In this classic theological treatise, the acclaimed theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1900-1981) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower--it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God's justice prevail.
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UTKRF
5.0 out of 5 stars Profound
Reviewed in the United States on 24 August 2019
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As much as it is possible for a white man in his 60's to understand the plight of the African American Thurman has given me insight so that I have a much greater understanding
This condition must end I think every white person in America should read this book to grasp just how bad it is to be Black in America and the damage it does to both races
We have far to go
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S. Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars Three Hounds
Reviewed in the United States on 17 November 2016
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It is rumored that the Civil Rights hero, Martin Luther King Jr., carried in his pocket a copy of Howard Thurman’s “Jesus and the Disinherited.” Rumors or nay, the similarities between these two magnanimous Christians and their Christo-love-centricism are undeniable. Thurman, a highly educated lawyer who bravely trail-blazed key civil rights cases, unveils the true “religion of Jesus.” Jesus was a Jew. A poor Jew. A poor, minority Jew under the Roman Empire. Jesus stands with the disinherited because he was one of them. So what does this disinherited Jesus teach and preach? The need for a profound “inward center” transformation. Both the oppressors and the oppressed cannot allow fear, deception, or hate to define and propagandize the self over and against the other; only love must stand it their stead.
Here Thurman’s summation of Jesus’ life and teachings: “You must abandon your fear of each other and fear only God. You must not indulge in any deception and dishonesty, even to save your lives. Your words must be Yea-Nay; anything else is evil. Hatred is destructive to hated and hater like. Love your enemy, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.”
[...]
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Sabin Prentis
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is one of the most important books I ...
Reviewed in the United States on 14 June 2016
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This book is one of the most important books I have ever read. Essentially, it's premise can be derived from this quote:
"The basic fact is that Christianity as it was born in the mind of this Jewish teacher and thinker appears as a technique of survival for the oppressed. That it became, through the intervening years, a religion of the powerful and dominant, used as an instrument of oppression, must not tempt us into believing that it was thus in the mind and life of Jesus."
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TBinNC
5.0 out of 5 stars Every Christian should read this book
Reviewed in the United States on 22 April 2020
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There isn't much I can add about this book that other, more prolific reviewers have already mentioned in their reviews. I will simply say that I'm glad I bought it and carefully read through it, as I learned quite a bit and had much of my own experiences confirmed by this book. Dr. Thurman exquisitely discusses the experiences of living as a Christian Black American in this country, specifically through his experience as a rural Southerner. He is spot on in his interpretations, and it's sad to say that many of the issues that he addresses are still happening now. The language isn't necessarily academic, but it does come from a different time when language seemed to be a bit more formal -- it does seem like he can take a long way to say something directly, but every word is necessary for the reader to come to the understanding of who Jesus is, what He represented, and how the world can reconcile itself with Him for growth and change.
There is tremendous wisdom in this book and even though it was written many decades ago, there is honesty and scholarship that is applicable for today's reader.
17 people found this helpful
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UTKRF
5.0 out of 5 stars Profound
Reviewed in the United States on 24 August 2019
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As much as it is possible for a white man in his 60's to understand the plight of the African American Thurman has given me insight so that I have a much greater understanding
This condition must end I think every white person in America should read this book to grasp just how bad it is to be Black in America and the damage it does to both races
We have far to go
54 people found this helpful
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S. Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars Three Hounds
Reviewed in the United States on 17 November 2016
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It is rumored that the Civil Rights hero, Martin Luther King Jr., carried in his pocket a copy of Howard Thurman’s “Jesus and the Disinherited.” Rumors or nay, the similarities between these two magnanimous Christians and their Christo-love-centricism are undeniable. Thurman, a highly educated lawyer who bravely trail-blazed key civil rights cases, unveils the true “religion of Jesus.” Jesus was a Jew. A poor Jew. A poor, minority Jew under the Roman Empire. Jesus stands with the disinherited because he was one of them. So what does this disinherited Jesus teach and preach? The need for a profound “inward center” transformation. Both the oppressors and the oppressed cannot allow fear, deception, or hate to define and propagandize the self over and against the other; only love must stand it their stead.
