Genre
Theology
Setting and Context
America in the 20th Century
Narrator and Point of View
The text is written from the perspective of James H. Cone.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the text is insightful and inquisitive.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist of this text are black Americans who found comfort and solace within religion. The antagonists are white racists who Cone describes.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of this text is finding the role of religion in the lives of American black people.
Climax
The climax of the text is when Cone analyses the nature of liberation in the later chapters.
Foreshadowing
In his preface, Cone foreshadows the kinds of issues he will be talking about, such as how the experience of religion is different for black people in America.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
Cone often alludes to the Bible and religious stories.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
Cone tells us that when he was growing up, people who were overtly racist thought that they were "nice people" because they compared themselves to more extreme racists.
Parallelism
The experience of religion is contrasted between black and white people in this text, as Cone shows that race is something to be considered.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The Church is used as a metonym for religion.
Personification
The bible is personified as being an absolute judge in this text, which Cone then disagrees with.
