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Jesus and the Disinherited
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.
102 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
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About the author
Howard Thurman
66Ìýbooks328ÌýfollowersHoward Washington Thurman was an author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movements and organizations of the twentieth century.
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May 7, 2011
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.
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.
January 2, 2017
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.
April 10, 2021
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 pacifism. 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.
February 3, 2025
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 and led 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
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 and led 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
Read
May 13, 2021Review to come!
Summing up the last few days of what is not officially a war but will likely become one within the next few days as it's gonna be interesting to read this in the future and see how my thoughts change:
- My predictions: The Hamas are going to bomb Tel Aviv again tonight. If there will be serious casualties, an Israeli land invasion is not unlikely. There are going to be riots in the West Bank. Terror attacks, especially in the Jerusalem and WB area. Whether they'll be successful or not is a big question. Our politicians will once again talk about flattening Gaza. By Sunday, someone will offer a ceasefire (more publicly than the one that was offered by Egypt). Depends on how heated things become (read: causalities on either side), it might be accepted. Not sure though, it feels like Israel has strategic goals for this operation. A ceasefire won't be popular on the Israeli side at this point but this might change. Very much hope to be proven entirely off here.
- Basically, I'm so horrendously sad. I feel empty, I feel numb. People are dying for this. It's baffling. I'm just constantly worried for everyone, for every civilian in the entire land.
- As someone who is part of three different Israeli-Palestinian communities, the difference in how each one is handling it is fascinating. The stubborn silence of one group vs the constant stream of support of another group vs the heated and passionate arguments of another group.
- Lest it be said that Israel isn't all about beating the curve, we're the first post covid country to get into a war. We're so innovative we might turn it into a civil war. Start-up nation, everyone.
- My sincere apologies to the international community that not enough Israelis are dying. Clearly, we should dismantle the Iron Dome and stop using bomb shelters- then maybe we would be allowed to defend ourselves.
- The way news contradicts itself all the time is also terrifying. Was that attack on an apartment building or Hamas headquarters? Did those children die from an Israeli strike or a Palestinian mishap? Palestinian media says one thing, Israeli media says another.
- And I forgot what it's like to talk about this with people who don't understand. How draining it feels to debate as my phone doesn't stop vibrating from rocket attacks, how frustrating it is that this is seen as a debate topic for internationals with zero knowledge. A hint- if you don't even know that Sheikh Jarrah is a neighborhood (not a city) or what happened with the Palestinian elections, maybe you shouldn't speak up as if you're an authority on the topic.
- This *ambition* that I feel, this huge desire to fix things, I don't know if this is healthy or not, if this is right for me, if I could do it.
- It turns out war instincts stay with you, even if you're rusty. That initial moment of shock and surprise, heartbeat racing, everything becoming slower, you have two minutes to figure this out, texting everyone that you're okay, refreshing Facebook and news sites constantly to know if the rockets hit anyone, are there any causalities, watching how scared everyone is.
- And we're the lucky ones. We are so so lucky. The Iron Dome is successful in over 90% of the cases. I cannot imagine what it means to experience this without it, like the Palestinians do, how absolutely terrifying this must be in Gaza. I cannot imagine what it means to spend over 24 hours in a bomb shelter, like the people in the south.
- We spoke about our obligations as Israelis towards our Palestinian friends. As they use us as their punching bags, when do we respond? Do we, as friends, allow ourselves to show sympathy to their problems, even as they aggressively blame us for everything? Do we silently nod as they say Israelis are all occupiers, colonialists, settlers, murderers, racists, simply because we recognize that they are in pain now? And sure, after they were called out for it, they clarified that they don't mean us, they mean everyone else but we both know it doesn't matter. If this is what Israelis are, this is what I am.
- And how can I trust their words when I see what they post on social media? I see them cheering our losses, I see them praying for my death. So I'm a "good" Israeli but even then, I'm still a settler, still a Zionist pig. I have never ever cheered for the deaths of Palestinians and it is heartbreaking to see that our allies in peacemaking do.
