Abstract
The purpose of this article is to review and comment on the book The Passion of the Lord: African American Reflections. Edited by James A. Noel and Matthew V. Johnson, and published by Facets (an imprint of Fortress Press: Minneapolis), the book explores the unique perspective of African American thought in relation to the story of the Passion of Christ, and the cultural aesthetics which allow Christ’s suffering on the cross to become a powerful agent of spiritual strength, hope, love, and faith. This article records one African American man’s deep personal engagement of, and resonance to, the material as he validates, affirms the important insights of the seven theologians presented. Through personal observation and experience, poetry and relevant cultural idioms, the author honors work which, ultimately, contributes to a vitally important self-understanding of who African Americans are now, where they are now, and how they have come to be the people they are now in America.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Traditional Spiritual (public domain).
Traditional Spiritual (public domain).
From the poem entitled, “Press On!”
From the poem entitled, “Blues, Gospel, Jazz.”
A cultural idiom used to comment on the limits of education. It is not pejorative, but is meant to connote that education is not everything. Wisdom, for instance, is considered more valuable.
The song and story are featured in the one-man show, “I’m a Black Man, Who are You?”
References
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American-Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Baker-Fletcher, K. (2005). Womanist passion. In J. A. Noel & M. V. Johnson (Eds.), The passion of the Lord: African American reflections (pp. 111–144). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Franklin, R. M. (2005). The passion and African American pilgrimage. In J. A. Noel & M. V. Johnson (Eds.), The passion of the Lord: African American reflections (pp. 160–174). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Johnson, M. V. (2005). Lord of the Crucified. In J. A. Noel & M. V. Johnson (Eds.), The passion of the Lord: African American reflections (pp. 1–32). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Noel, J. A. (2005). Were you there? In J. A. Noel & M. V. Johnson (Eds.), The passion of theLord: African American reflections (pp. 33–50). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Noel, J. A., & Johnson, M. V. (Eds.). (2005). The passion of the Lord: African American reflections. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Ross, R. E. (2005). Passionate living. In J. A. Noel & M. V. Johnson (Eds.), The passion of the Lord: African American reflections (pp. 145–159). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Terrell, J. M. (2005). What manner of love? In J. A. Noel & M. V. Johnson (Eds.), The passion of the Lord: African American reflections (pp. 51–76). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Williams, D. K. (2005). Identifying with the Cross of Christ. In J. A. Noel & M. V. Johnson (Eds.), The passion of the Lord: African American reflections (pp. 77–110). Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
David P. Sharp (SFTS ’86) is a Presbyterian minister (PCUSA) who has served churches in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. He is Editor-in-Chief of Soul Mag, a nationally distributed lifestyle magazine, and is on the faculty at San Jose State University and Wisdom University.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sharp, D.P. Passion, Pain, and Purpose: One Man’s Response to the Passion of the Lord. Pastoral Psychol 55, 99–113 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-006-0016-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-006-0016-3