Here Thurman’s summation of Jesus’ life and teachings: “You must abandon your fear of each other and fear only God. You must not indulge in any deception and dishonesty, even to save your lives. Your words must be Yea-Nay; anything else is evil. Hatred is destructive to hated and hater like. Love your enemy, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.”
[...]
64 people found this helpful
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Sabin Prentis
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is one of the most important books I ...
Reviewed in the United States on 14 June 2016
Verified Purchase
This book is one of the most important books I have ever read. Essentially, it's premise can be derived from this quote:
"The basic fact is that Christianity as it was born in the mind of this Jewish teacher and thinker appears as a technique of survival for the oppressed. That it became, through the intervening years, a religion of the powerful and dominant, used as an instrument of oppression, must not tempt us into believing that it was thus in the mind and life of Jesus."
76 people found this helpful
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TBinNC
5.0 out of 5 stars Every Christian should read this book
Reviewed in the United States on 22 April 2020
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There isn't much I can add about this book that other, more prolific reviewers have already mentioned in their reviews. I will simply say that I'm glad I bought it and carefully read through it, as I learned quite a bit and had much of my own experiences confirmed by this book. Dr. Thurman exquisitely discusses the experiences of living as a Christian Black American in this country, specifically through his experience as a rural Southerner. He is spot on in his interpretations, and it's sad to say that many of the issues that he addresses are still happening now. The language isn't necessarily academic, but it does come from a different time when language seemed to be a bit more formal -- it does seem like he can take a long way to say something directly, but every word is necessary for the reader to come to the understanding of who Jesus is, what He represented, and how the world can reco-ncile itself with Him for growth and change.
There is tremendous wisdom in this book and even though it was written many decades ago, there is honesty and scholarship that is applicable for today's reader.
17 people found this helpful
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MikeK***m
5.0 out of 5 stars Serious theology, serious spirituality for those with their backs against the wall
Reviewed in the United States on 28 June 2018
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A few quick thoughts: The book is almost 70 years old. Having said that, it is a sad commentary that the content is so contemporary. Thurman does what we want from any Bible reader, especially if one comes from the lineage of InterVarsity: Context is taken seriously, and the words of Holy Writ are not assumed to have fallen from the sky. But, it is *both* a book of serious theology and serious spirituality, one that both accounts for suffering and oppression in personal terms (fear, deception, & hatred) *and* offers a Jesus that stays true to the Gospels. There's a few slow spots in the book, as is true of all books: but, by and large, it serves the audience it was intended for: those with their backs against the wall. I'd recommend it to you.
19 people found this helpful
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Wyoming Girl
5.0 out of 5 stars The Book We Should Have Read Forty Years Ago.
Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2016
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Everyone who wonders why our country is still plagued with racial inequities should read this book. Everyone that longs for a higher level of civil order, everyone who wonders who Jesus was speaking to, everyone young, in-between and old should read this book. It was published in 1949 but speaks truth that never changes.
31 people found this helpful
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Alan M Eddington
5.0 out of 5 stars Revival of a classic
Reviewed in the United States on 15 November 2017
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Even though written in 1949, the approach to the message of Jesus of Nazareth is as vital and applicable today in the 21st Century, as it was in the middle of the 20th Century. For those wishing to understand why some minority groups see violence erupt, and to get an insight as to what brings this about, Howard Thurman's reflection on the dynamics between those in power and those subjected to those in power is extremely 'eye-opening'! This book needs to be part of the literature of anyone seeking social justice!
12 people found this helpful
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Gary L. Lesperance
5.0 out of 5 stars First resisted then embarked on a new way of thinking
Reviewed in the United States on 10 February 2013
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My initial response to reading this book was to resist. Upon reflection, the only reason I could find to resist was the possibility that I would have to change my thinking. Once I was ready for change, I embarked upon reading Mr. Thurman's work with an open mind. This is a honest perspective of what power and dominion can destroy the morals of the privileged and break the spirit of the disinherited. It is also a testimony of what the teachings of Jesus can do to restore dignity and hope of those disinherited. I highly recommend it to the privileged to help us recognize and change the faulty and inhumane concepts that have embedded themselves in our minds, hearts, religions, and cultures.