- Me to the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad: "no rockets on Jerusalem at night, kay? Don't force me to spend the night in a stairwell"
- The riots in joint Arab-Jewish areas are the saddest thing for me so far. Things will calm down with Gaza, I give it a few weeks but those images of Israeli-Arab/ Palestinians in Israel burning synagogues are not going to leave. Jews and Palestinians going out into the streets with live fire, looking for people to lynch. This will leave a stain on our society for years to come.
- Our dialogue trainers tried to pin this on the media because it makes it easier to blame but at the end, this isn't just the media. There's a gap and until we put the time and the effort to fix the gap, we will continue bleeding on the Holy Land.
- Palestinians who simultaneously go, "we're winning!! The Zionists regret it all!!!" and also, "war crimes!!! it's not a war, it's a massacre", how does this fit together?
- There's the constant anxiety. Rumors fly around ("Hezbollah plan to attack next", "Israel's starting a land invasion", "Israel plans to annex Gaza") and you never fully know. This could go so many shades of terrible.
- The jarring dissonance between international media who claim Israel is using too much force and the vast majority of Israelis who strongly feel Israel is not using enough force, that policies like announcing which buildings they plan to bomb should be canceled.
- And my thoughts are that this is useless. The "deterrence" strategy isn't right. Either we say, "time to get rid of Hamas" or we say, "Hamas are legitimate partners, let's work together" but these spats every few years are a waste of lives, time, and resources.
- Some say it's not in the interest of our leaders. Others say it is and man, it's too early to tell. The United Arab Party is hesitating about entering the unity coalition. There's always been that question about Arabs in parliament, if they will pick Israel over Palestine when a war comes and now we're seeing this play out.
- Simply by reading the news and talking to people, I knew an escalation was coming. I hoped Israel would be able to avoid it but it was clear an escalation was on the way. And if I could do it, I'm convinced our political analysts saw it too so I don't buy the excuse that "Israel was unprepared".
- There's been so much humor, so many fantastic memes. My favorite takes: "Unlike our politicians, the Hamas keeps their promises. The ultimatum was until 18:00 and at 18:00 sharp, the rockets came flying in. Our leaders could never," "Rockets can't hit Petach Tikva because that would imply that it exists", "Eurovision's gonna be awkward this year, will they split the screen so we'll be able to follow the news too?"
- Nothing really prepares you for hearing people shout, "no peace". And it is both sides. I watched as an Israeli peace activist badgered a Palestinian who said he doesn't believe in peace. It was cringey, embarrassing, to see how flat the left's message falls, how silly it is to speak hollowly of peace with no ideas for policies.
- Mildly offended that the Hamas were like, "ha, we're gonna escalate things by attacking Tel Aviv" like excuse you? This started because of Jerusalem, we're the most important, don't give Tel Avivians this satisfaction and ego boost.
- And in 2014, I did not understand the conflict. This year of studying has made me see the world much clearer, I get so much more than I did. The nuances of Palestinian leadership, the opportunism, the corruption, the way tyrants are the same across the world.
- This forces us to question coexistence, it gives so much power to the right wing, "every Arab wants to kill us and is just waiting for the opportunity" I recognize that some of this is our failure. Lod has been struggling for years, we did nothing and now we are paying the price. If there will be new elections, the radical right will win.
- Is there anything more hypocritical than Jewish leftist organizations going, "let's stop the violence" after they consistently support Palestinian rights to resist in any way because "you can't tell oppressed people how to resist". Fun fact, turns out that means an 80 year old woman dying from a rocket attack, who knew, right?
Summing up the last few days of what is not officially a war but will likely become one within the next few days as it's gonna be interesting to read this in the future and see how my thoughts change:
- My predictions: The Hamas are going to bomb Tel Aviv again tonight. If there will be serious casualties, an Israeli land invasion is not unlikely. There are going to be riots in the West Bank. Terror attacks, especially in the Jerusalem and WB area. Whether they'll be successful or not is a big question. Our politicians will once again talk about flattening Gaza. By Sunday, someone will offer a ceasefire (more publicly than the one that was offered by Egypt). Depends on how heated things become (read: causalities on either side), it might be accepted. Not sure though, it feels like Israel has strategic goals for this operation. A ceasefire won't be popular on the Israeli side at this point but this might change. Very much hope to be proven entirely off here.
