The Professor and the Pupil: The Hermeneutical Connectedness and Theological Contributions of James H. Cone and Katie G. Cannon.

Abstract

This article elucidates the hermeneutical and theological contributions of James H. Cone (Professor) and Katie G. Cannon (Pupil), by analyzing their methodological critiques of Christian theology, which failed to consider black experience in mainstream (white) America. Thereby unraveling distinct (black liberation and womanist theology) theological categories that addressed the marginalization of African Americans within mainstream America, while simultaneously debunking the hegemonic and patriarchal norms of Evangelical Christianity (slaveholding religion) that seeped into African American churches, under the guise of tradition. It is essential to delineate the dichotomy between Christian theology and evangelical Christianity, as both house the tents of white supremacy. A detailed topic later explored in this reflection. Recognizing the indelible impact that both theologians had on Christian theology and the black church, this article builds upon the imagery of Professor and Pupil, pays homage to the hermeneutical and theological ingenuity of Cone and Cannon, calls readers attention to a liberating hermeneutic, while exposing cantankerous practices and interpretations that persist in African American churches. It is also important to note the interchangeable nature of the terms Black and African American.