The Cross and the Lynching Tree

James H. Cone begins the book by providing a history of lynching in the United States and its impacts on black lives.^[1] Cone criticizes white clergy and academics for not making a connection between the crucifixion of Jesus and the black experience of lynching in the United States.^[2] Cone further criticizes the white church for actively participating in the lynching of black people throughout the 19th and 20th century.^[3] The second chapter of the book criticizes Reinhold Niebuhr for not speaking out against racism and lynching in the United States.^[4] The third chapter discusses Martin Luther King Jr. and his influence on Cone's work.^[5]

The book was published in 2011.^[6]

• Bibliography of Black theology

• Archived December 1, 2021, at the Wayback Machine