- Basically, I'm so horrendously sad. I feel empty, I feel numb. People are dying for this. It's baffling. I'm just constantly worried for everyone, for every civilian in the entire land.
- As someone who is part of three different Israeli-Palestinian communities, the difference in how each one is handling it is fascinating. The stubborn silence of one group vs the constant stream of support of another group vs the heated and passionate arguments of another group.
- Lest it be said that Israel isn't all about beating the curve, we're the first post covid country to get into a war. We're so innovative we might turn it into a civil war. Start-up nation, everyone.
- My sincere apologies to the international community that not enough Israelis are dying. Clearly, we should dismantle the Iron Dome and stop using bomb shelters- then maybe we would be allowed to defend ourselves.
- The way news contradicts itself all the time is also terrifying. Was that attack on an apartment building or Hamas headquarters? Did those children die from an Israeli strike or a Palestinian mishap? Palestinian media says one thing, Israeli media says another.
- And I forgot what it's like to talk about this with people who don't understand. How draining it feels to debate as my phone doesn't stop vibrating from rocket attacks, how frustrating it is that this is seen as a debate topic for internationals with zero knowledge. A hint- if you don't even know that Sheikh Jarrah is a neighborhood (not a city) or what happened with the Palestinian elections, maybe you shouldn't speak up as if you're an authority on the topic.
- This *ambition* that I feel, this huge desire to fix things, I don't know if this is healthy or not, if this is right for me, if I could do it.
- It turns out war instincts stay with you, even if you're rusty. That initial moment of shock and surprise, heartbeat racing, everything becoming slower, you have two minutes to figure this out, texting everyone that you're okay, refreshing Facebook and news sites constantly to know if the rockets hit anyone, are there any causalities, watching how scared everyone is.
- And we're the lucky ones. We are so so lucky. The Iron Dome is successful in over 90% of the cases. I cannot imagine what it means to experience this without it, like the Palestinians do, how absolutely terrifying this must be in Gaza. I cannot imagine what it means to spend over 24 hours in a bomb shelter, like the people in the south.
- We spoke about our obligations as Israelis towards our Palestinian friends. As they use us as their punching bags, when do we respond? Do we, as friends, allow ourselves to show sympathy to their problems, even as they aggressively blame us for everything? Do we silently nod as they say Israelis are all occupiers, colonialists, settlers, murderers, racists, simply because we recognize that they are in pain now? And sure, after they were called out for it, they clarified that they don't mean us, they mean everyone else but we both know it doesn't matter. If this is what Israelis are, this is what I am.
- And how can I trust their words when I see what they post on social media? I see them cheering our losses, I see them praying for my death. So I'm a "good" Israeli but even then, I'm still a settler, still a Zionist pig. I have never ever cheered for the deaths of Palestinians and it is heartbreaking to see that our allies in peacemaking do.
- Me to the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad: "no rockets on Jerusalem at night, kay? Don't force me to spend the night in a stairwell"
- The riots in joint Arab-Jewish areas are the saddest thing for me so far. Things will calm down with Gaza, I give it a few weeks but those images of Israeli-Arab/ Palestinians in Israel burning synagogues are not going to leave. Jews and Palestinians going out into the streets with live fire, looking for people to lynch. This will leave a stain on our society for years to come.
- Our dialogue trainers tried to pin this on the media because it makes it easier to blame but at the end, this isn't just the media. There's a gap and until we put the time and the effort to fix the gap, we will continue bleeding on the Holy Land.
- Palestinians who simultaneously go, "we're winning!! The Zionists regret it all!!!" and also, "war crimes!!! it's not a war, it's a massacre", how does this fit together?
