As a African American man himself, James Cone has dealt with his own crosses to bear such as the untimely death of his wife and the anxiety of waiting for his father to come home after dark in a hostile racist world. His experiences prompted him to contemplate “Why is there suffering?”. “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” considers two significant symbols in both the African American and Christian communities, the cross and the lynching tree, and uses them along with the word of God to explore the pain, fear, hope and faith within the African American community in addition to creating the image of a relatable, suffering God, “Every time a white mob lynched a black person, they lynched Jesus.” (158). The inordinate amount of suffering faced by the African American community is not something to be overcome or accepted for the good of humanity, it is a means to their own liberation. Cone even argues that Jesus Christ was the first lynchee, foreshadowing the lynchings of black bodies to come.
He begins with an intensive history of lynching in the United States and progresses to the history of crucifixion in the subsequent chapter. Having these two foundations presented in succession made me reflect on how much I knew about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ but comparatively, knew very little about the history of lynching. This first chapter is essential to both the foundation of Cone’s argument and the enlightenment of everyday Americans. Cone makes an important note that lynching did not begin solely as a white-black affair. The lynching of black Americans through mob violence increased significantly after the Civil War because ex-slaves were given social, political and economic freedoms to the dismay of Southern whites, “Although white southerners lost the Civil War, they did not lose the cultural war…” (6). Cone continues and explores how the crucifixion of Jesus can easily be substituted with lynching in the United States. The lynching of black persons and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ were community acts, where the victim was seen as the criminal, the perpetrators were not prosecuted for their crimes and essentially stripped the victim of their humanity.
The book goes on to examine the womanist perspective and gives a rather detailed history of the role of women in the Civil Rights Movement. Here Cone finally recognizes the great role that African American women play in this discussion. Before this moment, he talked about the function of white women in lynching; however, he took a long time to recognize the concurrent abuse of black women by white men. Despite this criticism, the chapter provided me with a plethora of women whose names and stories I had previously never known, but who now I attribute credit for making a seemingly lasting difference. In addition to the history of lynching, this chapter should be read by all Americans as a means of enlightenment. Lastly, Cone pays tribute to the artistic voices who have commemorated the experiences of the black community, showed an uncensored view of lynchings and captured the emotions of a time forcibly forgotten. While easily overlooked, it is imperative to remember and celebrate artistic voices. Artists of all varieties provide a raw interpretation of society at that very moment.
Cone provides a persuasive argument for the paradoxical and inscrutable word of God. God’s word is a mystery and when we try to apply human logic to it, we are doing an injustice to God. However, “the gospel is in the world, but it is not of this world; that is, it can be seen in the black freedom movement, but it is much more than what we see in our struggles for justice” (156). While the cross is a symbol of darkness and death, God by some inexplicable means, transformed this symbol to one of faith, redemption and repentance. Christians have to see the cross in both ways in order to truly enjoy “eternal salvation”. The word of God and the cross should be used to liberate the black community; “African Americans embraced the story of Jesus, the crucified Christ, whose death they claimed paradoxically gave them life…While the lynching tree symbolized white power and ‘black death’, the cross symbolized divine power and ‘black life’” (18)
From start to finish, Cone makes countless effective comparisons of the two events providing strong support for his argument. He lays the groundwork to explain the presence of a suffering God. God’s only Son, was gruesomely murdered as a criminal. The black community can find solace in a suffering God because after this egregious tragedy, came promise. I have always been attracted to the notion of a suffering God simply due to the fact that it is human nature to find comfort from someone or something that can relate to your experience. However, it can be argued that the suffering God conflicts with the concept that God is otherworldly; it seems wrong to attribute human traits to an entity that cannot be explained or rationalized. How can there simultaneously be a mysterious God and a suffering God?
Another valid criticism comes from William R. Jones, who argues that Cone needs to think about God’s nature: Is God a white racist? He claims that without the examination of this aspect of God, it cannot be assumed Their relation to black suffering. Jones asserts that simply implying that the liberation of the black community in the past does not prove that God is not racist. It’s easy to say in hindsight that the lynching tree offered salvation but perhaps the lynchings happened in the first place because God is a white racist. Why else would black people need redemption? I agree with this critique to an extent. I grant that arguments should not lie on a bed of assumptions; therefore, it is incorrect to assume God’s nature. Nonetheless, I do not grant Jones’ argument but the critique does spur reflection.
At the end of the book, Cone provides a modern example of Jesus’ cross: the “New Jim Crow” or the American criminal justice system. Additionally, the savage use of the death penalty disproportionately affects people of color and is relevantly termed as “legal lynching”. In this section, we see in an insight into Cone’s humor where he praises other countries for their criminalizing of the death penalty and completely castigates US saying, “But not in America.” (163). I appreciate a tasteful call to action at the end of texts. It leaves the reader not only pondering the thesis but gives them a way to progress forward if they choose to accept the argument. I think his comparison of the criminal justice system to Jesus’ death on the cross would make for an interesting discussion.
As stated before, I believe that all persons should read this book if nothing else to gain a knowledge about a part of American history that is continuously overlooked. As a theological novice, I was able to appreciate, comprehend and study Cone’s argument. While I have pointed out a few inconsistencies, “The Cross and the Lynching Tree” is a thought-provoking piece of literature that smoothly combines and answers questions relating to theology and black suffering.
Originally published 15.10.2019