“I still regard the bible as an important source for my theological reflections but not the starting point. The black experience and the bible together in dialectic tension serve as my point of departure today and yesterday. The order is significant. I am black first and everything else comes after that. This means I read the Bible through the lens of a black tradition of struggle and not as the objective word of God. The Bible, therefore is one witness to God’s presence in human affairs along with other important testimonies….
Black theology must realize that the white Jesus has no place in the black community and it is our task to destroy him….Black theology is concerned only with the tradition of Christianity that is usable in the black liberation struggle….For to long Christ has been pictured as a blue eyed honky. Black theologians are right; we need to de-honkyify him and thus make him relevant to the black condition.”
Stephen Mansfield’s new book “The Faith Of Barack Obama”
As quoted from James Cone’s Book — Black Theology & Black Power
Several important things here.
First, as to background, Mansfield includes the quote from Jame’s Cone in his book on “The Faith of Barack Obama” because Obama’s spiritual mentor and pastor for twenty years, Jeremiah Wright channeled James Cone and his work in his preaching and ministry. Cone was instrumental in the formation of Black Liberation Theology and Wright was instrumental in popularizing Cone’s work in the church he ministered. Obama thus, at the very minimum has been deeply influenced by Black Liberation Theology. This has crept through some of the things he and his wife have said in the election cycle. Indeed, if you read some of Barack Hussein and Michelle Obama’s recent quotes against this Black Liberation Theology backdrop it is downright scary.
Second, note that for “Theologian” James Cone experience is determinative of what the Bible teaches. This stands in opposition to the idea that the Scriptures should be determinative on how we interpret our experience. Cone has prioritized himself and his experience over against the testimony of God’s Word. This is called idolatry.
Third Cone’s literary methodology is clearly post-modern and so reflects the deconstructionist school of thought. For Cone there is no objective (authorial?) word in the text. For Cone all there is, is the Black reader giving meaning to the text by breathing life into the inert Scriptures. The subjective readers gives objective life to the text. As such, the idea that the Bible serves as one witness of God in the affairs of men is reduced to meaning that the Bible serves as one witness of God in the affairs of men so long as that witness is consistent with the tradition of black struggle.
Fourth, in the last paragraph from the Cone quote above it is clear that Christianity as a religion is subservient to what it means to be black. Further, Jesus is a wax nose that can be shaped to serve the ethnic agenda of any particular people group according to Cone. To make Jesus Black is to make him the figure that justifies whatever is considered black behavior.
Fifth, it is manifestly clear that Black liberation theology does not like white people. Indeed, the purpose of Black liberation theology is to prioritize all things black over any thing not black. This is one reason why I continue to believe that if Barack Huseein Obama is elected there will be pursuit of reparations. It is difficult to understand how a Black man coming from this tradition of thought (and Obama certainly does come from this tradition) can be seriously considered a “post-racial” candidate.
Sixth, notice how Cone posits an antithesis between white people and black people. The White (Honky) Jesus has no place in the Black community and indeed the White Jesus must be destroyed. Now, what do you suppose that the attitude of a Black man, who has imbibed this kind of thinking for twenty tears, is going to be towards white people who don’t agree with him?
Very interesting… you know though, they’re only being more honest about what most of the Church is doing today.
Yeah… everybody has their own lenses that prioritize their “struggle.”
Still, if I’m White there is no way in Hades Underworld that I vote for this guy.
It would be like voting to cut your own throat.
Bret
I can’t imagine the tension if this guy gets elected – somehow southern reconstruction comes to mind.
Stephen Mansfield needs to become familiar with the story of ‘the error of Balaam’ in the Bible. Stephen Mansfield is being paid a good deal of money for his book deal on Obama, which is going to steer people (sheep) to vote in a Hitler type abortionist. Balaam used his talents and giftings for himself, and in the end Israel was cursed. If people follow Mansfield’s USA today articles, and his books, they in the end curse America. This is clear, in that the Bible clearly reveals God’s righteous anger, and His righteous Judgment upon any people who engage in aborting their young, and any people endorsing homosexual proliferation. God always labeled the Kings that supported abortion and homosexuality as ‘wicked’, and God remembered also to label the Kings who cleared the land of these practices as righteous. Mansfield boasts he is against abortion, yet his ‘mouth’ does not align with his pocketbook.
