Dwight Hopkins
Encyclopedia
Dwight N. Hopkins is a professor of theology at the University of Chicago
and an ordained American Baptist minister.
When Hopkins is not teaching at the University of Chicago, he is teaching at Trinity United Church of Christ where his students expect to be treated as his university students. He is also co-editor of Global Voices for Gender Justice and Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue: black theology in the slave narratives. Hopkins is the Communications Coordinator for the International Association of Black Religions and Spiritualities, a Ford Foundation
sponsored global project.
He began working with black theology when a colleague gave him a two-page article about it by James Hal Cone
from the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
. After meeting with the dean at the seminary to discuss points in the article he was enrolled in their master's program and Cone was his new advisor.
Hopkins has commented on, and mentioned as a source of inspiration for black liberation theology by Jeremiah Wright
. Wright was lead pastor at the church attended by presidential candidate Barack Obama
, and the source of some recent controversy. Hopkins attends and has spoken in defence of the Trinity United Church of Christ
, often supporting Wright. Hopkins explains Wright's use of "God damn America" was taken out of context as it was theological wordplay, using the word "damn" straight out its specific meaning in the original Hebrew.
Hopkins also stated that attacks on Wright are actually attacks on the very institution of the Black church
(1984), Master of Philosophy (1987), and his PhD
(1988) from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
. In 2000, he also earned a PhD
from the University of Cape Town
in South Africa. In 1976, he graduated Harvard University
with a bachelor's degree
.
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and an ordained American Baptist minister.
When Hopkins is not teaching at the University of Chicago, he is teaching at Trinity United Church of Christ where his students expect to be treated as his university students. He is also co-editor of Global Voices for Gender Justice and Cut Loose Your Stammering Tongue: black theology in the slave narratives. Hopkins is the Communications Coordinator for the International Association of Black Religions and Spiritualities, a Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
sponsored global project.
Theological Views
Hopkins is a constructive theologian focusing on contemporary models of theology, black theology, and liberation theologies. He defines black theology as "how God, or the spirit of freedom, works with the oppressed black community for their full humanity." According to Hopkins black theology started with a full-page ad in the New York Times in 1966 by a few black pastors asking for a "theological interpretation of black power." Today it focuses on the area of asking how to include black churches and how to serve them in a crisis.He began working with black theology when a colleague gave him a two-page article about it by James Hal Cone
James Hal Cone
James Hal Cone is an advocate of Black liberation theology, a theology grounded in the experience of African Americans, and related to other Christian liberation theologies. In 1969, his book Black Theology and Black Power provided a new way to articulate the distinctiveness of theology in the...
from the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
. After meeting with the dean at the seminary to discuss points in the article he was enrolled in their master's program and Cone was his new advisor.
Hopkins has commented on, and mentioned as a source of inspiration for black liberation theology by Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago exceeding 6,000 members...
. Wright was lead pastor at the church attended by presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, and the source of some recent controversy. Hopkins attends and has spoken in defence of the Trinity United Church of Christ
Trinity United Church of Christ
Trinity United Church of Christ is a predominantly black church with more than 8,500 members, located on the southwest side of Chicago. It is the largest church affiliated with the United Church of Christ, a predominantly white Christian denomination with roots in Congregationalism, which branched...
, often supporting Wright. Hopkins explains Wright's use of "God damn America" was taken out of context as it was theological wordplay, using the word "damn" straight out its specific meaning in the original Hebrew.
"It means a sacred condemnation by God to a wayward nation who has strayed from issues of justice, strayed from issues of peace, strayed from issues of reconciliation,"
Hopkins also stated that attacks on Wright are actually attacks on the very institution of the Black church
"To caricature and attack Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. is to attack the Black church in America," Hopkins said. "Attempts to muzzle him and Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago exemplify a bad omen for every African American preacher and every African American church in the country. And with the Black church censored, other Christian churches will be the next in line.
Education
He has earned his Master of DivinityMaster of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
(1984), Master of Philosophy (1987), and his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(1988) from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
. In 2000, he also earned a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...
in South Africa. In 1976, he graduated Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
.