- There's the constant anxiety. Rumors fly around ("Hezbollah plan to attack next", "Israel's starting a land invasion", "Israel plans to annex Gaza") and you never fully know. This could go so many shades of terrible.
- The jarring dissonance between international media who claim Israel is using too much force and the vast majority of Israelis who strongly feel Israel is not using enough force, that policies like announcing which buildings they plan to bomb should be canceled.
- And my thoughts are that this is useless. The "deterrence" strategy isn't right. Either we say, "time to get rid of Hamas" or we say, "Hamas are legitimate partners, let's work together" but these spats every few years are a waste of lives, time, and resources.
- Some say it's not in the interest of our leaders. Others say it is and man, it's too early to tell. The United Arab Party is hesitating about entering the unity coalition. There's always been that question about Arabs in parliament, if they will pick Israel over Palestine when a war comes and now we're seeing this play out.
- Simply by reading the news and talking to people, I knew an escalation was coming. I hoped Israel would be able to avoid it but it was clear an escalation was on the way. And if I could do it, I'm convinced our political analysts saw it too so I don't buy the excuse that "Israel was unprepared".
- There's been so much humor, so many fantastic memes. My favorite takes: "Unlike our politicians, the Hamas keeps their promises. The ultimatum was until 18:00 and at 18:00 sharp, the rockets came flying in. Our leaders could never," "Rockets can't hit Petach Tikva because that would imply that it exists", "Eurovision's gonna be awkward this year, will they split the screen so we'll be able to follow the news too?"
- Nothing really prepares you for hearing people shout, "no peace". And it is both sides. I watched as an Israeli peace activist badgered a Palestinian who said he doesn't believe in peace. It was cringey, embarrassing, to see how flat the left's message falls, how silly it is to speak hollowly of peace with no ideas for policies.
- Mildly offended that the Hamas were like, "ha, we're gonna escalate things by attacking Tel Aviv" like excuse you? This started because of Jerusalem, we're the most important, don't give Tel Avivians this satisfaction and ego boost.
- And in 2014, I did not understand the conflict. This year of studying has made me see the world much clearer, I get so much more than I did. The nuances of Palestinian leadership, the opportunism, the corruption, the way tyrants are the same across the world.
- This forces us to question coexistence, it gives so much power to the right wing, "every Arab wants to kill us and is just waiting for the opportunity" I recognize that some of this is our failure. Lod has been struggling for years, we did nothing and now we are paying the price. If there will be new elections, the radical right will win.
- Is there anything more hypocritical than Jewish leftist organizations going, "let's stop the violence" after they consistently support Palestinian rights to resist in any way because "you can't tell oppressed people how to resist". Fun fact, turns out that means an 80 year old woman dying from a rocket attack, who knew, right?
February 22, 2021
I read this book earlier in the year while researching the book I was writing. I read it again for my theology class. I wish this was required reading for all of us. If you haven't read it, please do. If you have, read it again.
December 16, 2008
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....
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....
February 26, 2017
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.
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.
January 13, 2025
Finished Reading
Pre-Read notes
Part of my kill-my-tbr project, in which I'm reading all my physical, unread books, which number around one thousand!
I have no idea how I ended up with this book. Pure luck! This writing by Howard Thurman is perhaps most renowned for inspiring Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideas and activist work. For this reason alone, I would never skip this volume. But it's also a compellingly argued religious treatise about who truly are God's people.
Final Review to come:
I got shoes, / You got shoes, / All God’s children got shoes. p51
Review summary and recommendations
Under the general plan of nonresistance one may take the position of imitation. The aim of such an attitude is to assimilate the culture and the social behavior-pattern of the dominant group. It is the profound capitulation to the powerful, because it means the yielding of oneself to that which, deep within, one recognizes as being unworthy. It makes for a strategic loss of self-respect. p13
Reading Notes
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. Interesting perspective that I've never considered before: We begin with the simple historical fact that Jesus was a Jew. The miracle of the Jewish people is almost as breathtaking as the miracle of Jesus. ... It is impossible for Jesus to be understood outside of the sense of community which Israel held with God. p5 This bears on my current Reading of the Bible. I'm reading straight through and I'm currently in the Old Testament, wondering why I need to read it. This idea offers a resounding answer: *back story*!
