James Cone continues to challenge me in my theological thinking. I keep at his work exactly because my thinking needs to be challenged… constantly. It bothers me when I quit growing.
I could go through a whole post on the highlights from A Black Theology of Liberation with comments on what challenges me. Perhaps another time.
The basic thrust of what I find in Cone’s work is in this quote:
“The kingdom is not an attainment of material security, nor is it mystical community with the divine. It has to do with the quality of one’s existence in which a person realizes that persons are more important than property.”
I would like to add to that, “We learn that people are more important than ideologies” as well.
We struggle from generation to generation to value people. Even when we say we value people, I find that we have an ideology we are valuing more. Let me give you one example without comment: abortion.
Enough said.
We need our eyes on the Kingdom… and we need to remember what the Kingdom of God is all about. Jesus came to set the captives free. Not captive property. Not captive ideologies. Captive people.
Start seeing people.
This is what I gain from James Cone’s theological perspective.
Apprentice 2 Jesus 