Volume 3 Number 8 April 23, 2008

MarketFaith Ministries is an equipping ministry which is focused on helping Christians become more effective
in living out their faith in the midst of the increasingly diverse worldview environment of modern society.
Introduction

You have, no doubt, heard of the inflammatory remarks made by Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Senator Barack Obama’s pastor,
as well as some of the racially sensitive things that have been said by Senator Obama himself. Because of the sensitivity
of these topics, it is sometimes difficult to grasp the full significance of what is being said.

One of the main reasons this is difficult is because we are trying to run what is said through our own Christian worldview
filter. After all, Dr. Wright’s church is a Christian church, right? Well, in name it is, but the doctrines that underlie its belief
foundation are not traditional evangelical Christian theology. Black Liberation Theology has a different foundation and dif-
ferent goals than traditional Christian beliefs. Today, we will look at what the differences are so that we can know how to
relate more effectively to people who hold these beliefs. In many cases, it will also give us the ability to more effectively
share Christ with them.

So, how is your worldview understanding coming along? Are you getting more and more able to understand the beliefs
other people hold, and you are becoming more confident of your own faith. It is certainly the purpose of MarketFaith Min-
(Continued on page 2)

The Gospel According to Barack Obama’s Pastor: Black Liberation Theology

Recently a great controversy has broken out because of
Barak Obama’s twenty plus year association with Dr. Jere-
miah Wright. Dr. Wright is the pastor of Trinity United
Church of Christ in Chicago where Obama is a member. He
is the man that Obama has called his mentor and spiritual
advisor. It seems that Rev. Wright consistently preaches
dogma which is politically charged and racially divisive. He
has been heard making statements like:
"God bless America... No!... God Damn America," in
suggesting that past US policies are partially responsi-
ble for the 9/11 attacks.
"The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a
means of genocide against people of color."
He asserted that the US government provides drugs to On top of all of that, he named Louis Farrahkan as his
African-Americans and once again said, "God Damn
America."
He called America, "U S of KKK A."
He has referred to Italians as "garlic noses."
In addition to these specific quotes, he claims that:
HIV was invented by the U.S. government as a tool of
genocide against blacks,
the government sent illegal drugs to black neighbor-
hoods to kill or imprison blacks,
the government infected black men with syphilis in the
Tuskegee Experiment,
the government knew Pearl Harbor would be attacked
before it happened,
the president will use the military against people for reli-
gious reasons, and that
the US is controlled by white supremacists.
church’s person of the year.
(Continued on page 2)

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(Introduction - Continued from page 1)

nistries to strengthen you at this point. If you want a little more directed study in grasping the concepts of worldview, let
me recommend that you order the “What is Worldview?” personal study guide. You can order this tremendous resource
at the MarketFaith Ministries website.

Finally, we could certainly use your help as we continue to develop worldview resources. Of course, most of the things
we produce are free, and it is our desire to make as much information as possible free of charge. There are some
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partner with us in order to help us produce more materials, we would be greatly appreciative. Your gift is tax deductible
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God bless,
Freddy

(Black Liberation - Continued from page 1)

The things above are not given for the purpose of attacking Dr. Wright as an individual. Rather, we want to try and under-
stand the thinking of people who have a worldview based on this kind of doctrine. Dr. Wright is certainly not the only per-
son with this way of thinking. In fact, he is simply the most high profile individual who represents this worldview. Our
purpose is to try and understand the belief system.

We are going to start with the veneer which overlays the belief. Looking at Dr. Wright’s church from a surface level would
not necessarily bring us to the conclusion that he and his church have these kinds of beliefs. On the church’s website is
this statement.

We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black reli-
gious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to
our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through
the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength
and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust
in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Communi-
ty.

On the church’s website, we also find this 10 point vision:

The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point vision:
1. A congregation committed to ADORATION.
2. A congregation preaching SALVATION.
3. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION.
4. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA.
5. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION.
6. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION.

(Continued on page 3)

Find these books along with other

great worldview resources at
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(Black Liberation - Continued from page 2)

7. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA.

8. A congregation committed to LIBERATION.
9. A congregation committed to RESTORATION.
10. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY.

