God of the Oppressed by James H. Cone is a book about theology and black liberation. In the introduction part, Cone asserts that white people did everything possible to ensure that black people perceive them as their masters. White people wanted to use theology and Christian teachings to drive their point home. The basis of black theology lies in the people’s struggles and expectations that develop from such struggles. Jesus came to liberate people from their sins and struggles. Therefore, he is the liberator of the oppressed. White theologians failed to preach true gospel about liberation to black people because they saw them as their servants.
Cone opines that White theologians never preached about the liberation of the oppressed. God manifests himself in the oppression of black people. Just like the way he liberated Israelites from the oppression of Pharaoh, the same way he would liberate blacks from the oppression of white people. Jesus used to preach about the poor and the oppressed in society. The word of God is against the culture of subjugation. The liberation of the oppressed revolves around the teachings of Jesus Christ, who is the past, present, and future. Therefore, theologians cannot preach the gospel of Jesus Christ while leaving the theme of liberation.
In the last chapter of the book, Cone discusses liberation and reconciliation. Reconciliation is about changing rational principles of oppression and acting in a way that pleases God. For people to reconcile, racism and white supremacy should be done away with. Theologians cannot purport to preach the gospel and at the same time not addressing issues that bedevil the black community.
