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Black Religion, Black Theology: The Collected Essays of J. Deotis Roberts
This is the first collection of the essays by J. Deotis Roberts, one of the most respected and influential figures in modern American theology. Roberts has spent much of his distinguished career doing theology in the service of the church. His desire has always been to influence church, academy, and world so that all may participate in the Kingdom of God. He has steered a middle way between the deadly metaphysical approach of some theology and the often unthoughtful pragmatism of Black religious studies that focuses only on social relevance. This book gathers Roberts' most important essays, arranged to show the development of his thinking. They reveal his commitment to the church and to his theological model of liberation-reconciliation. Theology is free, Roberts writes, because it moves one toward a fuller realization of what God is calling one to do; Christian theology is reconciling because Christians are reconciled to God through Christ and are called to a ministry of reconciliation. J. Deotis Roberts has served as president of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, and has taught at numerous institutions including Duke Divinity School and Howard Divinity School. His books include Quest for a Black Theology and Liberation and Reconciliation: A Black Theology. He currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. David Emmanuel Goatley is the Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Lott-Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Committee in Washington, D.C.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
28 people want to read
About the author
J. Deotis Roberts
20 books6 followersJ. Deotis Roberts was the fourth president of the Interdenominational Theological Center. Born July 12, 1927 in Spindale, North Carolina, he earned a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology in 1957 and later received a Doctor of Letters Degree, both from the University of Edinburgh. Roberts also received degrees from Johnson C. Smith University (Bachelor of Arts), Shaw University Divinity School (Bachelor of Divinity), and Hartford Seminary (Master of Sacred Theology).
He was a pioneer of Black theological discourse in the late 1960’s known as the Black Theology movement, whose most notable public figure is James Cone. As a highly respected and first generation African American theologian, Roberts offered a critical response to the early works of James Cone, particularly Cone’s Black Theology and Black Power.
In addition to this work, Roberts has taught at several universities, training generations of scholars at educational institutions around the world including Howard University, Yale University, Duke University, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Buenos Aires. Outside his role as ITC President, Roberts has held different administrative posts, most notably as the first and only Black president of the American Theological Society, also being one of its earliest African American members. J. Deotis Roberts has published numerous books and articles, including The Prophethood of Black Believers: An African American Political Theology for Ministry, Black Theology in Dialogue, and Liberation and Reconciliation: A Black Theology, and A Black Political Theology. He served as the president of the Interdenominational Theological Center from 1980-1983.
He was a pioneer of Black theological discourse in the late 1960’s known as the Black Theology movement, whose most notable public figure is James Cone. As a highly respected and first generation African American theologian, Roberts offered a critical response to the early works of James Cone, particularly Cone’s Black Theology and Black Power.
In addition to this work, Roberts has taught at several universities, training generations of scholars at educational institutions around the world including Howard University, Yale University, Duke University, Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Buenos Aires. Outside his role as ITC President, Roberts has held different administrative posts, most notably as the first and only Black president of the American Theological Society, also being one of its earliest African American members. J. Deotis Roberts has published numerous books and articles, including The Prophethood of Black Believers: An African American Political Theology for Ministry, Black Theology in Dialogue, and Liberation and Reconciliation: A Black Theology, and A Black Political Theology. He served as the president of the Interdenominational Theological Center from 1980-1983.
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October 29, 2018
Ought to be required reading for any pastor and theologian practicing in the U.S. today. A goldmine.
July 4, 2024
AN EXCELLENT SELECTION OF ESSAYS FROM OVER THREE DECADES
J. Deotis Roberts was Dean of the School of Theology at Virginia Union University, and professor of theology at Union Theological Seminary; previously he was a professor of theology at Howard University.