2. Deception is perhaps the oldest of all the techniques by which the weak have protected themselves against the strong. Through the ages, at all stages of sentient activity, the weak have survived by fooling the strong. p48 I agree, and as Thurman points out, we're not even talking about lying. Or at least, not solely. What about the butterfly whose wings look like eyes to deceive predators? Definitely not like lying.
3. That is to say, if a man continues to call a good thing bad, he will eventually lose his sense of moral distinctions. p55 Remember this next time someone insults you.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1.
2.
3.
Rating:
Finished:
Format:
Read this book if you like:
-
-
-
-
-
I have a paperback copy and I found an accessible digital copy of JESUS AND THE DISINHERITED by Howard Thurman on Libby. All views are mine.
---------------
Pre-Read notes
Part of my kill-my-tbr project, in which I'm reading all my physical, unread books, which number around one thousand!
I have no idea how I ended up with this book. Pure luck! This writing by Howard Thurman is perhaps most renowned for inspiring Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideas and activist work. For this reason alone, I would never skip this volume. But it's also a compellingly argued religious treatise about who truly are God's people.
Final Review to come:
I got shoes, / You got shoes, / All God’s children got shoes. p51
Review summary and recommendations
Under the general plan of nonresistance one may take the position of imitation. The aim of such an attitude is to assimilate the culture and the social behavior-pattern of the dominant group. It is the profound capitulation to the powerful, because it means the yielding of oneself to that which, deep within, one recognizes as being unworthy. It makes for a strategic loss of self-respect. p13
Reading Notes
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. Interesting perspective that I've never considered before: We begin with the simple historical fact that Jesus was a Jew. The miracle of the Jewish people is almost as breathtaking as the miracle of Jesus. ... It is impossible for Jesus to be understood outside of the sense of community which Israel held with God. p5 This bears on my current Reading of the Bible. I'm reading straight through and I'm currently in the Old Testament, wondering why I need to read it. This idea offers a resounding answer: *back story*!
2. Deception is perhaps the oldest of all the techniques by which the weak have protected themselves against the strong. Through the ages, at all stages of sentient activity, the weak have survived by fooling the strong. p48 I agree, and as Thurman points out, we're not even talking about lying. Or at least, not solely. What about the butterfly whose wings look like eyes to deceive predators? Definitely not like lying.
3. That is to say, if a man continues to call a good thing bad, he will eventually lose his sense of moral distinctions. p55 Remember this next time someone insults you.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1.
2.
3.
Rating:
Finished:
Format:
Read this book if you like:
-
-
-
-
-
I have a paperback copy and I found an accessible digital copy of JESUS AND THE DISINHERITED by Howard Thurman on Libby. All views are mine.
---------------
Read
April 14, 2022Reading this book was such a reminder to me of how the way of Jesus (the true way) can be offensive. When Thurman talks about those whose “backs against the wall�, it is so hard not to justify everything they might do. But Thurman draws from the scopes of history, literature, and psychology to compassionately point to the way of Jesus.
He addresses three specific temptations for the disinherited: fear, deception, and hate. Jesus� prescriptions for these temptations are well-known (i.e. love your enemies). But in the face of true humiliation or persecution, the disinherited are thought to be justified regardless, or that the Way is so incredibly difficult as to be absurd. He underscores Jesus� teachings with psychological observations that show *how* it undermines the power dynamics around the disinherited.
This is especially true when it came to the chapter on deception. A shallow reading might lead one to believe that the disinherited should just roll over. Thurman shows that speaking honestly in nonviolence disarms unrighteous power. A shallow reading might also lead one to think that Thurman was “woke� before it was a thing. It was written in 1949 when Jim Crow laws were still active and racism blatant, so there are some words about racial superiority that are understandable.