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful but disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on 5 July 2020
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This is not a book for someone seeking to explore the divinity of Jesus as God's outreachto his creation, but rather to examine Jesus the man without consideration of his divinity. He is cast as a very wise and clever man who has figured of how to navigate the world ruled b by the Romans given his lowly station. It is his life map that Thurman sees as having provided a guide to survival to lowly and oppressed peoples over the centuries thus leading to his popularity.
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D. Meyers
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on 7 January 2021
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Although written several decades ago, the author has deep insight into the psyche and development of African Americans. In this short book, he makes an important connection between Blacks in America and Jews under Roman occupation during the time of Jesus. While having a Christian perspective, the author is not complimentary to the way the church has treated Black Americans. I picked it up as part of the renewed interest and the need for greater sensitivity to those experiencing racial injustice in 2020. It helped me understand just a little more about racial issues and how to respond to that which our brothers and sisters endure. This book is not an easy answer to a complex evil but it is a place to start.
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Virginia A. Bautista
3.0 out of 5 stars Look at God's work in our lives
Reviewed in the United States on 30 December 2020
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I appreciated Howard Thurman's wisdom. He was inspiring. Thurman proposed the challenge of how can black people abide by the Christian faith? Thurman identifies the fear, the deception, the hate & then love. He ties it all to biblical scripture in a very well thought out manner. I agree that Thurman makes a distinction between “Christianity” & the “religion of Jesus.” Thurman encourages the oppressed to stay focused on Jesus, remain faithful & He will take care of the rest.
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J. Folk
5.0 out of 5 stars Justly Well-Regarded Book
Reviewed in the United States on 8 July 2020
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Having read Howard Thurman’s book, Jesus and the Disinherited, and now reading James Baldwin’s short book, The Fire Next Time: there seem so many similarities in outlook although Thurman is more theologically-centered. Chapters II - V in particular are thoughtful and provoking.
The center of the book is both incarnation-centered as well as defining of how love, hate, deception and fear affect those who practice any of those, and how it affects those who are the object of them.
Pretty wonderful book.
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Tom Ketner
5.0 out of 5 stars A book pertinent for today.
Reviewed in the United States on 22 June 2020
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Howard Thurman's perspective on the relationship between the privileged and those on the edgeland of society are insightful and convicting. It is a challenge to those who follow to grow a community where Christ's Law of Love. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is inclined to heal the injuries between peoples.
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wb56
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant theology of suffering
Reviewed in the United States on 3 August 2019
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This dear man of God shares his wisdom and brings the character of Jesus into our culture. His book and his life changed the history of the United States, which impacted the whole world. A giant in the kingdom of God. As a white man, I gained so much from reading this book and studying his life
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Jesus and the Disinherited
by Howard Thurman, Vincent Harding (Foreword)
4.49 · Rating details · 3,045 ratings · 372 reviews
In this classic theological treatise, the acclaimed theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1900–81) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower—it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God's justice prevail. (less)
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Paperback, 102 pages
Published November 30th 1996 by Beacon Press (first published 1949)
Original TitleJesus and the Disinherited
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Matthew Monk
May 04, 2011Matthew Monk rated it it was amazing
Matthew Monk Whether you consider yourself "religious" or not, this book will appeal to you, precisely because this is exactly the theme of Thurman's treatise. By detailing religion as a symptom to the root cause of greater problems, Thurman recontextualizes Jesus, taking Him out of the mandated religions that have been created in His name, and placing Him in the historical context of His day and age. In the first section, "Jesus, and Interpretation", Thurman frames his argument on the facts that Jesus was a poor Jew, living under Roman rule, none of which provided Him any advantage towards becoming a worldwide spiritual phenomenon. Thurman then uses Jesus' historical context and relates it to the hardships encountered by African-Americans in the pre-civil rights era, emphasizing how Jesus' teaching can form practical solutions to overcoming the "three hounds of Hell" which he names, "fear, deception and hate." Throughout the rest of the treatise, Thurman provides excellent description of how the "hounds of hell operate" and his repeated theme by which to overcome is that mankind must change his "inward center" before any of the outer world may be changed.
