God and Black Suffering: Calling the Oppressors to Account

This essay addresses the topic of religion and violence the perspective of a people who hare end need violence in America. It is not possible, theologically, to talk about God and black suffering without calling the oppressors to account. Enslaved Africans turned to biblical religion to make meaning in a strange world. The predominant themes of justice, hope, and love have characterized black faith, assuring believers that, despite white assertion of superiority, blacks are made in the image of God and are beloved children of God. Maintaining this conviction as white superiority has continued unabated has been made possible by context-oriented readings of the Book of Exodus, the prophets, and the story of…