The Rupture of Identity and Identification in James Cone's Africana Theology of Existence

Abstract:In this article, I argue that James Cone's Black Theology and Black Power inaugurates a theological project that contributes to the field of Africana philosophies of existence as conceptualized by Lewis Gordon. The article examines the importance of historical concrete situations, provides a phenomenological analysis of anti-Blackness as bad faith, and explores identity and identification in Cone's theological method. Finally, I argue that these themes contribute to the global relevance of Cone's theology of existence by analyzing the work of South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko.