Ithaca College

 Dr. Christopher House, Communication Studies, has authored an article that appears in the most recent volume of the Southern Communication Journal.  Titled, Crying for Justice: The #BLACKLIVESMATTER Religious Rhetoric of Bishop T.D. Jakes, the essay examines the underlying theological motivations and rhetorical strategies that inform the #BLACKLIVESMATTER (BLM) rhetorical theology of Bishop T.D. Jakes. Using Jakes’ Huffington Post letter, “A Father’s Cry for Justice,” written in response to the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown, Jr. as a case study, Dr. House argues that by “pulpitizing” mediated spaces, Jakes is modeling a new form of Black church leadership that is supportive of but not central to the BLM movement. This essay demonstrates how Jakes’ rhetorical theology offers religious rhetorical assets that can be used as interventional strategies and models for other religious leaders who seek to move audiences across competing Black sacred/secular dichotomies in support of black lives.

Below is a link to the article:

Crying for Justice: The #BLACKLIVESMATTER Religious Rhetoric of Bishop T.D. Jakes