Honestly, it is difficult to write a response to this work. I cannot consider myself to be disinherited as have many in our nation’s history, or as have Christians around the globe. However, in my corner of Christianity, I am surrounded by those who have a deep sense of persecution and victimization, whether real or imagined. Fear is rampant. Many have embraced the rhetoric of fighting and anger over what Jesus taught. I cannot say that I have not fallen prey to their fears at some time or another so I understand. I want to remember what I signed up for though, and this work staying in plain sight on my bookshelf is one way to do that.
He addresses three specific temptations for the disinherited: fear, deception, and hate. Jesus� prescriptions for these temptations are well-known (i.e. love your enemies). But in the face of true humiliation or persecution, the disinherited are thought to be justified regardless, or that the Way is so incredibly difficult as to be absurd. He underscores Jesus� teachings with psychological observations that show *how* it undermines the power dynamics around the disinherited.
This is especially true when it came to the chapter on deception. A shallow reading might lead one to believe that the disinherited should just roll over. Thurman shows that speaking honestly in nonviolence disarms unrighteous power. A shallow reading might also lead one to think that Thurman was “woke� before it was a thing. It was written in 1949 when Jim Crow laws were still active and racism blatant, so there are some words about racial superiority that are understandable.
Honestly, it is difficult to write a response to this work. I cannot consider myself to be disinherited as have many in our nation’s history, or as have Christians around the globe. However, in my corner of Christianity, I am surrounded by those who have a deep sense of persecution and victimization, whether real or imagined. Fear is rampant. Many have embraced the rhetoric of fighting and anger over what Jesus taught. I cannot say that I have not fallen prey to their fears at some time or another so I understand. I want to remember what I signed up for though, and this work staying in plain sight on my bookshelf is one way to do that.
December 30, 2014
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 , , 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.
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 , , 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.
March 10, 2021
I'm still processing (and likely will be for a while to come), but Thurman's classic work was much more layered than I was expecting. And in that way, much more challenging-no one can read this and feel innocent of a need to deeply self-interrogate. To ask how I might be one who disinherits others. And how I choose the rancid balms of fear, isolation, and hatred when I am disinherited.
But this book isn't written to all people. It's written to those who are truly disinherited by the world (not just in relationship, as those of us who live with access and opportunity might experience). And Thurman's message is that in fact, you are somebody. That in fact, you have profound value, even glory. That in fact, Jesus knows intimately, personally, what it's like to live with your back up against the wall. That in fact, your freedom and flourishing is possible. But it cannot come, in its truest and most liberating form, without a profound ethical demand - to love, even when your heart and body want to choose fear or surrender or hatred. For those reactions, though reasonable and even necessary for survival, ultimately corrupt. They're bankrupt. They destroy the one who wields them.
Rather, the religion of Jesus (notably, NOT Christianity - which he feels has been irredeemably disfigured by white supremacy, nationalism, and capitalism in America) offers the more costly way of love. It's a message that feels and is "unfair" in one sense. But is one that offers unparalleled access to "a future and a hope."
To be honest, even despite all of the thinking and working I've done in peacemaking over the past year and a half-considering the benefits of nonviolence, thinking about how to love the other or the enemy-this was still a challenging book. My heart wanted to disagree. To say, "But no. What's fair would be to turn the tables, to take back what was stolen." Thurman emphatically says no. Liberation isn't turning the tables, but imagining a whole new future entirely, where there's more than enough for all. The through-line from Thurman to King's Beloved Community shines.
There were moments that felt a little flat for me. And there were lines that simply sang. I'm going to be thinking about Thurman for a while.
But this book isn't written to all people. It's written to those who are truly disinherited by the world (not just in relationship, as those of us who live with access and opportunity might experience). And Thurman's message is that in fact, you are somebody. That in fact, you have profound value, even glory. That in fact, Jesus knows intimately, personally, what it's like to live with your back up against the wall. That in fact, your freedom and flourishing is possible. But it cannot come, in its truest and most liberating form, without a profound ethical demand - to love, even when your heart and body want to choose fear or surrender or hatred. For those reactions, though reasonable and even necessary for survival, ultimately corrupt. They're bankrupt. They destroy the one who wields them.