Editor David Emmanuel Goatley wrote in the Introduction to this 2003 collection, “This book is a compilation of writings by J. Deotis Roberts. The collection consists of selected essays and articles that have appeared in theological journals over a period of three decades. Included are writings that address diverse issues with insightful analysis, interdisciplinary research, and perceptive applications. Readers of this volume have at their disposal an invaluable resource that offers a sampling of the theological pilgrimage of Roberts, provides a historical theological reference in conversation with numerous disciplines inside and outside of Christian theology.” (Pg. 3-4) Later, he adds, “The writings in this volume represent the broader corpus of Roberts’s writings that relate the practical and theoretical, Christianity and world religions, theology and philosophy, particularity and universality, church and academy, contextualization and transcontextualization. That he intentionally interacts within what some would call polarities gives a particular strength to his contributions.” (Pg. 9)
Roberts concludes one essay, “The conscience of sincere Christians, having been informed by the fundamentals of the gospel, can do what the law cannot do. The Christian way in race relations may be viewed as a supplement to the work of just law. And when the law is just, it can create a climate of change in which proper laws may be enacted. Moderation is not a proper stance for an awakened Christian conscience.” (Pg. 28)
In another essay, he observes, “The black Messiah loves the disinherited. In the biblical record, Jesus is portrayed as one born in a barn, rejected by the religious and political establishment, and considered an outcast and a dear friend of sinners, harlots, and tax collectors… It is not difficult to understand why a black Christ who comes to the black man in his blackness and identifies with his lot can bring succor and comfort to the black man. In leading the black man to a deeper self-understanding, in Bultmann’s terms, a black Christ also brings meaning, redemption, and power to all who receive him. He brings deliverance to captives, sight to the blind, hope to the hopeless.” (Pg. 44)
He states, “It is my contention that any viable position in liberation ethics in this country must take seriously the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Thus far the pacesetters in the field have almost ignored his rich contribution, both his thought and his action. James Gustafson has a long chapter on theological ethics in American in one of his books. I have searched in vain to find King’s name in those sixty or more pages. The author would swear that he is not a racist, but the document speaks for itself. He is not alone. There are black writers who give King’s ethics little if any attention. They are too busy quoting from white ethicists. Since our main task is to come up with some perspective in black liberation ethics, King’s work is the more indispensable.” (Pg. 57)
He points out, “All people need some appreciation of their past as an index to their present and future. Like the Jews, blacks have been scattered and persecuted. But Jews have had a more cohesive religious and group life… Blacks need, at least, a symbolic home. Real Africa is a myth to most American blacks, but symbolic Africa is a sheer necessity. The oral history of blacks supports this yearning for a symbolic cultural home, even if white ideological history denies any meaningful continuity between the black experience in Africa and the New World. Rejected by a society that uprooted them for economic reasons from a situation of ‘at homeness,’ blacks seek a place to be at home.” (Pg. 67)
He recalls, “We left the ranks of white Christians voluntarily or by the efforts of whites, but we carried their theology and ritual away with us. The black church should have become a revolutionary power for liberation, but with few exceptions it has become a dispenser of spiritual aspirins. A great deal of blame falls on those of us who have been trained as theologians and churchmen in the twentieth century. Being lured on to goals of success as set by the value system of American society, we have been blind to the riches of our religious heritage. Even a latent theology has been present. A treasure chest of theological gems can be found in our folklore, music, art, and literature. We have been lured away by our white teachers to seek religious insights from the Euro-American tradition, which has never been given birth to a great religion. Our black fathers had a rich religious heritage in Africa when the Norsemen were living in caves.” (Pg. 73-74)
He notes that “Yosef ben-Jochannan, in his African Origins of the Major "Western Religions", makes an extreme claim for African religions as being original. While I appreciate his zeal to place African religions where they belong within the study of the religions of mankind, it is rather late and unwise to be preoccupied with ‘origins.’ Most respectable scholars have wisely turned to a description and analysis of any religion studied. This is all I expect for African religions. When there is to be a value judgment, let it be free of racial or ethnic bias.” (Pg. 108)