Although many may be hesitant to read such a work based upon the title, Thurman's work is more of a philosophical and mystical treatise than a proselytizing harangue, as are most contemporary religious works. Thurman's words flow like water, and move in cadence to the human mind, moving from subject to subject with an unannounced ease. Although Thurman's intended audience was aimed at the disenfranchised of the pre-civil rights movement, his ideas transcend this historical niche and provide a stark and radical reality for the disenfranchised the world over, especially during our current moment in history where the beast of imperialism is running rampant to consume everything in its wake.
Bottom line: Read this book. Buy it. Check it out. Steal it. Just read it. (less)
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Deidra
Jan 02, 2017Deidra rated it it was amazing
I return to this book again and again. Nearly every word is highlighted or underlined. Whenever people ask me, "What should I read?" this book is the one I recommend. Written decades ago, it remains a timeless classic for anyone trying to figure out how to love people on the margins, the people who thrive on the systems that create the margins, and everyone in between. (less)
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Elliot Ratzman
Mar 21, 2012Elliot Ratzman rated it really liked it
MLK traveled with this book in his bag; that may not be enough to recommend it, but it says much—King traveled light. Howard Thurman was a family friend of the Kings’. He was a poet, a mystic, a chaplain (at Howard and BU) and fellow traveler of Gandhian pacificism. In India, Thurman was challenged: how can blacks still abide by the religion of their oppressors? Isn’t their Christianity treason to the colonized “colored people” the world over? Thurman’s response is this powerful text. Though nurtured in the black Church and studied in the social gospel, Thurman answers by making a distinction between “Christianity” and the “religion of Jesus.” The former has forgotten that Jesus was an oppressed racial minority, working class, and victim of empire. Jesus’s religion provides the necessary resources to mediate the effects of suffering—hate, despair, demoralization—and to prepare the disinherited—psychologically, spiritually, liturgically—for struggles with social and racial injustice. (less)
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robin friedman
Dec 23, 2018robin friedman rated it it was amazing
Howard Thurman And The Black Social Gospel
Gary Dorrien's recent book, "Breaking White Supremacy: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Black Social Gospel" provoked my interest in learning more about Howard Thurman (1899 -- 1981). Thurman was an African American minister, advocate for social justice, and mystic. He founded and led a racially-integrated non-denominational church in San Francisco and served as chaplain at both Howard University and Boston University. He traveled to India and was deeply influenced by Gandhi. The combination of mysticism, social activism, and ecumenicism that Dorrien described fascinated me to explore Thurman's writings for myself.
Published in 1949, "Jesus and the Disinherited" was Thurman's first book and his best-known. This short book constitutes an elaboration of lectures Thurman had given at the Samuel Huston College, Austin in 1948. It explores "the significance of the religion of Jesus to people who stand with their backs against the wall" and consists of five brief chapters titled "Jesus -- an Interpretation", "Fear", "Deception", "Hate" and "Love". Thurman's aim is to treat Jesus as subject rather than as object and to explore the nature of his life and teachings for themselves rather than the religion about Jesus developed by the churches. He thought through his understanding of Jesus during a trip to India when a Hindu sage challenged him to explain his devotion to Christianity in a country where African Americans were mistreated and marginalized.
I was struck by the deep influence of Judaism in Thurman's book. Thurman emphasizes Jesus' roots in the Jewish community of the day, born to a poor family. Thurman emphasizes as well the war between Judea and Rome which was ongoing during Jesus' life and which was central to Jesus' teachings. For Thurman, Jesus' initial mission was to teach his Jewish brethren the way to deal with Roman oppression without losing themselves. Thurman finds that Jesus response to oppression was the teaching that "the Kingdom of Heaven is within us". This is a mystical doctrine but did not teach passivity or acceptance of evil. Rather, Thurman finds that Jesus taught that the Kingdom was in this world rather than only in the next world and that persons had to live with dignity, courage, and love in this world in the face of oppression. Thus, for Thurman, Jesus taught a religion for the poor and the dispossessed rather than a religion to justify the powerful and the dominant that it too often became. Whenever Jesus' spirit appears, Thurman writes, "the oppressed gather fresh courage; for he announced the good news that fear, hypocrisy, and hatred, the three hounds of hell that track the trail of the disinherited, need have no dominion over them."
