My idea of God is deeply shaped by liberation theology, Black theology, Caribbean spirituality, and a decolonial reimagining of Christian thought. As a Christian theologian, I view of God as a trinity, as can be observed in the biblical text and theological references. God is not a principle that runs the cosmos. He is not abstract or detached but intimately involved in global history and politics, especially in the places where human suffering, injustice, and systems of oppression become the norm. The name of God means “liberation” for the weak, the vulnerable, and the oppressed, and the significance of Jesus Christ brings shalom, dignity, and human flourishing to all marginalized communities and people.

A. God of Liberation and Justice

At the heart of my theology is the conviction that God is on the side of the oppressed, the poor, the enslaved, and the marginalized. Drawing from the Exodus tradition, the Haitian Revolution, Black freedom struggle, and my understanding of the Christ-event in human history, I view God as a consistent being who actively participates in the struggle against oppression and violence. Consequently, God is not just a cosmic ruler; he is a liberator of the oppressed and a restorer of human dignity. The purpose of God in the human experience and history is to protect the weak and vulnerable against the strong and the powerful.

God is not passive but acts in history to free people from colonialism, slavery, racism, and all forms of human domination and subjugation. I interpret divine action as manifest in events like the Haitian Revolution, which I conceive as a “sacred event” and a revelation of God’s justice. God is strong, enough, and effective in all his ways and strategies. The existence of God is necessary for a violent and unstable world.

B. Decolonial and Decentered God

In my body of work, I attempt to challenge Western, imperial images of God, and white supremacist depictions of God, especially those used to justify human genocide, slavery, colonialism, antisemitism, political power and corruption, and white supremacy. I call for a decolonized theology and and ethical understanding of the triune God that reject the Eurocentric, whitewashed image of God, a God who legitimizes empire or hierarchy, and the use of Christian theology as a tool of control and to sustain human degradation and destruction in society.

Instead, I advocate for a discourse about God that is rooted in his emancipatory nature and liberative interruptions and intentions for a just and equitable future. The biblical God plays both immanent and transcendent functions as a Warrior against violence; a Savior for the victims; a Comforter for those who mourn for justice and shalom; and a Champion of human dignity and rights in the world. The biblical God is aligned with the image of God of the Global South: a God of resistance, hope, justice, and solidarity with the wretched of the earth. I advocate for the idea of God of the Global South. The intervention of such God is necessary for a world lacking basic human decency and compassion.

C. A Relational, Immanent God

The God of the Global South is not distant or otherworldly but immanent and active in human history. Drawing from Barthian theology, contextual and liberation theologies (Gutiérrez, Cone, Boff), I suggest that God’s presence is manifest distinctly

(1) the Christ-event;

(2) is found in the cry of the poor;

(3) is expressed in communal struggle and spiritual resilience;

(4) is embodied in prophets, martyrs, and freedom fighters (like Martin Luther King, Jr., Bonhoeffer, Toussaint Louverture)

(5) is made known to the spiritually-poor and the economically-disfranchised communities and people.

D. God of the Haitian Revolution

In my “Race, Religion, and the Haitian Revolution,” I interpret the Haitian Revolution itself as a theological event that took the form of a rupture in history through which the oppressed and enslaved experienced divine liberation and radical intervention from the God of the Global South. For example, I argue to understand

(1) both François Makandal and Dutty Boukman as prophetic figures who were used by God to create a pathway for the emancipation of the enslaved population;

(2) both Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines as emissaries from God that gave birth to a new nation and a new people;

(3) Vodou rituals, Christian and Islamic traditions, and African religious traditions as mediums of divine encounter and empowerment, leading to the restoration of humanity and dignity of the enslaved;

(4) the Haitian Revolution as a “liberative interruption” that revealed God’s justice and position against human tyranny and the institution of slavery;

(5) that God as Liberator works through culture, through history, through the margins.

E. Dialogical and Inclusive God

In my later works on interreligious dialogue and understanding, I advocate for an interfaith, pluralistic vision of God. I affirm the following:

(1) that God speaks through multiple religious traditions (Vodou, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc.);

(2) that theology must be dialogical, not dogmatic;

(3) God’s nature is expansive, not confined to doctrinal systems;

(4) for Christian theology to be interreligious and in active conversations with theistic and non-theistic humanism.

In this sense, I affirm religious métissage and theological pluralism without undermining the supremacy of Christ as Savior and Redeemer of humanity. I advance the idea that a theological and cultural mixing that resists purity and embraces complexity and nuances.

F. Ethical and Prophetic God

I insist that Christian Theology must have ethical consequences. For example, I argue that belief in God must translate into:

(1) Justice for the poor and the vulnerable;

(2) Resistance to xenophobia, white supremacy, racism, and oppression;

(3) Advocacy for the human rights of all people;

(4) Advocacy for public policies that promote a sense of belonging and improve living conditions of both citizens and non-citizens;

(5) Advocacy for diplomatic relations between the nations that are based on mutual respect and trust, human dignity, democratic values, political integrity, shared resources, respect for political sovereignty, and economic prosperity.

In this sense, God is not just a comforter, but also a disruptor, a moral force, and an agent of revolutionary love in world history and human experience.

Summary of My Concept of God

1. Liberator: God frees the oppressed from slavery, empire, and racism.

2. Decolonizer: the triune God breaks from colonial, white supremacist theology.

3. Immanent: God in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit is present in human history, suffering, and struggle.

4. Plural: God speaks through many religions and traditions without undermining the supremacy of Jesus Christ over all.

5. Global South: God intervenes in the history and experience of the people in the Global South, especially embodied in Haitian, African, and diasporic experiences.

6. Ethical and Just: God demands justice, love, and solidarity, and actively pursues these goals in the world.

7. Prophetic: God calls all people and the great world powers to account and inspires change in the world.