James H. Cone immediately gives us a sense of what this theological text is about with its powerful title: The Cross and the Lynching Tree. From this, we can see the explicit connection between these two symbols, a connection that is rarely focused on in theological discourse. The cross is perhaps the most well-known symbol in Christianity, due to its meanings of death, hope, destruction, betrayal, and salvation. It is a paradoxical symbol by nature but is also one of the most revered and significant symbols of Christianity. It is often referred to as a symbol of hope and a reminder to persevere in one's faith.
However, in this text, Cone tells us about how this symbol can be understood differently and uniquely by the African American community. Firstly, this is because the cross was used as a symbol by many terrorist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, as a way to exclude black Americans from Christianity. As Cone explains, growing up in Arkansas "the violent crosses of the Ku Klux Klan were a familiar reality, and white racists preached a dehumanizing segregated gospel in the name of Jesus' cross every Sunday." However, when Cone visited his own "rural black church," he saw that the cross took on a different meaning: "I heard a different message, as preachers proclaimed the message of the suffering Jesus and the salvation accomplished in his death on the cross. I noticed how the passion and energy of the preacher increased whenever he talked about the cross." Cone explains that the symbol of the cross had a special meaning for the African Americans, as the image of Jesus being crucified on the cross is strikingly similar to the thousands of black men and women who were lynched in America in the 20th Century.
In The Cross and the Lynching Tree, Cone's intention is to include the African American experience in theological and intellectual discourse. At the end of his introduction to the text he says: "In writing this book, my primary concern is to give voice to black victims, to let them and their families and communities speak to us." So far, he argues, this sense of inclusion has been lacking in theological discourse: "the black church and theological texts kept me wrestling with life and faith, trying to find meaning in a society and an intellectual discourse that did not even acknowledge that I existed. How could I find meaning in a world that ignored black people? I decided that I had to say something about that contradiction." Cone argues that the way forward is to provide a more inclusive and understand Christianity, that acknowledges the suffering of the African American community, and allows their voices and experiences to be heard.