Looking at these statements, it is not obvious at all where the conspiratorial and hateful remarks come from. Those kinds
of teachings are definitely there if you know where to look, but they are hidden behind traditional Christian terminology
which has been redefined. In order to get at this, it becomes necessary to dig a little deeper in order to grasp the real the-
ology.

The church calls itself a Christian church, but is founded on a particular ideology which is quite different than traditional
evangelical theology. It is based on Black Liberation Theology. Let’s take a moment and get to know this approach to be-
lieving in God.

What is Liberation Theology?

In order to understand Black Liberation Theology, we must first look at it’s foundation – Liberation Theology. Liberation
Theology is an ideology which asserts that the message of the Gospel is a call to promote the freedom of people from
political, social, and material oppression. It is very “this worldly” and was especially prevalent in the Roman Catholic
Church in Latin America beginning back in the 1960s. It finds much of its inspiration in the socialist ideas of people like
Hegel and Marx.

Liberation Theology is not understood to come from God's

revelation of himself through divinely inspired men who
wrote the Bible. Rather, it comes from human interaction
with society throughout history. Liberation theologians be- Subscription Information
lieve that pain and suffering are the forces which motivate
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which keep some people in bondage. Instead of a spiritual Past Issues of Worldview Made Practical are available
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ly society.

The place of Jesus in Liberation Theology is not to serve
as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin, but as one who
ideally exemplified the struggle for the poor and the out-
cast. Adherents of this theology believe that his life and
teachings concerning the Kingdom of God served to dem-
onstrate the love of God in an actual historical setting.
What is Black Theology?
Another foundation of Black Liberation Theology is simple
Black Theology. Black theology emerges from the perspec-
tive of the descendants of African people who were forced
to leave their traditional homelands and settle in a new
place. The message of black theology is that the African-
American struggle for liberation is consistent with the gos-
pel. This theology maintains that African-Americans must
be liberated from the social, political, economic and reli-
gious bondage that their ancestors were forced into. In a
general sense, it includes empowerment of black people by
asserting a right to self-definition, self-affirmation and self-
determination.
In creating this approach to theology, black theologians
sought a completely new "starting point" in theology. Thus,
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(Continued on page 4)

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(Black Liberation - Continued from page 3)

they attempted to re-read the Bible through the eyes of their enslaved ancestors to come up with a set of beliefs which
would be centered on the thoughts, needs and desires of the African- American culture in its unique place of bondage in
American society.

What is Black Liberation Theology?

As it turns out, Liberation Theology is also expressed in other offshoot theologies. There are such expressions as Femi-
nist Liberation Theology, Asian Liberation Theology, Hispanic-American Liberation Theology, Native American Liberation
Theology and, of course what we are looking at today, Black Liberation Theology. So, just what are the unique expres-
sions of Black Liberation Theology as it emerges out of a more general Liberation Theology?

Black Liberation Theology got its distinctive name in the 1960s, but traces its heritage to earlier centuries when black
churches worked to obtain self-determination for African decedents who found themselves in bondage.

American Black Liberation Theology can be traced back to July 31, 1966, when a group of 51 black pastors bought a full
page ad in the New York Times and published their "Black Power Statement” under the name of the National Committee
of Negro Churchmen. The leaders of this movement from the earliest days included such black church leaders as James
Cone and Dwight Hopkins.

This theology is an attempt to make the gospel relevant to the African-American community who constantly struggle under
the burden of white oppression. In the words of James Cone, this theology tries to answer the question: "What, if any-
thing, does the Christian gospel have to say to powerless black men threatened on a daily basis by the insidious tentacles
of white power?" He felt this question had to be answered if Christianity was to have any relevance for black society.

Black Liberation Theology sees God as one who is totally identified with the goals of the black community. Not only that,
he is understood as being against white people who are the oppressors of the black community. Black theology sees God
as one who participates in the destruction of the white enemy. The black community has been oppressed by whites, and
the divine love of God is expressed in the world in the form of Black Power – the power of black people to destroy their
oppressors by any means at their disposal.

In Black Liberation Theology, the ultimate expression of God’s love does not relate to the help one human might give to
another. Rather, it is expressed by those who work for political, social, and economic justice. Under this belief system,
that specifically means a redistribution of power and wealth into the hands of the oppressed black population.