In the three middle chapters of the book, Thurman elaborates on the "three hounds of hell" by exploring the ramifications of fear, deception, and hate in the life of the oppressed and trying to find an answer in action based on human dignity and the spirit of God. In each chapter, I was again struck by the use made of Jewish themes and sources. He discusses the Biblical story of David and Goliath, the nature of anti-Semitism, the ghetto life to which both Jews and African Americans had been subjected, the Babylonian Captivity, and the words of the Psalms and the Prophets. Thurman also brings to bear his own personal experiences in support of his theme that all persons are children of God and part of a whole who are entitled to dignity and respect.
Thurman argues in the final chapter of the book that the love-ethic is central to the religion of Jesus, and he supports his position with a discussion of the Shema, the central prayer in Judaism which commands "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might" and "thy neighbor as thyself". Thurman discusses how the love-ethic expands to include every person, including one's enemy. Thurman argues that the dispossessed of the world must use love to overcome fear, hypocrisy, and hatred. He writes that those with their backs to the wall "must recognize fear, deception, hatred, each for what it is." "In so great an undertaking, it will become increasingly clear that the contradictions of life are not ultimate. The disinherited will know for themselves that there is a Spirit at work in the life and in the hearts of men which is committed to overcoming the world. It is universal knowing no age, no race, no culture, and no condition of men. For the privileged and underprivileged alike, if the individual puts at the disposal of the Spirit the needful dedication and discipline, he can live effectively in the chaos of the present
the high destiny of a son of God."
Among many other things, I found in this book one of the more moving restatements of Jewish themes that I have read. The book manages to be both ecumenical and Christian, a rare accomplishment indeed. The book teaches the importance of ending oppression and hate in this world and thus is characteristic of what Dorrien terms the "Black Social Gospel". Together with that, however, there is a strong mystical, spiritual feeling in "Jesus and the Disinherited" that transcends politics or social activism. I was glad to get to know this book.
Robin Friedman (less)
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Demetri Broxton-Santiago
Apr 29, 2008Demetri Broxton-Santiago rated it it was amazing
This book is awesome! I learned about it from a video in the Freedom Theater at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco-- there is a cameo appearance in the film by Senator Barack Obama (Note that the film was produced in 2004-- before the election announcement by Obama).
It is said that Dr. MLK, Jr. owned a copy of this book and carried it as a reference wherever he went. Many folks don't know who this great man was, and that's why you should read this amazing work by a peaceful genius. Rev. Thurman was Dr. King's spiritual advisor, who turned King onto the teachings of Ghandi. Before Dr. King knew of Ghandi, Dr. Thurman was in India, learning from the man himself!
Don't let the title fool you. Rev. Thurman speaks of Jesus as a man-- of flesh and blood. He analyzes the historical and political atmosphere of Jesus' time and relates it to America and the plight of Negroes -- keep in mind this work was published in 1949, but it's incredibly relevant to today. Howard Thurman references the ghetto and how people on the periphery of society, the Disinherited, are constantly standing with their backs up against the wall. This man is genius, because he says that people who are trapped with their backs up against the wall should use the teachings of Jesus to elevate their situation.
Note, that I am not a Christian. It's the way that he breaks the whole story down and makes it real that is relevant and inspiring.
Here's an excerpt, pg. 34-35:
"The striking similarity between the social position of Jesus in Palestine and that of the vast majority of American Negroes is obvious to anyone who tarries long over the facts. We are dealing here with conditions that produce essentially the same psychology. There is meant no further comparison. It is the similarity of a social climate at the point of a denial of full citizenship which creates the problem for creative survival. For the most part, Negroes assume that there are no basic citizenship rights, no fundamental protection, guaranteed to them by the state, because their status as citizens has never been clearly defined. There has been for them little protection from the dominant controllers of society and even less protection from the unrestrained elements within their own group....
