The Cross and the Lynching Tree: Malcolm Foley on James Cone, Racism, and American Christianity

Currents in Religion

James Cone died five years ago this month. He is one of the legends of American theology, writing books like A Black Theology of Liberation, God of the Oppressed, and The Spirituals and the Blues. One of the last books of his celebrated career, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, was published in 2011. And, because this episode releases on Good Friday, when Christians remember Christ’s own lynching, it is fitting to discuss this significant book.

I am very glad to have the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley joining us to discuss James Cone’s book. Malcolm is a historian of American religion, and has focused his studies on lynching and Protestantism in America. We’re going to discuss James Cone’s book, but we’re also going to get to hear from Malcolm about his own work, which he does in both academic and ecclesial contexts.

The Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley serves as the Special Advisor to the President of Baylor University for Equity and Campus Engagement as well as the director of the Black Church Studies Program at Truett Theological Seminary. He is also a pastor at Mosaic Waco, an intentionally multi-cultural, non-denominational church in Waco, TX.

Learn more from Malcolm:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MalcolmBFoley

Anxious Bench: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/malcolm-foley/

Theology in Pieces: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theology-in-pieces/id1664552032

Related Episodes of Currents in Religion:

• Jessica Wai-Fong Wong & Jonathan Tran on theological approaches to antiracism: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/icons-economies-and-racism-a-conversation-with/id1648052085?i=1000584235192
• Marcus Jerkins on Black lives and salvation in Luke-Acts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-lives-matter-to-jesus-marcus-jerkins-on-salvation/id1648052085?i=1000599025436
• Ericka Shawndricka Dunbar on reading Esther and Africana biblical criticism: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/africana-biblical-criticism-and-the-book-of/id1648052085?i=1000600183961

• João Chaves on immigration and American Christianity: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-study-in-how-migration-shapes-religion/id1648052085?i=1000583436591