In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Eboni Marshall Turman explores the importance of black theology for the black church, dedicating her message to the memory of her late pastor, Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III.
Key Points:
- Theology Defined: Dr. Turman emphasizes that theology is essentially what we say about God, going beyond mere worship to encompass loving God with our minds and deeply contemplating His nature. She references early church fathers like Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius, and Augustine, noting that in the modern Black church, theology describes God as a “bridge over troubled water,” a “waymaker,” and a “rock in a weary land.”
- Theology’s Significance for the Black Church: The lecture underscores the critical role of theology for the black church, particularly in the face of ongoing crises within the black community. The black church emerged from resistance to racist oppression, offering enslaved people a space to define their identity through God’s revelation.
- Origins of Black Theology: Black theology stems from the belief that God sides with the oppressed, empowering them to fight against white supremacy. It acknowledges the agency of enslaved Africans who actively redefined their destiny.
- Sources of Slave Religion/Black Theology:
- African indigenous religion: Enslaved Africans’ pre-existing religious systems influenced their understanding of Christianity.
- Collision with White Christianity and Slavocracy: This encounter led to a “hermeneutics of suspicion,” where biblical stories were interpreted through the lens of liberation.
- God’s Blackness: Dr. Turman provocatively states that “God is black,” not biologically, but in the sense that God identifies with the oppressed, sharing in their suffering to bring about liberation.
- Protecting the Mind: Dr. Turman calls for the black community to “protect our heads” by consciously contemplating God’s true nature, resisting oppressive narratives, and remembering that God fights for them. This connects to loving God with “all your heart, soul, and your mind.”
Bible Verses Referenced:
- Exodus 14:13: “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.” [02:16]
- Exodus 14:14: “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” [02:54]
- Matthew 16:15: “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” [08:35]
- Matthew 16:18: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” [09:03]
- Luke 4: (Referenced in relation to God’s siding with the poor) [29:43]
- Philemon: (Referenced as a text black people preferred not to read) [30:00]
- Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” [31:32]
- Psalm 27:2-3: “When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.” [41:00]
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