The Pathway of Proclamation

Abstract Proclamation thinking interprets the world, offering perspectives that give coherence and meaning to the complexity and ambiguity of reality. James Cone (1938–2018), who taught theology at Union Seminary in New York, is an exemplar of proclamation thinking, and his discourse on Black consciousness and Black power paved the way for what is now often called critical race theory. Proclamation thinking is always speculative to some degree because it draws connections between bits of knowledge and information that may not, on the surface, look related at all, but it is informed speculation that seeks to reveal underlying patterns and connections within reality itself. Personal faith and individual identity play a large role in proclamation thinking, informing the individual worldviews that shape what a person believes is possible, probable, and desirable. Proclamation thinking has a long history in Christianity, beginning with Jesus and the Apostle Paul and later represented by major thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther. In religious settings, Christian proclamation thinking is often linked to concerns about eternal salvation. In educational settings, proclamation thinking is often linked to political or policy concerns. In all settings, proclamation thinking encourages the asking of big questions related to the meaning, purpose, coherence, and comprehensibility of reality in its entirety.