James Cone (1938– )

Black liberation theology has a history that can be traced back over 400 years in history. Drawing upon his upbringing in segregated Arkansas, the oppression of blacks in America, and the disconnect that James Cone felt from the traditional church, he joined with other pastors in calling for a Black Power movement. Cone argued for the liberation of blacks, the poor, and the oppressed, believing that this was the revelation of Jesus Christ. This revelation of Jesus Christ became the foundation of Cone's black liberation theology. Cone argued that the black theology was a Christian theology, built upon a gospel that raises up an oppressed community and that is centered on Jesus Christ. His Black Theology and Black Power was the first scholarly publication on black theology. Cone's work has been translated and examined internationally since it is viewed as a theology of hope for the oppressed.