Coneheads’ Pod Reflections

While the Cone Heads are a group of varying personalities, backgrounds, viewpoints, and beliefs, the one thing we all came to agree on was the impactfulness of our time together this term. Our conversations were rich as we shared story and engaged Theologians such as Karen Baker and James Cone. What enhanced our theological learning the most was how much we were able to feel from each other and learn in the process. Below are our most important highlights and our most precious takeaways.

Molly Erickson:

In our group readings and discussions, I was struck most by how much theology changes when seen through a lens of trauma and oppression. Theology shifts radically when you are located in a place of constant trauma and micro-aggressions. Ideas of who God is, what hope is, are not the same as the ideas I have learned in my own white, American evangelical leans. I was most intrigued by African American Liberation eschatology, namely that which James Cone has developed. In his book, A Black Theology of Liberation, Cone discusses the idea that an eschatology of hope for the African American community does not really exist. This community of people cannot cling to a hope for the future, because what they need now is for hope to come to their present reality. Eschatology from a black perspective has to bring social justice to their current situation. I was also really struck by his comment, “we do not find answers to questions about life and death by reading books…and answers are not find in a theology or philosophy class. The answers to questions about the end come when we face the reality of future nonexistence in the context of existence that is characterized by oppression and liberation” (p. 137). Eschatology, and theology in general from an African American perspective, truly happen in experience, and not in study. One cannot just sit and read about these ideas, but partake in the battle currently taking place. This flipped my own experiences of theology on its head.

Shalom Shreve:

James Cone wrote the article The Black Church and Black Power. In this article, I was impacted in many ways concerning the plight of the black person trying to make sense of slavery and what it told them of the righteousness of God. To have the oppressor serve the same God and hold to the idea that “God ordained slavery for them” (p. 93) placed black people in a real bind. Where does that leave the slave to make sense of God?

It was impossible to believe in God and at the same time accept slavery as ordained by Him. Most black preachers were thus in a state of existential absurdity. They could not understand why God even permitted slavery. Like the biblical Job, they knew that whatever their sins or the sins of their forefathers, they did not justify slavery. The punishment did not fit the crime. Furthermore, they knew that their white oppressors were no more righteous than they (p. 97).

Miraculously, the black pastors held to the faith as did the slaves, but they undoubtedly believed in a God that did not condone slavery. He was the one leading them to liberation. The black churches platform was for freedom and equality; the only place free of white oppression (p. 93). Our group discussion went to the power of the black spirituals to sustain black men and women. In the midst of horrific atrocities and during great trauma, song united them. The songs were about oppression, freedom, and the life to come. The songs were their lifeline. To this day, black spirituals are full of energy and vibrancy; they are alive. The trauma is still held and the song is held embodied in a fight for liberation and uniting a culture.

Tatiana Viera:

There were many impactful conversations had with this lovely group of Cone heads throughout the term. While I enjoyed them all, I did have a few that stood out to me more than others. One in particular was a discussion we had after reading the chapter “Finding Your Voice,” from The Body Keeps the Score. The chapter spoke of children exposed to trauma at an early age, and how movement therapy, and theatre can be really helpful as they attempt to work through some of these things. We talked a lot about WHY this would benefit children, especially children who have seen domestic violence, been the victim of it, seen murder, and other things of this nature all by elementary school. One idea being that the therapeutic possibilities of theatre deeply and physically allow these children to be someone other than who they are for that moment. They can act out their trauma, things they feel, or things they have seen without having to “be themselves.” Another idea is that through theatre and movement they will embody the emotions. For children so disconnected this is a good way to ease them into the vulnerability of even being present in the room.

While for me personally this chapter opened up more questions than it provided answers, our group was able to have wonderful dialogue surrounding some of our future roles as therapists and how to interact with trauma so large in children so disconnected. The book states “ the kids could not tolerate vulnerability in themselves so they couldn’t see it in others.” What a profoundly heartbreaking reality, that through our work we will be starting in the face very soon.

Krista Miller:

Looking back on this term, our reading pod time was easily one of the most impactful parts of the class. Through our readings and discussions together my own perspective began to grow, my theology opened along with my desire to open my mind, heart and spirit to other individuals and ideas. One of the most impactful readings was A Black Theology of Liberation, written by James Cone. James cone address eschatology through the lens of African American liberation theology. On page 136 he states that “for blacks death is not really a future reality; it is a part of their everyday existence.” As I read that sentence I felt like I got punched in the gut. It was the first time I really thought about how the life they live daily radical impacts their theology around hope, life and death. Recognizing the way when death is a near reality, our eschatology is challenged. Trauma was woven in and through our conversation which naturally took me to Shelly Rambos theology of the middle spirit. If trauma and death is so very near in the everyday life in the African American community, could hope and life exist in the midst of trauma and death? I became more and more aware of the privilege I carry simply because I am a white woman and became more and more aware of how little I know about the impacts of our theological view on trauma and culture and vice versa.

Justin Talkish:

I’m very grateful for the discussions our group had throughout the semester. This was my second time around selecting African-American Liberation Theology as my reading group (I also was chose this reading group in Theology I). The impression that I was left with more than anything else during our time together is the importance of having a theology that doesn’t provide answers. Oftentimes trauma leaves individuals without answers and only the painful memory of what happened to them remains. A theology that looks to put a pretty bow on someone’s suffering is a theology that is ignorant at best and most of the time indifferent to the suffering of others. African-American Liberation Theology was born in the context of voicelessness and white supremacy. It was people like James Cone, that fought against this oppression to establish a theology from the margins, where people are suffering. This theology is not only concerned with an eschatological redemption, but the liberation of people who are suffering here and now. For African-American’s in the United States, the balances of social justice are still skewed in such a way that we are disproportionately impacted in negative ways. For the African-American Liberation theologian, one does not wait for oppressive systems to correct themselves, instead we are to take a hold of Jesus’ hand now, as He is suffering with us. It is in the midst of fragmentation, trauma, oppression, poverty, sickness, incarceration, violence, police brutality, racism, etc., that African-American Liberation Theology acts as a faithful witness to those who are suffering and gives hope, dignity, identity, and affirmation to all of those who are without answers.

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AND ALL THE CONE HEADS SAID “AMEN!!!”

“Indeed our survival and liberation depend upon our recognition of the truth when it is spoken and lived by the people. If we cannot recognize the truth, then it cannot liberate us from untruth. To know the truth is to appropriate it, for it is not mainly reflection and theory. Truth is divine action entering our lives and creating the human action of liberation.”

-James H. Cone