Crucifixion, Lynching, and the Voting Rights Act

Theological Parallels Between Jim Crow South Lynching & Jesus' Crucifixion

James H. Cone's book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree delves into the realm of political theology, drawing parallels between crucifixion in ancient Israel and the grim era of lynching during Jim Crow. The Jim Crow South saw many Black individuals disenfranchised from their right to vote, often through the use of fear tactics.

Notably, the 1898 race riot in Wilmington, North Carolina claimed the lives of eleven Black people and forced thousands to flee the city in an attempt to suppress their political participation (37:00-38:00). Nonetheless, this truth was largely ignored. Just as women spread the word about the crucifixion (Luke 24:8-9), people wrote to the president about lynching (38:30-40), both testimonies falling on deaf ears. In light of this context, both crucifixion and lynching violate theological principles. Sociologists Karl Barth and Reinhold Niebuhr seek to reconcile this in their various schools of thought.

Karl Barth's political theology places a strong emphasis on the "Trinity and the love of God," while Reinhold Niebuhr's political theory is deeply rooted in "self-interest and power" (1:26-1:29). Although Niebuhr had connections to the cross, his political theology can be viewed as exclusive to Jews, marginally concerned with justice for Black people, and largely silent on advocating justice directly for Black individuals (29:09-29:30). Barth's theological emphasis centers on the pursuit of justice as the best approximation of love (1:26-1:27), rooted in the political theology of the greatest commandments—to love God and love one another (Matt 22:37-39). Consequently, any theologically inspired political movement not grounded in love may be considered a false political theology. For this reason, one could argue that future social movements aimed at policy change should draw inspiration from political theologies similar to Karl Barth's message of the Trinity and the love of God.

"The Blues prepared people to fight for justice by giving them a cultural identity that made them human…Jesus’ cross sent people protesting in the streets, seeking to change the social structures of racial oppression" (1:17-1:18).

During the Civil Rights Movement, the Blues was a genre detailing Blacks’ unjust plight in coded melodies. While the Voting Rights Act was a significant legislative achievement that benefited various minority communities, it can be contended that Black people, the most oppressed by Jim Crow voting laws, reaped the most significant benefits. This was achieved through protests rooted in the familiar and empathetic feelings evoked by Jesus' crucifixion.

According to Gwendolyn Brooks, the first Black Pulitzer winner,  “the loveliest lynchee was our Lord” (2007). Christ, the first prominent theological lynching victim, resonated heavily with Christians who engaged in the condemnation of lynching, most aligned with the political theology of Karl Barth rooted in the sacrificial love of God. Both Jesus' crucifixion and the lynchings endured by many Black individuals were acts of dehumanization with inherent political implications. Social movements that either professed or protested Jesus' crucifixion and lynching were profoundly influenced by Christian theological beliefs centered on love, liberating salvation, just plans for our lives, and the grace of God offered to all who accept Him. These theological underpinnings continue to resonate in the ongoing struggle for justice and equality, providing guidance and inspiration for future political and social movements.

References:

Cone, James H. The Cross and the Lynching Tree. HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books, 2020. 

National Humanities Center, 2007: nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/. In Gwendolyn Brooks, The Bean Eaters (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1960), pp. 32-34.

Originally written as an addition to Voting With Our Dollars: God’s Money Movement as Applied to the Voting Rights Act, for Social Justice, Public Policy and Political Theology taught by Professor Raymond Pierce.