Black Lives Matter and the Image of God: A Theo-Anthropological Study

by Josiah U. Young III

Overview

In Black Lives Matter and The Image of God: A Theo-Anthropological Study, the author argues that "God" mirrors humankind rather than the other way around. “God” for him is made in the image of man. Humankind is not created by “God.” What one means by “God” is thus subjective and informed by one’s context. Consequently, Black lives matter to “God” only if they matter to the theologian. The depth of the matter depends on his or her experience. Hence, this book is memoiristic in discussing systematic loci like “God,” humankind, Christ, and the Trinity. The author concludes that “God’s” future is inseparable from humane values that eschew white supremacy and other modes of self-deification in favor of ethics that cultivate life for all human beings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781793619228
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	02/08/2023
Series:	Religion and Race
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.29(w) x 9.17(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Josiah U. Young III is professor of systematic theology at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Black Lives Matter! Faith Seeking Understanding

Part One: Theological Waters

Chapter One: The Image of God Far above the Primal Waters

Chapter Two: “Slaves Obey Your Earthy Masters”: The High Cost of Baptism

Part Two: Protestant

Chapter Three: Descending Jacob’s Ladder with Emmanuel Levinas and Mordecai Kaplan

Chapter Four: We Won’t All Die, But We’ll All Be Changed?

Chapter Five: Those Who Died Young, Pyros, and A Black Professor

Chapter Six: Self-Consciousness and Self-Direction: Dr. King and Theological Liberalism

Part Three: Afro

Chapter Seven: The Lost-Found Tribe of Shabazz: For Josh and Minister Malcolm X

Chapter Eight: Afro-Aesthetics and Moon Dance

Chapter Nine: Africa Addio? (Goodbye, Africa?)

Part Four: Understanding My Faith

Chapter Ten: Mangwanani, Africa! (Good Morning, Africa!)

Conclusion: Trying to be “Larger, Freer, and More Loving”: What “God” Is To Me

Bibliography

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Josiah Young's Black Lives Matter and the Image of God is a theological tour de force written as a memoir. From the streets of Bushwick to South Africa and the Congo, Young's theo-anthropology provides a rich and illuminating answer to the question of whether Black lives really matter to us and to God. This book will edify anyone who reads it.

Jawanza Eric Clark