Rather, the religion of Jesus (notably, NOT Christianity - which he feels has been irredeemably disfigured by white supremacy, nationalism, and capitalism in America) offers the more costly way of love. It's a message that feels and is "unfair" in one sense. But is one that offers unparalleled access to "a future and a hope."
To be honest, even despite all of the thinking and working I've done in peacemaking over the past year and a half-considering the benefits of nonviolence, thinking about how to love the other or the enemy-this was still a challenging book. My heart wanted to disagree. To say, "But no. What's fair would be to turn the tables, to take back what was stolen." Thurman emphatically says no. Liberation isn't turning the tables, but imagining a whole new future entirely, where there's more than enough for all. The through-line from Thurman to King's Beloved Community shines.
There were moments that felt a little flat for me. And there were lines that simply sang. I'm going to be thinking about Thurman for a while.
August 19, 2015
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.
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.
March 1, 2021
This book is a classic, but I'm not sure that I have the context to fully appreciate its genius. The insights I found most profound were his reflections on how fear takes hold of us and how we begin looking at other people as our enemies. He also offers bold words about how deception becomes a way of life for the disinherited, and how if any of us is ever to embrace full dignity we must leave deception behind. He presses for us to love not just our alienated friends but our enemies as well. Jesus is held up as an example of the ideal human whose essential personhood and way of relating overcomes what divides people. It is not a work of biblical theology, but almost a sociology of personhood using Jesus as an example. As such it will appeal more broadly to those who see Jesus as a remarkable person, even if they reject his claims to be God in the flesh.
July 14, 2024
Hard to imagine that this was written in 1949. Remarkable book! The last chapter on Love is the best thing i’ve read in a while.
December 31, 2022
A beautifully concise forerunner to the concept of Liberation Theology that argues for a Christianity that sides with the dispossessed and addresses the immediate spiritual needs of those who "live with their backs against the wall." The chapter on what it means to live in fear is especially powerful.
January 22, 2022
Wow…had to read this for a class but it surpassed all my expectations. This book is incredible. I’d say must-read for Christians&non-Christians alike.
March 12, 2022
Excellent book- I can see why it inspired MLK!
March 9, 2008
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.
September 5, 2019
Soaring ethics, questionable Christology.
May 28, 2016
Mr. Thurman writes with the heart of a poet, though what he writes about is anything but poetry. In a time where some blacks feel that we are no closer to justice as a people than in the revolutionary times of the Civil Rights movement, reading this book will enlighten you on what's truly behind poverty, inequality, and injustice. It was, at times, hard to read because the truth can oftentimes shine so bright that it blinds. Nonetheless, this is a book that mingles faith - NOT RELIGION - with hope. Mr. Thurman gives us the when's and whys, & finally, the how's. There is something greater than the struggle. There is SomeONE greater than any struggle. This book walks you over Self-pity Bridge, past Police Injustice Avenue, on to Here-I-Stand Lane. That Lane is where your help lies ... And where Jesus awaits.
Philosophy students, like me, will ADORE this read. It's short and to the point. The verbiage is confusing at times since this book was written using the vernacular of a different era - not an era LONG past, just slightly. But if you stick with it you'll uncover rules that will soothe and simultaneously strengthen your soul for the rest of your life. LOVED IT!!!
Philosophy students, like me, will ADORE this read. It's short and to the point. The verbiage is confusing at times since this book was written using the vernacular of a different era - not an era LONG past, just slightly. But if you stick with it you'll uncover rules that will soothe and simultaneously strengthen your soul for the rest of your life. LOVED IT!!!
February 28, 2017
An amazing book. I regret I did not read this as a younger man. The insights into the lives of the 'disinherited' and the life of Jesus were eye opening and challenging. The final chapter presented hope and a path. I wish it were required reading for every college freshman or even high school seniors.
