Theology in the Mode of Monk: An Aesthetics of Barth and Cone on Revelation and Freedom, Volume 2

Book excerpt: This captivating study engages two of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century: Karl Barth, the Swiss Protestant theologian, who constructed his theology "from above" and engaged the powers in the background of Nazi Germany, and James H. Cone, the father of Black Theology in America, who constructed his theology "from below" and confronted white racism--the most intractable issue in America's history. In this three-volume project, Carr employs the aesthetic thinking of the jazz legend Thelonious Monk to reconceptualize, restructure, and advance the theologies of Barth and Cone. In this second volume, Carr appeals to Monk's tune "'Round Midnight" as the analogical framework for articulating the meaning between Christ, the cantus firmus, and the sociopolitical histories of Karl Barth and James Cone. Monk's encouragement to "improvise on the melody" is heard as the melodic foundation for a new form of christological reflection.