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Nancy DeValve
Feb 26, 2017Nancy DeValve rated it it was amazing
Shelves: race-relations, racial-discrimination
I picked this book up for free off a book table at a church we visited. I wasn't sure what the book was about or who Howard Thurman was, but I thought I'd give it a try. After all, the book had been free! By the second page I realized I was going to need to grab a pencil to do some serious underlining. The first thing I underlined was, "[This] reveals to what extent a religion that was born of a people acquainted with persecution and suffering has become the cornerstone of a civilization and of nations whose very position in modern life has too often been secured by a ruthless use of power applied to weak and defenseless peoples."
Howard Thurman wrote the book in 1949, but he could have written it today. Other than the fact that segregation is no longer lawful and Jim Crow laws are not in place, not much has changed. How sad is it that almost 70 years later there is still active discrimination and a ruthless use of power applied to weak and defenseless peoples. If you are of the privileged class and wonder why there are so many problems with race relations, riots against the police, etc., you need to read this book as it will give you some great insights into how oppressed people default to fear, deception, and hate. It shows how the privileged have created unfair situations due to their own fear and hate and how they use deception. If you are one of the disinherited and know what it's like to live in fear, to face hate every day, and to revert to deception to survive, you also need to read this book to understand the importance of leaving behind fear, hate, and deception.
Best of all, Thurman offers hope in living with Jesus as our example of love. Jesus was certainly the poorest of the poor living in a Jewish society dominated by the Pharisees and their endless laws and ruled over by the cruel Romans. Yet Jesus said to "love your enemy". I think we know that Jesus was perfect and forget that he struggled with temptation. He must have been tempted more than once to hate the Pharisees and the Romans. Jesus' love was not wimpy. True love takes fortitude and strength of character to carry out, but Thurman leaves us with the hope that love can change our society.
Personally, I think every American should read this book, or at least everyone who says they follow Jesus. (less)
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Pat Loughery
Apr 08, 2011Pat Loughery rated it it was amazing
Shelves: christian-spirituality, race-and-justice
The last half of this year I've determined to read more broadly into theologies. I've read a bit of this previously but didn't sit with the whole book, and I started reading work from brown and black men and women, inside and outside the American story.
Thurman's book is an excellent "introduction" to this work, and in fact I'm starting to think that it has made my list of "books that I think every Christian leader should read, no matter what" (alongside In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, The Practice of the Presence of God, and a few others).
Thurman's thesis is this: The religion of Jesus was the story of God's involvement in the transformative life available to everyone, ESPECIALLY the outsiders and outcasts, those with their backs against the wall. American Christianity has mutated and become the story of comfort for those who have privilege and power. He speaks to the power of fear, deception and hate, "the three hounds of the oppressed", and then to the power of love to overcome. But the power of love is costly and difficult, requires endurance and commitment.
It's often said that Martin Luther King Jr. carried a copy of this book with him on many of his travels. I can certainly see that likelihood.
As much as I resound with Thurman's call to the good news of inclusion and the hard work of love, it horrifies me to read this book, written in 1949, against this year's high-profile violent responses by those with power against those without it, and to see that Thurman's call to commitment is as applicable now as it was 65 years ago. (less)
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Brandee Shafer
Jun 26, 2015Brandee Shafer rated it it was amazing
I started to read Jesus and the Disinherited several times and put it down because I couldn't devote 100% of my attention to it, and it requires 100% attention. Howard Thurman wrote it in the late 40's, and his language is more formal than that of my everyday life; I had to get in a ways before it started to feel comfortable, or natural (i.e., before I stopped feeling distracted by it). But more than that, Thurman writes such depth into these 110 pages that I found myself re-reading and underlining many passages, also considering (some of) their many implications.
