Of Wright, Obama, and a Theology of Liberation

In an article from the Associated Press, Eric Groski writes of the divided loyalties in the Black Church </a>caused by the rift between Sen. Barrack Obama and his longtime Pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The rift, of course, comes as a result of Wright’s recent speech and Q&A session at Washington D.C.’s National Press Club. In that speech, Wright accused the U.S. government of spreading AIDS, praised Louis Farrakhan, and suggested that Obama’s distance came from a politician acting like a politician. Obviously, the speech has caused some tension within the Black Church and leadership and has proved somewhat of a nightmare for Obama.

As a student of theology, I’d be remiss to not comment with my own thoughts on the issue. I spent a good deal of my evening last night watching and listening to C-Span coverage of Wright’s speech. I heard an eloquent man speak harshly about racism in this country. He spoke with the furor and passion of one who has seen the effects of poverty and oppression in the black community. I found him to be rude to the moderator and extremely arrogant. A picture of Christian love and values he was not. While I do not agree with Wright, I do believe that we need to understand where he is coming from.

Wright’s so-called “prophetic theology” is an extension of the Black Liberation Theology proposed by James Cone and others. To understand it requires an understanding of Liberation Theology as a whole.

To put it simply, Liberation Theology holds the belief that in the struggles of the poor and the oppressed against the forces of the rich majorities, Jesus Christ is on the side of the oppressed. The mission of a Christian, then, becomes a need to help bring justice to the marginalized, even through political activism. Tony Campolo, guest blogger at On Faith explains it best saying:

Those who adhere to Liberation Theology point out that all through the Bible we find that God always champions the cause of those who are poor and beaten down as they struggle for dignity, freedom and economic justice.
The social implications of this biblical theme of liberation have been taken up by a variety of oppressed groups over the past fifty years. Christian feminists have claimed that Jesus came to liberate women from oppression—especially as oppression of women manifests itself in certain Islamic countries, as well as in the male domination encouraged by some forms of Christianity.

Gays who are Christians also have made Jesus their liberator as they have fought for dignity and acceptance in what they believe to be a homophobic society.

And of course, Jeremiah Wright has declared for the African-American community that, in their struggle to overcome the oppression they have had to endure at the hands of what he believes is a racist society, the God revealed in scripture will fight for them.

Jeremiah Wright, of course, has recently stepped into the spotlight because of controversial remarks made in a sermon shortly after the event of 9/11 where he uttered a cry of “God damn America.” I found his comments to be rude, inflammatory, and unbecoming of a man who stands at a pulpit as a pastor to a flock of faithful. I can see how his remarks would raise questions about a man who sat within the congregation for many years and called Wright a spiritual mentor and friends.

It is understandable, then, to question Sen. Obama’s personal beliefs. Having attended a church that Wright led, one asks why Sen. Obama chose to stay. However, though I am not an Obama supporter by any means, I do NOT believe that anyone should let the words of Rev. Wright influence them one way or another in whether to support or not support Sen. Obama. We must remember that it was not Sen. Obama who stood at the pulpit of the Church. It is often said that we are a reflection of the company we keep. To some extent this is true, but we also cannot be held responsible for the actions of our priests, preachers, family members, and friends. It becomes, as Jesuit priest Thomas J. Reese writes, “nothing less than guilt by association.”

On a side note: The National Press Club moderator could have done a better job in extracting more on the theology of the Black Church. She asked some theological questions, Wright gave some answers and that was it. Mollie at GetReligion.org presents a fine example of where we could have learned more about Wright, his belief system, and scriptural interpretations.