Embodiment and the New Shape of Black Theological Thought

Introduction

| 1 Introduction Black theology is a mode of worldly theology, worldly in that it recognizes the manner in which the historical progress of humanity has taken place at the expense of particular groups not within the circle of dominance. Its existence is premised on a rejection of religious naïveté whereby human misery is covered by unrealizable hopefulness and theological slight of hand. While rejecting the extreme optimism generated by that position, black theological discourse also critiques unduly pessimistic depiction of human potential for initiating and sustaining socially transformative processes.1 Human progress has indeed produced a bloody trail from Europe through Africa (and Asia), and into the Americas; furthermore, black theological discourse in the form of black theology seeks to acknowledge, confront, and address this situation—all under the belief that substantial social change is possible. Theologizing consistent with this agenda exposes not only the messy nature of life but also the complex and layered ways in which religion serves as a response to the absurdity of our world. This posture and approach informed black theology’s early rhetoric and stance toward the dominant American theological tradition, and it allowed for the rejection of that tradition ’s disregard for those in most need of freedom. Few in black theology, or those familiar with it, would argue against these assertions as endemic to black theological discourse. And I have little interest in simply rehearsing this well-known and well-worn argument. Rather, I am more interested in the manner in which this fundamental framework shapes the reflexive process within black theological discourse and how that reflexive process might reinforce the importance of certain theological categories and highlight the implied importance of others. Reflection and Assessment Black theology is premised on the assumption that its effectiveness must be assessed in light of the manner in which its structure and content addresses 2 | Introduction the advancement of a liberative agenda. As a contextual note related to this section, some readers may raise questions concerning my frequent attention to some of the more established theologians and may find problematic the limited attention I give to more recent thinkers. I acknowledge that black and womanist theologies are undergoing transitions, and that new waves of theologians are challenging some of the assumptions regarding the doing of theology. Recent work by Monica Coleman, for instance, asserts the importance of process thought for the doing of liberative theological work, and for her this challenge includes attention to the religious pluralism that marks African American communities.2 J. Cameron Carter’s work on a theological assessment of race provides intriguing insights into the formation and theological impact of race within the modern world.3 However, I would also argue that even more recent theological work all too often assumes the definition of the body and the framing of the body, which had been established decades ago. Hence, to break this practice and center black theological thought on embodiment/the body, it is necessary to first address the assumed understanding of the black body that informs the first two generations of black and womanist theologians. Within black theological discourse all conceptual categories are tested in the arena of felt need and effectiveness—the ways in which meaning is made. From its early presentation some forty years ago to more recent efforts to expand and extend black theology’s nature and meaning, there has been recognition of the need to test claims, demonstrate assertions, and adjust in light of one’s findings. Or, as James Cone notes, truth is experienced and experience is truth.4 What takes precedence, then, at all times is the “realness ” of African American experience. Such a stance when held consistently must involve self-evaluation, an evaluation of black theology’s form and content. Self-critical exploration of black theology during the 1970s initiated by figures such as Gayraud Wilmore, Cecil Cone, and Cornel West produced greater attention to the importance of cultural production for the doing of black theology as well as the need for more explicit attention to social theory as a way to under gird a robust liberation agenda.5 What is more, continued critical engagement by scholars such as Katie Cannon, Jacquelyn Grant, and Delores Williams produced a turn in black theology during the 1980s that resulted in the surfacing of black theology’s sexism as well as a new theological model referred to as womanist theology.6 These are just a few of the important and documented moments of introspection that...