Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin?
This article explores how the Western theology often employed by European explorers sought to deify ‘whiteness’. Whiteness as an ideological construction found the ideal tool in Christianity and through supersessionism detached Jesus of Nazareth from his Jewish roots and clothed him in whiteness, th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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AOSIS
2024-03-01
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| Series: | HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9342 |
| _version_ | 1797223658128670720 |
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| author | Sifiso Khuzwayo |
| author_facet | Sifiso Khuzwayo |
| author_sort | Sifiso Khuzwayo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores how the Western theology often employed by European explorers sought to deify ‘whiteness’. Whiteness as an ideological construction found the ideal tool in Christianity and through supersessionism detached Jesus of Nazareth from his Jewish roots and clothed him in whiteness, thus making white maleness the idol that all creatures must aspire towards. In defiance, liberation theologians, in particular James Cone, coined the possibility that ‘Jesus is black’. Thus, the possibility of Jesus being anything to anyone becomes conceivable. Such a usurpation of the Jesus of Nazareth on either side opens the possibility of recreating Jesus in one’s image. This is the coin of idolatry that this article will argue sits at the heart of modern theology. Assuming a dialectical hermeneutic of suspicion, this article explores the problem of modern theology and how some liberation theologies may continue to play second fiddle to the whiteness perpetuated by western theologies like pruning a bonsai tree. Notwithstanding the challenges of decolonising theology, this search conceives the possibility of a non-ideological Christianity that may be confronting the whiteness of western theology and its associated atrocities. Such a quest may lead to a framing of a transformative theology based on honest and interrogative encounter between modern theology and cultural and traditional spiritualities.
Contribution: This article explores how liberation theology can become a major player in the theology arena without always playing second fiddle to Western theologies. Exploring decoloniality confronts whiteness in terms of political theology that interlinks anthropology, economics and social welfare. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:40:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6badfbdde80e427e9ddbb264f6f437da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0259-9422 2072-8050 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:40:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-6badfbdde80e427e9ddbb264f6f437da2024-04-04T08:53:14ZafrAOSISHTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies0259-94222072-80502024-03-01802e1e1010.4102/hts.v80i2.93425899Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin?Sifiso Khuzwayo0Research Institute for Theology and Religion, School of Humanities, University of South Africa, PretoriaThis article explores how the Western theology often employed by European explorers sought to deify ‘whiteness’. Whiteness as an ideological construction found the ideal tool in Christianity and through supersessionism detached Jesus of Nazareth from his Jewish roots and clothed him in whiteness, thus making white maleness the idol that all creatures must aspire towards. In defiance, liberation theologians, in particular James Cone, coined the possibility that ‘Jesus is black’. Thus, the possibility of Jesus being anything to anyone becomes conceivable. Such a usurpation of the Jesus of Nazareth on either side opens the possibility of recreating Jesus in one’s image. This is the coin of idolatry that this article will argue sits at the heart of modern theology. Assuming a dialectical hermeneutic of suspicion, this article explores the problem of modern theology and how some liberation theologies may continue to play second fiddle to the whiteness perpetuated by western theologies like pruning a bonsai tree. Notwithstanding the challenges of decolonising theology, this search conceives the possibility of a non-ideological Christianity that may be confronting the whiteness of western theology and its associated atrocities. Such a quest may lead to a framing of a transformative theology based on honest and interrogative encounter between modern theology and cultural and traditional spiritualities. Contribution: This article explores how liberation theology can become a major player in the theology arena without always playing second fiddle to Western theologies. Exploring decoloniality confronts whiteness in terms of political theology that interlinks anthropology, economics and social welfare.https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9342western theologychristologywhitenesssupersessionismdecolonisationafrican theologyliberation theology |
| spellingShingle | Sifiso Khuzwayo Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin? HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies western theology christology whiteness supersessionism decolonisation african theology liberation theology |
| title | Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin? |
| title_full | Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin? |
| title_fullStr | Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin? |
| title_short | Western theology’s whiteness and some Liberation theologies, two sides of the same coin? |
| title_sort | western theology s whiteness and some liberation theologies two sides of the same coin |
| topic | western theology christology whiteness supersessionism decolonisation african theology liberation theology |
| url | https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9342 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sifisokhuzwayo westerntheologyswhitenessandsomeliberationtheologiestwosidesofthesamecoin |