Christianity has always had two dominate strands — imperial and prophetic. The text and tradition was contested and compromised from the inception of Christianity. Much of the writing associated with the Apostle Paul is a compromise with the Roman Empire. The repressive admonitions concerning women’s silence and slave obedience are reflective of the practices of the Roman Empire and were rejected in Jesus’ ministry. Paul’s suggestion that agents of the state are ministers of God undermines much of the resistance that black folks have engaged. However, the black hermeneutic of suspicion navigated the biblical text in such a way that it affirmed their humanity and resistance. Christianity more often than not has served the Empire. Beginning with Constantine’s conversation to Martin Luther’s support of the Catholic Church’s repression of the peasant revolt to segregationist using the biblical story of Ham to justify slavery, the church, writ large, has always been on the wrong side of history. So Christian support of Darren Wilson is par for the course. Prophetic Christianity, which is on the edges of the tradition but claims the heart of the faith, has rejected the spirit of the Empire and sided with the oppressed. Unfortunately the prophetic tradition is not the popular or dominant strand of Christianity at work in the world today. - Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou https://medium/theology-of-ferguson/the-gospel-is-not-a-neutral-term-an-interview-with-rev-sekou-ae7990e66fe2
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 21:22:20 +0000
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