by James H Cone. Published by Orbis Books, 2018. Reviewed by Tui Cadigan

Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody, a line from a traditional Black Gospel hymn, is the autobiography of African American preacher, teacher and theologian James H Cone, known as the father of Black Liberation Theology. It gripped me from beginning to end.

Cone lived in a context of chronic racism and white supremacy but also with the excitement for African Americans of Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr and the Black Power movement. He sought justice for the suffering poor and oppressed and those without power in this society. Cone’s theology offered students, preachers and teachers an alternative to the white Eurocentric theology that dominated seminaries, theological colleges and university faculties.

Cone describes his transformation from lacking confidence (he worried if he spoke up he’d be deemed another “angry Black man”) to deep anger and interior rage and, finally, to finding his voice and speaking his truth. He articulated a theology that shed "Black" light on the Cross and the Jesus of the Gospel for the good of humanity. I found the comparative symbols of the Lynching Tree and the Cross very powerful.

This readable book is essential reading for those teaching and preaching outside their own cultural milieu as it draws attention to the limits of interpretation — their own and those hearing them. It is a useful resource for Māori and Pacific students intending to study theology. And it has the potential to encourage and inspire anyone who finds themselves as a lone voice on a critical issue.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 254 November 2020: 27