Testimony is an integral part of the Black religious tradition. It is the occasion where the believer stands before the community of faith in order to give account of the hope that is in him or her.

Political commentary and controversy
Aspects of Cone's theology and words for some people have been the subject of controversy in the political context of the 2008 Presidential campaign as Reverend Jeremiah Wright at that time pastor of then-candidate Barack Obama noted that he had been inspired by Cone's theology. '" The false Christianity of the white-devil oppressor must be replaced by an authentic Christianity fully identified with the poor and oppressed. Cone’s work was influential from the time of the book's publication and his work remains influential today.

Cone’s work was influential from the time of the book's publication and his work remains influential today. His 1969 book Black Theology and Black Power provided a new way to articulate the distinctiveness of theology in the black Church.