As I look back through it I highlighted much of the book. I especially appreciated the viewpoint of Jesus as someone who could be viewed as one of the 'disinherited' ... living an impoverished life under the rule of a foreign power that did not identify with his race. Sometimes in exalting the Son of God perspective we can lose sight of the man Jesus of Nazareth who lived in a particular setting and time with challenges that were enhanced by the powerful Roman establishment.
As I read this and considered what Mr. Thurman was presenting I wondered how this book could have been written today with the refugee crisis in mind? A lot to think about. The answer, as Thurman rests his case, is love as taught and demonstrated by Jesus Christ. But he doesn't suggest it is easy or uncomplicated.
Very grateful to have spent time with this book and Im sure I will return to it.
JD
As I look back through it I highlighted much of the book. I especially appreciated the viewpoint of Jesus as someone who could be viewed as one of the 'disinherited' ... living an impoverished life under the rule of a foreign power that did not identify with his race. Sometimes in exalting the Son of God perspective we can lose sight of the man Jesus of Nazareth who lived in a particular setting and time with challenges that were enhanced by the powerful Roman establishment.
As I read this and considered what Mr. Thurman was presenting I wondered how this book could have been written today with the refugee crisis in mind? A lot to think about. The answer, as Thurman rests his case, is love as taught and demonstrated by Jesus Christ. But he doesn't suggest it is easy or uncomplicated.
Very grateful to have spent time with this book and Im sure I will return to it.
JD
January 26, 2016
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!
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!
August 6, 2010
"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.""
November 15, 2016
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.
February 28, 2021
Pretty sure I underlined every other sentence.
April 14, 2024
Now if only I could get Howard and Henri Nouwen in a room together
July 26, 2014
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.
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.
January 30, 2024
A very dense and short book with lots of truth nuggets scattered throughout the pages. There was a lot of interesting things said from his perspective, but I also feel like he didn’t answer the main question he kept bringing up: “Is there any help to be found for the disinherited in the religion of Jesus?� I can connect the dots a little but definitely not the easiest or a straight forward read.
A quote that I will continue to think about:
“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 the dominant, used sometimes as an instrument of oppression, must not tempt us into believing that it was thus in the mind and life of Jesus.� Pg 18
This really made me think about how so much distortion has happened over the years of Christianity. It’s sad to think about how often it has been weaponized. I appreciate Howard’s return to the root and heart of Jesus� love for all people, especially the disinherited.
A quote that I will continue to think about:
“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 the dominant, used sometimes as an instrument of oppression, must not tempt us into believing that it was thus in the mind and life of Jesus.� Pg 18
This really made me think about how so much distortion has happened over the years of Christianity. It’s sad to think about how often it has been weaponized. I appreciate Howard’s return to the root and heart of Jesus� love for all people, especially the disinherited.
February 9, 2024
Irgendwie bin ich mit dem Buch nicht warm geworden. Zum einen ist es sprachlich etwas herausfordernd, zum anderen konnte ich bis zum Schluss nicht ganz greifen, was Thurmans Anliegen ist. Ich werde es daher irgendwann nochmal lesen müssen.
Nach einem ersten Kapitel zum historischen Jesus widmet er je ein Kapitel den drei Erfahrungen unterdrückter Menschen: Furcht, Betrug und Hass. Im letzten Kapitel geht es um die (Feindes-)Liebe.
Das Verhältnis der Disinherited zu Jesus (worauf der Titel ja hoffend macht), oder zum Christentum, blieb für mich diffus. Bezeichnend ist Thurmans letzter Satz im Epilog:
Nach einem ersten Kapitel zum historischen Jesus widmet er je ein Kapitel den drei Erfahrungen unterdrückter Menschen: Furcht, Betrug und Hass. Im letzten Kapitel geht es um die (Feindes-)Liebe.
Das Verhältnis der Disinherited zu Jesus (worauf der Titel ja hoffend macht), oder zum Christentum, blieb für mich diffus. Bezeichnend ist Thurmans letzter Satz im Epilog:
When men look into his [Jesus] face, they see etched the glory of their own possibilities, and their hearts whisper, "Thank you and thank God!"
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