Black identity and experience in black theology : a critical assessment

Abstract

This study attempts to be a socio-citical analysis of black identity and experience as advanced in Black Theology. It assesses the influential role of ideology inadvertently exerted on the theology in leading perhaps to the uncritical adoption of a construct of 'black' as denotation for a people’s human agency. Throughout the study the USA and South African experiences are engaged, since this historical reality in both black ideology and black theology is undeniable. This conflation of identity and experience is tacit in Black Theology and this study argues that perhaps an unforced error was committed with the adoption of the construct 'black' and maybe time has come to revisit it. Chapter 1 communicates our observation of a tension of a black identity and black experience in black theology and how these often in conflated muddled senses are communicated and defended. Chapter 2 engages the subject matter of the black identity and blackness how these interact and is understood from a varied angle and trajectory. Chapter 3 gives a cursory relook at the genesis of black consciousness and black power as the ideological premise and proverbial cradle for a theology defined as Black Theology. Chapter 4 unpacks the genesis of Black Theology as a mutually shared construct between the USA and South Africa. It assesses as to how its pioneers and those of later generations for and against engage its mandate, aim, purpose and role. Chapter 5, focuses on the notion of a Black Church, how it is defined, understood, romanticised, engaged and even pleaded in longing for. Chapter 6 postulates a plausible burden for the continuance and upkeep of a “black” identity. The postulated burden though anchored in the overarching racial classification finds expression in a multiple manifested realities of “black” conflicted psychology, poverty, criminality, self-hate, empowerment, victimology and entitlement. Chapter 7 reflects on black identity and the Redemptive Work of Christ through a defining text of Galatians 3: 28. It asks what the implications are for identity in which the body of Christ consummates a new reality for description in fullness of articulation for the believer. Chapter 8 concludes as revisiting the proverbial road travelled in this study. It is the intention of the study to argue for a revisit of identity construction and formulation, thus a remythologising of what constitutes a black identity in a politically freed South Africa and how this finds expression. Die studie poog om 'n sosio-kritiese analise van swart identiteit en ervaring soos deur Swart Teologie voorgehou, te doen. Dit evalueer die invloedryke rol van ideologie op die teologie wat blykbaar gelei het tot ‘n onkritiese ontlening van die konstruk 'swart' as identiteitsmerker vir ‘n groep mense se menswees. Die studie behandel deurgaans die VSA en Suid Afrika in gesamentlike ervarings, juis omdat die werklikheid van so ‘n verbonde geskiedenis in beide swart ideologie en swart teologie rugbaar is. Die vermenging van identiteit en ervaring is tasbaar in Swart Teologie en die studie beklemtoon dat daar moontlik ‘n onvoorsiende oordeelsfout begaan is met die aanneem van die konstruk swart soos ontleen uit Swart Ideologie. Hoofstuk 1 kommunikeer ons waarneming opgesom as 'n probleemstelling van die spanning van ‘n swart identiteit en swart ervaring in Swart Teologie en juis hoe die twee dikwels in onduidelikheid gekommunikeer en verdedig word. Hoofstuk 2 besin oor die onderwerp van 'n swart identiteit en swartheid en hoe die twee aspekte met mekaar verband hou, asook hoe dit vertolk word uit ‘n verskeidenheid van invalshoeke oor 'n bepaalde tydsduur. Hoofstuk 3 gee ‘n verkorte samevatting oor die ontstaan van Swart Bewustheid en Swart Mag as die ideologiese basis en spreekwoordelike baarmoeder vir ‘n teologie genaamd Swart Teologie. Hoofstuk 4 poog om ‘n uiteensetting te gee van die ontstaan van Swart Teologie as gedeelde konstruk tussen die VSA en Suid Afrika. Dit gaan na hoe die pioniers en selfs latere generasies vir-en-teen rondom die teologie besin oor mandaat, doel, taak asook rol. Hoofstuk 5 neem die konsep Swart Kerk onder die loep, en vra na hoe dit verstaan word vanuit ‘n bepaalde geskiedenis, ‘n huidige en ook ‘n toekomsperspektief. Hoofstuk 6 beklemtoon ‘n gepostuleerde moontlike juk vir die instandhou van ‘n “swart” identiteit. Die juk, alhoewel vertolk as geankerd in rasseklassifikasie, vind uitdrukking in meervoudige sigbare realiteite van ‘n “swart” gekonflikteerde sielkunde, armoede, kriminaliteit, selfhaat, bemagtiging, viktimologie en eieberegtiging. Hoofstuk 7 besin oor ‘n swart identiteit aan die hand van die verlossingswerk van Christus Jesus, onderlê deur ‘n rigtingsgewende teks soos gelees in Galasiers 3:28. Dit vra wat die implikasies is vir identiteit nagelang die ligaam van Christus as beskrywend van ‘n nuwe realiteit rondom identiteit vir die gelowige meebring. Hoofstuk 8 is ‘n samevatting van die spreekwoordelike pad waarlangs ons gekom het met die studie. Dit bly die hoop van die studie om gesprek te ontlok rondom identiteitskonstruksie, selfs formulering van ‘n remitologisering van hoe ‘n swart identiteit in ‘n politieke bevryde Suid Afrika daar uitsien en hoe dit juis uitspraak vind.