The Sky Is Crying is motivated by the recent overwhelming natural disaster in the southern Gulf coast and southeast Asia, which was exacerbated by incompetence, blatant disregard, and the reactions of austere theodicy and spurious theology when attempting to explain the unexplainable. Scholars, clergy, and activists respond to the underlying sociocultural, historical, religious, and ethical issues that underlie and address these natural (exacerbated by man-made) events, and unpack the larger 'elephants in the room': the intersection of poverty and race, and the related systemic injustices in America, in the world, and throughout history.
Why do the poor and ethnic minorities bear the brunt of both natural and political disaster? More than twenty contributors address this question from historical, social, political, ethical, biblical, and religious perspectives, and they expose the long-standing social and theological issues that are larger than any one tragic event. This cadre of renowned contributors sets the subject in the broader context of history, analyzes several ancient and modern case studies, and offers an invaluable resource for scholarly study and classroom discussion.
Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan is Professor of Theology and Women's Studies and Director of Women's Studies at Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has authored many books, including Mary Had a Baby: An Advent Study Based on African American Spirituals and Undivided Soul: Helping Congregations Connect Body and Spirit (by Abingdon Press).
