James H. Cone begins the book by providing a history of lynching in the United States and its impacts on black lives.[1] Cone criticizes white clergy and academics for not making a connection between the crucifixion of Jesus and the black experience of lynching in the United States.[2] Cone further criticizes the white church for actively participating in the lynching of black people throughout the 19th and 20th century.[3] The second chapter of the book criticizes Reinhold Niebuhr for not speaking out against racism and lynching in the United States.[4] The third chapter discusses Martin Luther King Jr. and his influence on Cone's work.[5]