I can't recommend Jesus and the Disinherited more highly for anyone interested in considering the teachings of Jesus in light of Jesus's race (Jewish among controlling Romans) and economic situation (impoverished). I want to believe that Thurman's words have helped me better grasp what life is like for those "who stand with their backs against the wall" and the options available to them within society. Further, I want to believe that Thurman's words have helped me consider the presence of any and all fear, dishonesty, and hatred in my own life and determine to eradicate it; contemplate what I can do, as a Christ follower, to show "reverence for personality" regardless of another's--or my!--race or status; and even better process the Rachel Dolezal scandal (which has had my head spinning for weeks).
Such an intelligent, compassionate, challenging book Jesus and the Disinherited is! I know I'll return to it again and again. My deepest thanks to my friend Deidra Riggs, who recommended it to me.
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Drick
Feb 29, 2008Drick rated it it was amazing
Shelves: theological
Howard Thurman wrote this book in 1949 and his words are a precursor to ML King's love ethic and James Cone's Theology of Black Liberation. Thurman write this book for the "the disinherited," with the assumption that Jesus was a member of the oppressed and that his message was a survival strategy for the oppressed. As a white male North American I found myself on the outside looking in wondering how, as Thurman points out, Christianity had become the religion of the strong. His words challenge my paternalism and privelege, and casue me to look again at who Jesus was, what he said, and what it means for the live of the priveleged. (less)
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Alan
Jan 26, 2016Alan rated it it was amazing
Shelves: efm
This is an amazing book! Written in the 1940s, it's message is all-too-sadly current, especially in this election year, where hate and demagoguery are being used to manipulate our so-called Christian country. Immediately, on the first page, Thurman says, "Too often the price exacted by society for security and respectability is that the Christian movement in its formal expression must be on the side of the strong against the weak." Amen.
Thurman lays out the three "hounds of hell that dog the footsteps of the disinherited"--fear, deception, and hate--dismantling each one using the example of Jesus, a poor Jewish man who lived as a minority in the midst of a larger and dominant controlling group, the Romans. In the end, Jesus' example of love--love of his peers, other Israelites, and, yes, Romans, too--is the only way out. Thurman reminds us that "Every man is potentially every other man's neighbor. Neighborliness is nonspatial; it is qualitative. A man must love his neighbor directly, clearly, permitting no barriers between." Again I say, AMEN! (less)
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Rachel
Aug 06, 2010Rachel rated it it was amazing
Shelves: religion
"In his seminal 1949 book, Jesus and the Disinherited, Thurman provided an interpretation of the New Testament gospels that laid the foundation for a nonviolent civil rights movement. Thurman presented the basic goal of Jesus' life as helping the disinherited of the world change from within so they would be empowered to survive in the face of oppression. A love rooted in the "deep river of faith," wrote Thurman, would help oppressed peoples overcome persecution. "It may twist and turn, fall back on itself and start again, stumble over an infinite series of hindering rocks, but at last the river must answer the call to the sea."" (less)
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Anna
Nov 15, 2016Anna rated it it was amazing
Shelves: reads-with-staying-power
At many points throughout this book, it was hard to believe Thurman wrote it 60-plus years ago. So many passages spoke with eerie relevance to current events. For the near future, I plan to keep it in my bag for rereading and reference.
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Nathan
May 23, 2014Nathan rated it really liked it
Howard Thurman in his classic Jesus and the Disinherited addresses the challenging affront of how he can claim to be a Christian, while it was Christians who brought Africans over to the Americas and Christians that propagated slavery in the U.S. What significance does “the religion of Jesus” have for those “with their backs against the wall?”
Thurman begins by delving into the historical context of the Jews during the first century. They were in many ways similar to African-Americans in the U.S. particularly before the civil rights movement – a marginalized people living under the power of another group. Further, not only was Jesus part of the unprivileged, being a Jew, but he was also a poor Jew. How should a person respond given such circumstances? Often people assume that they can either resist, like the Zealots, or not resist, like the Pharisees. Yet, Jesus provided another way. Thurman writes that Jesus “recognized... that anyone who permits another to determine the quality of his inner life gives into the hands of the other the keys of his destiny (28).” The religion of Jesus was not what we see in the powerful and oppressive, but rather was “a technique of survival for the oppressed (29).”
