remember the lynching tree now to foster a Christianity that goes beyond empty pieties and fully embraces Jesus's teachings on suffering, the poor, and faith. While some readers may wish that Cone would recognize more nuance in white understanding of black suffering, this is essential reading.—Margaret Heilbrun, Library Journal

Library Journal