I am confident that Stephen Mansfield was also aware of the Obama-Odinga connection, which is now coming to the forefront of the news, and needs to be viewed by all God fearing Americans. It is incredible the lack of discernment among many of the church leaders who can sit and listen to a man such as Stephen Mansfield, and then invite him to speak in their sanctuaries. Pastor Brett Fuller of Grace Covenant Church in Virginia, who is part of Every Nation Ministries, invited Stephen to come and speak to their flock on ‘how to vote’. I am glad I did not waste my time to go hear some very unprofound speaking.
Stephen writes in a very slippery type of way, with a lot of double talk, basically to defend his own double mindedness. He feels that many evangelicals are ‘haters’. I am not sure if Stephen has any children of his own, maybe this is why he seems so immature for a man over fifty years of age. I am hesitant to listen to a man boasting himself as statesmen, who has never had to live beyond just ‘themselves’. Stephen needs to read his Bible, as God does ‘hate’, and God does have ‘anger’. I personally do not hate men such as Stephen Mansfield, but hate the pollution that they spread when they speak, and I cannot stand for the Church to allow them to speak. Jeremiah of the Bible (not Jeremiah Wright) would take Stephen Mansfield’s books, and words, and reduce them to a complete rubbish of ashes.
May Stephen Mansfield stop repeatedly defending himself on numerous youtube clips, and blogs, and repent for his error.
I just listened to Stephen Mansfield speak on a tape at Grace Covenant Church in Chantilly Virginia, here is the link http://www.gracecov.org/podcasts/series/red-or-blue/
Stephen Mansfield is a complete contradiction, and I would venture to say he is a false prophet. Stephen admits on the tape that abortion is murder, and that it is the ‘taking of a human life’ yet insists that Barack Obama (who is pro-abortion) is not only a Christian, but Stephen makes it clear that Barack Obama is a strong Christian.
Stephen Mansfield is a former pastor from the Nashville area, and speaks to several church groups. Every Nation Ministries is the Church family that Grace Covenant Church is part of. Stephen goes on to talk about ‘caring for the poor’ and that Christians need to focus on this area and Barack Obama is doing this with his policies. Does Stephen realize that all pro-life Christians who do not want a pro-abortion president are ‘caring for the poor’? Is there any more helpless than a full term baby ready to have their skull and brain punctured in a partial birth abortion? Stephen Mansfield states Sarah Palin may be racial. Stephen needs to look into what Barack Obama did in Kenya by supporting the Islamic party of Ralia Odinga. Ethnic violence broke out, and AP reports 1,000 Christians of the Kikuyu tribe were killed by the Muslim tribes.
Stephen goes on to say that Barack Obama has some serious flaws in his theology, and is even horribly wrong on many issues. I am guessing Stephen is alluding that Barack Obama is ‘horribly’ wrong in supporting the taking of human lives, which Stephen agreed was ‘murder’. Then Stephen states that he must be open to the scriptures, even if Barack Obama disagrees with the Bible, and accept Barack Obama as a Christian and fellow brother in Christ.
Stephen states he is not trying to drum down the gospel, but that we have to surrender our minds to the scriptures! I do not remember Stephen sharing scripture on the tape; he spoke for 2 – 3 hours, yet did not open his Bible to my recollection. I am not sure what scriptures Stephen is talking about.
Brett Fuller who is an apostolic board member of Every Nation Ministries needs to have his head examined for allowing Stephen to speak to the flock in such a way. Stephen Murrell the president of Every Nation Ministries needs to take action, as well as Rice Broocks for allowing their church to promote such unorthodox and unbiblical speaking.
Garret,
Thanks for commenting!
Mansfield is a socialist if he believes it is the responsibility of the government to determine who is poor and then force those who they determine are not poor to subsidize the poor. Over and over again it has been shown that government subsidy of anything creates more of whatever is subsidized. Mansfield desire to help the poor through government subsidy will create more poor. Also it should be noted that this kind of government help to the poor gives the poor just enough money to remain dependent upon the state but not enough money to ever get out of their poverty. Programs for the poor are designed to keep people poor so they will continue to be dependent upon the government and so continue to vote for the party upon whom they are dependent.
Mansfield, like so many Americans on this point lets his good intentions get in the way of what would really help the poor.
Its all so discouraging!
May I add these scriptures for Stephen Mansfield to read. Stephen needs to bite his tongue very hard, as he is tyring to justify Barack Obama who is pro-abortion(murder according to Stepehn Mansfield). I am not Judging Barack Obama, or saying he is going to hell, what I am doing is looking to what God says and not what man says.
According to these scriptures, ‘murderers’ will not be in heaven.
Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
1 Jn. 3:15
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.