Blurbs for Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering by Sherman A. Jackson

"It is hard to imagine a more central notion in monotheistic ethics than the challenge of theodicy: What kind of God allows suffering, and why so some groups seem to suffer more than any divine scale of justice could ever justify? These are the questions tackled by Sherman Jackson in this probing, evocative study of black theodicy revisited through the multiple lens of Islamic theology. Many who have never thought of pre-modern Islam, or classical Muslim self-reflection, as relevant to contemporary issues will find here a vista of hope for the God of Abraham, as also for his suffering black folk."

-Bruce Lawrence, author of The Qur'an: A Biography, and Director, Duke Islamic Studies Center

"Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering is demonstrative proof that American Muslims are bound to have a profound impact on the historical and normative trajectory of the Islamic faith in the modern age. Firmly anchoring himself in the Islamic theological tradition and its rich discourses, Sherman Jackson insightfully engages current debates on black religion, the role of religion in the black American experience, and the theology of racism. Ultimately, Jackson delivers a singularly original, richly learned, and carefully measured book on rationalism, tradition, and morality in Islam and on the theological implications of human suffering, oppression, and subjugation. I found this book an enthralling and enriching read, and there is no question that it deserves to be read and debated very widely."

-Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, Alfi Professor Law, UCLA School of Law

"Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering is an examination of how the religion of Islam would respond to the problem of black theodicy as defined by W.R. Jone's classic text, Is God a White Racist? Jones addressed his book to Protestant black liberation theologians who claim that God is a liberator. If God is all-powerful and all-loving, how do black theologians explain black suffering? Jackson applies Jones's questioning to the two main developments of Islam - Rationalists and Traditionalists. This text will make an important contribution to black scholarship in religion because it will initiate and deepen the conversation between Islam and Christianity in the black community."

-James H. Cones, Charles Augustus Briggs Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology, Union Theological Seminary, New York and author of Martin & Malcolm & America: A Dream or a Nightmare?

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