As a result, there is a very close relationship between the beliefs which inform Black Liberation Theology and the actions
in life which express it. Black Liberation Theology is the religious component of the belief system. It systematizes the be-
liefs so that black Americans will know how to act. The other component of the belief system relates to Black Power –
which is seen as the political arm of the system. Black Power represents both freedom and self-determination for the
black community.

In the theological sense, the concept of “black” represents two elements. First, it represents the physiological trait of being
a black-skinned person, particularly in America. The second thing that it represents is the particular attitudes and actions
that people have concerning the liberation of black people from white racism. In this sense, blackness relates to anyone
who works for liberation. In the broadest sense, blackness is the definition of goodness.

On the other side of the equation is whiteness. Whiteness is connected with oppression and sickness. In the broadest
sense of the word, whiteness is equated with evil.

The bottom line is that black people who are oppressed by white society are aligned with God for the purpose of express-
ing his righteousness by overcoming the white oppressors in society and by taking the reigns of power in this world.

All of this does not mean that there is no belief in heaven and the afterlife. It is just that God’s priority related to his
Kingdom’s purpose, and his actions regarding his Kingdom, are related to the liberation of black people from white op-
pression in the here and now.

Based on this understanding, we can now see an entirely different meaning in the 10 point vision of Dr. Wright’s Trinity
Church.

1. A congregation committed to ADORATION = Adoration of a God who is committed to liberating oppressed black peo-
ple (A God who is not focused this way is not worthy of worship).
(Continued on page 5)

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(Black Liberation - Continued from page 4)

2. A congregation preaching SALVATION. = Gaining liberation from the oppression of white people.
3. A congregation actively seeking RECONCILIATION. = Seeing society reconciled to the purpose of God to liberate
black society from the oppression of white people.
4. A congregation with a non-negotiable COMMITMENT TO AFRICA. = A specific focus on black people as the ones
whom God favors.
5. A congregation committed to BIBLICAL EDUCATION. = The Bible as interpreted by Black Liberation Theology.
6. A congregation committed to CULTURAL EDUCATION. = Educating people on how black people are oppressed and
white people are oppressing them.
7. A congregation committed to the HISTORICAL EDUCATION OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN DIASPORA. = A particular
focus on the oppression of black Americans.
8. A congregation committed to LIBERATION. = Freedom from the oppression of white society.
9. A congregation committed to RESTORATION. = Restoration of a world in which black people have the reigns of power.
10. A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY. = A socialistic economy where wealth is redistributed from
wealthy white people to poor black people.

Now we can see more clearly where the anti-American and racist statements against white people come from. Dr. Wright,
and others who follow this theology, really believe that white society is out to have its foot on his neck and on those in his
congregation. Based on this theology, the means for dealing with white oppression is to point it out and condemn the op-
pressors.

The Worldview of Black Liberation Theology

What Worldview does Black Liberation Theology Represent? (How Black Liberation Theology Answers the 7 World-
view Questions)

1. What is the nature of ultimate reality?

Black Liberation Theology conceives of reality as structured with a transcendent creator God who created the material
universe as it now is. God, though, is not nearly as interested in people’s eternity as he is in accomplishing a particular
outcome on earth. Specifically, he is primarily focused on liberating black people from their white oppressors.

2. What is the nature of material reality?

Material reality is understood to be a creation of God whose purpose it is for black people to live free from the domination
of white oppressors.

3. What is a human being?

Human beings are creations of God who were created to be free from oppression from other people. There is no inherent
sin within an individual. Sin is understood to be a condition of human existence in which man denies the liberating activity
of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

4. What happens to a person at death?

Life after death is not a particular focus of Black Liberation Theology. The focus on life after death is seen to be a lie of the
Christianity of white America. God is understood to be more concerned with eliminating the suffering of people in the
black community in this world than in preparing them for the next. This does not mean that there is no belief in the after-
life, only that this theology does not put any emphasis on it.

5. Why is it possible to know anything at all?

Knowledge is possible because God created mankind with this ability.

6. How do we know right and wrong?

Right and wrong are specifically related to oppression. Those who do wrong are people who act contrary to the interests
of the oppressed community or its liberation. Doing right relates to helping liberate people from their oppression.

