Black theology continually poses a challenge to Christian witness and faith. Through a critical analysis of leading religious thinkers, Dwight N. Hopkins explores the fundamental differences and similarities between black theology in the United States and black theology in South Africa and asks: What is the common denominator between the two? Part I examines the historical, political, cultural, and theological background of contemporary black theology in both countries. Hopkins delves into the distinctive situation of each country, focusing on civil rights, black power, and related political, cultural, and theological themes in the United States, and on civil disobedience, black consciousness, the unity of politics and culture, and political/cultural/theological themes in South Africa. Through interviews with leading black religious scholars, Part II explores these theologies in depth. Contrasting the cultural-theological trend with the political-theological trend in the USA, Hopkins explores the ideas of theologians Albert B. Cleage, James H. Cone, J. Deotis Roberts, William R. Jones, Gayraud S. Wilmore, Charles H. Long, Cecil W. Cone, and Vincent Harding. In Part III Hopkins examines the same two trends - cultural-theological and political-theological - in South Africa. Here the focus is on the impact of black consciousness and Soweto, and the works of Manas Buthelezi, Allan Boesak, Simon S. Maimela, Frank Chikane, Bonganjalo C. Goba, Itumeleng J. Mosala, Takatso A. Mofokeng, and Desmond M. Tutu. Part IV brings black theology USA and black theology South Africa into dialogue. Hopkins locates the common denominator between the tow theologies: that they both claim the Christian gospel as the gospel of liberation for black people struggling against racism and for a holistic humanity - physically and spiritually, politically and culturally. He concludes by looking toward future areas of development and collaboration, arguing that an effective black theology of liberation must integrate politics and culture, insuring that the two are equal and complementary, two tributaries within the same current.

Black Theology emerged in the 1960s as a response to black consciousness. In South Africa, it is a critique of power; in the UK it is a political theology of black culture. The dominant form of Black Theology has been in the USA, originally influenced by Black Power and the critique of white racism. Since then, it claims to have broadened its perspective to include oppression on the grounds of race, gender and class. In this book, Alistair Kee contests this claim, arguing that Black and Womanist Theologies present inadequate analysis of race and gender and no account at all of class or economic oppression.With a few notable exceptions, Black Theology in the USA repeats the mantras of the 1970s, the discourse of modernity. Content with American capitalism, it fails to address the source of the impoverishment of black Americans at home. Content with a romantic image of Africa, this 'African-American' movement fails to defend contemporary Africa against predatory American global ambitions. Blacks in the West, Kee claims here, are no longer the victims; they are the voters and consumers who should be able to influence western governments - the American government in particular - into changing policies towards Africa in particular and the third world in general. This book does not argue that Black theologians should give up, but that they should move on, for the sake of the black poor in America, the black poor in Africa and the third world. The failure of Black theologians to do so is a cause for concern beyond the circle of practitioners of Black theology.

Discussion of why black hermeneutics are important when interpreting scripturefrom a South African viewpoint.

Black theology of liberation in the USA and South Africa (SA) both began from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. They carried the energy of the youth who were eager to change the world so that all peoples would enjoy life and live as neighbors. Legal racial laws still existed in parts of the US in the mid-1960s. And apartheid laws on separation of races were as normal and accepted as breathing air. Given the major racial divides and the presence of human differences in all of society, concerned individuals, in both countries, realized that religious practice or the study of religion could not be done separate from the everyday lives of ordinary people. In response to racial laws, blacks created a vibrant renaissance of black culture and organizations. Song, stories, histories, and coalitions flourished. Blacks of all classes became energized and participated in a rebirth of what it meant to be black. What was a true citizenship rooted in justice? In fact, it was a profound striving to produce a new vision of the US and South Africa. Deep and broad hope filled these communities and many throughout both countries. Black religious leaders and ordinary people of faith were heavily impacted by this bubbling and creative black renaissance. The founders of black liberation theology in both countries emerged out of this larger movement to redefine what is a healthy community with healthy individuals. In recent years, USA and SA have had their first black elected presidents (i.e., Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama). Such historic and amazing developments show strides in both countries across the Atlantic. Yet, the economic success after US legal segregation and SA apartheid seemed to have gone primarily to only the top 5 percent of black people. The republication of We Are One Voice is still needed today. Questions of poor and working people, women's rights, and the importance of connecting spiritualty and faith to culture, politics, and economics are even more pressing in the twenty-first century than they were in the last.

A comprehensive look at black theology and its connection with major doctrinal themes within Christianity from a global perspective.

Black theology as a discipline emerged in 1960s America, growing out of the experiences of Black people of the African Diaspora as they sought to re-interpret the central ideas of Christianity in light of struggle and oppression. However, a form of Black theology has been present in Britain since the time of slavery. 'Black Theology in Britain' offers the first comprehensive survey of Black theology, tracing its development in Britain from the eighteenth century to today. The essays cover a wide range of topics: Black Liberation; drama as a medium for Black theology; the perspective of Black women; Black theology in the pulpit and pastoral care; and the work of Robert Beckford and Anthony Reddie. 'Black Theology in Britain' is a key resource for students of British history, cultural studies, Black theology, and religious studies.

Two major strands of theology have developed in Africa--inculturation and liberation--each in response to different needs. Emmanuel Martey's African Theology provides a clear, scholarly examination of these two basic approaches, solidly based on Martey's understanding of contemporary theology and his firsthand knowledge of Africa.Martey first examines the historical background of each of these theological developments, especially relating to cultural and political movements enveloping the continent in the 1970s. In sub-Saharan Africa, struggles for independence from colonizers have resulted in inculturation theology. The defining aspect of this theology is that it pushes its roots firmly in African culture and traditions. In South Africa, on the other hand, Black Africans struggling against the oppressive systems of apartheid have turned to liberation theology.Martey shows how the real hope for African theology lies in the dialectical encounter between these two approaches and in their potential for convergence. "The two foci (of liberation and inculturation)," Martey says, "are not contradictory, but complement each other." African Theology concludes by challenging African theologians to weld together the praxis of inculturation with that of liberation, in order to achieve an integrative vision for the continent.