Introduction to the Forum on Dr. James H. Cone as Teacher and Mentor

Kwok Pui Lan
Associate Editor

2020; 1:2 79-80 The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

ABSTRACT

Dr. James H. Cone (1938-2018) is widely considered the founder of black liberation theology. He had a transformative impact on generations of his students at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In the semester following his death in Spring 2018, six of his current and recent doctoral students were gathered to share brief reflections on their experience of Dr. Cone as an inspirational teacher. This Forum collects their edited presentations in six short essays by: Nkosi Du Bois Anderson, Adam Clark, Isaac Sharp, Colleen Wessel-McCoy, Thurman Todd Willison, and Jason Wyman.

KEYWORDS

James Cone, graduate students, black liberation theology, teaching

Dr. James H. Cone (1938-2018) is widely considered the founder of black liberation theology. His groundbreaking works Black Theology and Black Power (1969), A Black Theology of Liberation (1970), and God of the Oppressed (1975) challenged racism in the American church and society and articulated a liberation theology from the experiences of black people.

Dr. Cone joined the faculty of Union Theological Seminary in New York in 1969. He was the Bill & Judith Moyers Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology before his death. As a passionate teacher, Dr. Cone had a transformative impact on generations of students at Union and beyond. Many international and domestic students have come to Union to study with him.

His courses in theology broadened students’ horizons by introducing them to theologies from Africa, Asia, and Latin American, in addition to theologies from diverse racial and ethnic communities in the U.S. He encouraged students to ask critical questions and develop their own theological voice. He was supportive of international students, queer students, and students on the margins. As a role model for his students, Dr. Cone was a prophetic theologian, an award-winning author, a provocative public intellectual, and an inspiring teacher.

Although Dr. Cone was a famous theologian, he spent time building relationship with his students and mentored them. Those who were privileged to study with him saw a human side of Cone that was deeply touching and memorable. In the semester following his death in Spring 2018, six of his current and recent doctoral students gathered to share brief reflections on their experience of Cone as an inspirational teacher. This Forum, organized by Dr. Andrea White at Union, collects their edited presentations in six short essays.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FORUM ON JAMES H. CONE AS TEACHER AND MENTOR

Anderson, Nkosi Du Bois. 2020. “You Have to Find Your Voice: James H. Cone’s Commitment to Theological Education.” The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching 1 (2): 93-96. https://doi.org/10.31046/wabashcenter.v1i2.1713.

Clark, Adam. 2020. “James Cone: Notes on a Critical Theologian.” The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching 1 (2): 89-92. https://doi.org/10.31046/wabashcenter.v1i2.1712.

Sharp, Isaac. 2020. “Remembering Dr. James H. Cone.” The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching 1 (2): 81-84. https://doi.org/10.31046/wabashcenter.v1i2.1710.

Wessel-McCoy, Colleen. 2020. “Learning Theology in the Struggle for Freedom.” The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching 1 (2): 101-104. https://doi.org/10.31046/wabashcenter.v1i2.1715.

Willison, Thurman Todd. 2020. “Cone’s Consistency: Reflections from a Teaching Assistant.” The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching 1 (2): 85-88. https://doi.org/10.31046/wabashcenter.v1i2.1711.

Wyman, Jason. 2020. “James Cone’s Liberative Pedagogy.” The Wabash Center Journal on Teaching 1 (2): 97-100. https://doi.org/10.31046/wabashcenter.v1i2.1714.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cone, James H. 1969. Black Theology and Black Power. New York, NY: Seabury Press.

Cone, James H. 1970. A Black Theology of Liberation. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott.

Cone, James H. 1975. God of the Oppressed. New York, NY: Seabury Press.