He explains, “Before I read the works by African religious scholars, I had concluded that the subject of African traditional religion was unmanageable. It appeared that the diversity of tribal customs, religious systems, languages, and many other factors were to vast for any Westerner to tackle… Through reading Mbiti and especially Idowu, I discovered that African religion, at the core, is similar across Black Africa. The beliefs in a supreme god, lesser spirits, and reverence for ancestors are held in common…. Furthermore, I discovered that the ethno-theologians interpreted these basic beliefs in such a manner as to relate to biblical faith. Studying African religion at the same time as I was discovering the black religions heritage was a reinforcement experience, for in some ways we are dealing with one continuous religious tradition. Of course, there is much discontinuity as well, but the continuity makes the excursion into African religion more easily understood.” (Pg. 137)
He points out, “We now understand… why black slaves never accepted the version of the Bible that white slavery preachers and theologians gave them. By instinct they knew that the God of the Bible hated slavery. The traditional religions of Africa have much in common with the faith and ethics of the Bible. Therefore, without theological education, indeed, without exposure to education at all, black slaves understood God to be just and loving. Because of their suffering, the Bible has always been a book of consolation. And because of their understanding of God, the Bible has always been an incendiary document against injustices, but at the same time, it speaks of the salvific assurance of each sinner before God. There is therefore a longing among both black and African systematic theologians for a cadre of able biblical scholars from among their ranks for needed support.” (Pg. 156-157)
He summarizes, “I want to sum up as best I can two foci in my theological project. First, there was a question about faith and intellect… I needed a place to stand that would provide reasons for faith… A second focus to be observed is ethical. The ethical question ‘What must I do?’ guided me through the second phase of my quest. This latter question overlaps the quest for knowledge. I became aware of this by the mid 1950s. I am certain that the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sharpened my desire to search for ethical answers to the many issues to be faith---both personal and social.” (Pg. 202)
This is an excellent selection of essays, that provides great insight and background to Roberts’s other books.
J. Deotis Roberts was Dean of the School of Theology at Virginia Union University, and professor of theology at Union Theological Seminary; previously he was a professor of theology at Howard University.
Editor David Emmanuel Goatley wrote in the Introduction to this 2003 collection, “This book is a compilation of writings by J. Deotis Roberts. The collection consists of selected essays and articles that have appeared in theological journals over a period of three decades. Included are writings that address diverse issues with insightful analysis, interdisciplinary research, and perceptive applications. Readers of this volume have at their disposal an invaluable resource that offers a sampling of the theological pilgrimage of Roberts, provides a historical theological reference in conversation with numerous disciplines inside and outside of Christian theology.” (Pg. 3-4) Later, he adds, “The writings in this volume represent the broader corpus of Roberts’s writings that relate the practical and theoretical, Christianity and world religions, theology and philosophy, particularity and universality, church and academy, contextualization and transcontextualization. That he intentionally interacts within what some would call polarities gives a particular strength to his contributions.” (Pg. 9)
Roberts concludes one essay, “The conscience of sincere Christians, having been informed by the fundamentals of the gospel, can do what the law cannot do. The Christian way in race relations may be viewed as a supplement to the work of just law. And when the law is just, it can create a climate of change in which proper laws may be enacted. Moderation is not a proper stance for an awakened Christian conscience.” (Pg. 28)
In another essay, he observes, “The black Messiah loves the disinherited. In the biblical record, Jesus is portrayed as one born in a barn, rejected by the religious and political establishment, and considered an outcast and a dear friend of sinners, harlots, and tax collectors… It is not difficult to understand why a black Christ who comes to the black man in his blackness and identifies with his lot can bring succor and comfort to the black man. In leading the black man to a deeper self-understanding, in Bultmann’s terms, a black Christ also brings meaning, redemption, and power to all who receive him. He brings deliverance to captives, sight to the blind, hope to the hopeless.” (Pg. 44)