This mindset is exemplified through overcoming what Thurman calls the “persistent hounds of hell that dog the footsteps of the poor, the disposed, the disinherited (36).” Fear is constant for those at the margins. Feelings of helplessness lead to a type of fear that the privileged cannot understand. “It is spawned by the perpetual threat of violence everywhere (37).” The religion of Jesus reaffirms one’s identity. Thurman retells a sermon given to black slaves where they triumphantly proclaim, “You-you are not niggers. You-you are not slaves. You are God’s children.” This affirms who they are and grounds their personal dignity where they can absorb some of the fear reaction. Further, it levels the playing field in a sense. “This new orientation” allows for “an objective, detached appraisal of other people, particularly one’s antagonists,” which can “protect one from inaccurate and exaggerated estimates of another person’s significance (52).” Furthermore, the message of Jesus builds a place for hope to blossom and grow even amidst the worst of situations. To know that God cares for you can spur one to purpose and a life without fear.
A second pervasive hound of hell for the poor is the tendency to fight their disadvantages and to protect themselves through working to deceive the strong. Thurman believes that this constant lying and deceiving tarnishes the soul. “If a man continues to call a good thing bad, he will eventually lose his sense of moral distinctions.... A man who lies habitually becomes a lie, and it is increasingly impossible for him to know when he is lying and when he is not (64-65).” How is Jesus relevant to those who (seemingly) must lie, cheat, and deceive in order to survive? Surely we cannot fault them. Acts of survival are amoral; they are simply required. Thurman exposes the folly of this logic. The end goal that propels the poor in these situations is to “not be killed” and “morality takes its meaning from that center (69).” Occasionally this center is swallowed by something larger. Patriotism for instance gives meaning beyond simple survival. Thurman argues that Jesus proclaims to center on living within God’s will. One’s purpose and moral center focuses on being a part of God’s work; therefore, there is no fear of scorn. He writes, “There must always be the confidence that the effect of truthfulness can be realized in the mind of the oppressor as well as the oppressed (70).” Such a profound challenge calls the disinherited to “an unwavering sincerity” that is honest, true, unhypocritical, and life-giving.
Thurman deals with the third hound of hell – hate – by describing the process. It “often begins”... with “contact without fellowship (75),” cordiality without genuine feelings of warmth. These situations lead to relationships lacking any sort of sympathy. He writes, “I can sympathize only when I see myself in another’s place (77).” And is this type of unsympathetic attitude that undergirds most relationships between the weak and the strong. Third, “unsympathetic understanding tends to express itself in the active functioning of ill will (77),” which leads finally to full-embodied hatred for another. Hatred is born in the mind of the oppressed through great bitterness. It can become “a source of validation for [one’s] personality (80)” by giving a sense of significance in defiance to those you hate. Similarly to deception above, Thurman believes that “hatred destroys finally the core of the life of the hater (86).” It “is death to the spirit and disintegration of ethical and moral values (88).” Thurman concludes simply that “Jesus rejected hatred.” It runs contrary to creativity of the mind, vitality of the spirit, and squelches any sort of connection to God.
The final chapter explores the central ethic of Jesus’ message: love, and in particular love of enemy. According to Thurman, Jesus exemplified three types of enemy love. The first is to love those in your community who have become enemies. For Jesus these included the household of Israel, your personal enemies. Second, Jesus proclaimed love that stretched even to tax-collectors. These people were also sons and daughters of Abraham. But further than that – Jesus called his disciples to love even the Romans, those who marginalized and oppressed the Jewish people. This means “to recognize some deep respect and reverence for their persons (94).” Love is what frees everyone to see the other as human like themselves; it is what brings forgiveness and allows the disinherited to experience full life.
Howard Thurman’s understanding and description of Jesus was both enlightening and convicting. He brings deeply personal insight to the plight of the marginalized. Although written for African-Americans in the late 1940s, Jesus and the Disinherited applies to people today by giving hope for the disinherited and forcing empathy on the privileged.
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