7. What is the meaning of human history?

History has meaning in the struggle of the oppressed against their oppressors. Meaning emerges when the oppressed are
victorious.

Based on this analysis, it is evident that there are two different worldview positions which are on display. This makes
Black Liberation Theology a hybrid worldview. There is a Theistic approach on display as the entire belief system is

(Continued on page 6)

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(Black Liberation - Continued from page 5)

couched in Christian terminology. However, there is also a significant Naturalistic component as well, as we can see from
the focus on their approach to achieving their goals. They call on God to help them, but depend primarily on the activism
of their adherents to accomplish any change. The goal is not to develop a personal relationship with God, but to achieve
power in earthly society.

The Practical Implications of the Beliefs of Black Liberation Theology

The practical implications of the Black Liberation system of theology is that people are compelled to fight in this life for the
liberation of those in the black community in order for them to gain their freedom from the oppression of white society.
While those in this fight are not specifically encouraged to invoke violence, it is also not ruled out.

On a societal level, Black Liberation Theology would require that socialism become the economic system in America, and
that wealth and power be transferred from the white majority to the black minority.

What Is Black Liberation Theology’s Authority Foundation?

Black Liberation Theology, on a surface level, uses the Bible as its primary authority. However, the Bible is interpreted
through the teachings of the theology. The Bible is not taught based on its own teachings. Rather, the starting point is
found in the beliefs of Black Liberation Theology, and the Bible is interpreted through that lens. Understanding that, we
can see that the real primary authority is the writings of the theologians who promote Black Liberation Theology. In the
ultimate sense, the authority of the teachings of Black Liberation Theology rests on the shoulders of those who invented
and promulgate it.

What Evidence Exists to Support its Authority?

The question is: Why is this particular approach to theology the Truth about how to interpret the Bible? To answer this, we
must look, first, to the credibility of the people who invented Liberation Theology, then to those who specifically applied it
to the American black community. Essentially these people have based their teachings on their own ideas rather than on
the text of the Bible itself. There is no objective evidence that this teaching represents the actual way that reality is struc-
tured. All we have is the assertion of those who invented and perpetuate it.

How Can We Evaluate the Viability of Black Liberation Theology’s Authority?

Based on the evidence to support Black Liberation Theology, there is no particular reason why the writings of these vari-
ous liberation theologians should be more valid than theologians who use a different approach. It denies God’s self-disclo-
sure in the Biblical text in favor of a God who is asserted from Liberation Theology. In this case, the object of God’s
liberating action is specifically African-Americans. It is a new theology which completely departs from the historic Christian
faith based only on the assertions of its inventors.

Interacting with a Black Liberation Theology Believer

Interacting with people who hold this belief is particularly difficult because they see themselves as Christians. It is just that
they have an entirely different understanding of what it means to be a Christian.

Regardless of the fact that people who believe this have a different way of understanding the person and purpose of God,
their need for a God who offers forgiveness and liberation from personal sin is still a reality in their lives. Even those in the
black community who become materially successful and have been liberated in their own little worlds, still experience the
guilt of sin and the pain of separation from God on a personal level.

In sharing Christ with someone who believes in this theology, it is essential to begin by actively expressing the love of
God in daily life. Adherents of Black Liberation Theology are almost completely focused at this level. Once true love, com-
passion and empathy are experienced in a personal relationship, it will become obvious that you are not a person who
can be identified as an oppressor. When this is understood and accepted, individuals will begin to be open to why you are
able to have peace, purpose and meaning in your life, and hope for eternity. Only then will you have the opportunity to
share the specifics of the true Gospel message of eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

Summary
Black Liberation Theology has its roots in Marxism more than in Christianity. Christianity is only a veneer which makes it
appear more acceptable to society at large and more difficult for outsiders to see its true nature. Those who hold to this
belief system may call themselves Christians, but it is very possibly in name only. We need to be very sensitive to all of
those we interact with to make sure that they truly know a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, regardless
of the label they put on themselves.

[If you have questions or comments about this article, feel free to contact us at info@marketfaith.org).
In the Next Issue: The Gospel According to Oprah