He states, “It is my contention that any viable position in liberation ethics in this country must take seriously the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Thus far the pacesetters in the field have almost ignored his rich contribution, both his thought and his action. James Gustafson has a long chapter on theological ethics in American in one of his books. I have searched in vain to find King’s name in those sixty or more pages. The author would swear that he is not a racist, but the document speaks for itself. He is not alone. There are black writers who give King’s ethics little if any attention. They are too busy quoting from white ethicists. Since our main task is to come up with some perspective in black liberation ethics, King’s work is the more indispensable.” (Pg. 57)
He points out, “All people need some appreciation of their past as an index to their present and future. Like the Jews, blacks have been scattered and persecuted. But Jews have had a more cohesive religious and group life… Blacks need, at least, a symbolic home. Real Africa is a myth to most American blacks, but symbolic Africa is a sheer necessity. The oral history of blacks supports this yearning for a symbolic cultural home, even if white ideological history denies any meaningful continuity between the black experience in Africa and the New World. Rejected by a society that uprooted them for economic reasons from a situation of ‘at homeness,’ blacks seek a place to be at home.” (Pg. 67)
He recalls, “We left the ranks of white Christians voluntarily or by the efforts of whites, but we carried their theology and ritual away with us. The black church should have become a revolutionary power for liberation, but with few exceptions it has become a dispenser of spiritual aspirins. A great deal of blame falls on those of us who have been trained as theologians and churchmen in the twentieth century. Being lured on to goals of success as set by the value system of American society, we have been blind to the riches of our religious heritage. Even a latent theology has been present. A treasure chest of theological gems can be found in our folklore, music, art, and literature. We have been lured away by our white teachers to seek religious insights from the Euro-American tradition, which has never been given birth to a great religion. Our black fathers had a rich religious heritage in Africa when the Norsemen were living in caves.” (Pg. 73-74)
He notes that “Yosef ben-Jochannan, in his African Origins of the Major "Western Religions", makes an extreme claim for African religions as being original. While I appreciate his zeal to place African religions where they belong within the study of the religions of mankind, it is rather late and unwise to be preoccupied with ‘origins.’ Most respectable scholars have wisely turned to a description and analysis of any religion studied. This is all I expect for African religions. When there is to be a value judgment, let it be free of racial or ethnic bias.” (Pg. 108)
He explains, “Before I read the works by African religious scholars, I had concluded that the subject of African traditional religion was unmanageable. It appeared that the diversity of tribal customs, religious systems, languages, and many other factors were to vast for any Westerner to tackle… Through reading Mbiti and especially Idowu, I discovered that African religion, at the core, is similar across Black Africa. The beliefs in a supreme god, lesser spirits, and reverence for ancestors are held in common…. Furthermore, I discovered that the ethno-theologians interpreted these basic beliefs in such a manner as to relate to biblical faith. Studying African religion at the same time as I was discovering the black religions heritage was a reinforcement experience, for in some ways we are dealing with one continuous religious tradition. Of course, there is much discontinuity as well, but the continuity makes the excursion into African religion more easily understood.” (Pg. 137)
He points out, “We now understand… why black slaves never accepted the version of the Bible that white slavery preachers and theologians gave them. By instinct they knew that the God of the Bible hated slavery. The traditional religions of Africa have much in common with the faith and ethics of the Bible. Therefore, without theological education, indeed, without exposure to education at all, black slaves understood God to be just and loving. Because of their suffering, the Bible has always been a book of consolation. And because of their understanding of God, the Bible has always been an incendiary document against injustices, but at the same time, it speaks of the salvific assurance of each sinner before God. There is therefore a longing among both black and African systematic theologians for a cadre of able biblical scholars from among their ranks for needed support.” (Pg. 156-157)
He summarizes, “I want to sum up as best I can two foci in my theological project. First, there was a question about faith and intellect… I needed a place to stand that would provide reasons for faith… A second focus to be observed is ethical. The ethical question ‘What must I do?’ guided me through the second phase of my quest. This latter question overlaps the quest for knowledge. I became aware of this by the mid 1950s. I am certain that the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sharpened my desire to search for ethical answers to the many issues to be faith---both personal and social.” (Pg. 202)
This is an excellent selection of essays, that provides great insight and background to Roberts’s other books.
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