Howard Thurman:
Stillness, Contemplation, and Social Transformation
Join us for our next Contemplative Conversation Circles via Zoom as we explore the writings and meditations of Howard Thurman.
Small Groups Journeying, Learning, and Practicing Together
Reading: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
An 8-week Study: Beginning the week of September 14th. We meet for one hour via Zoom.
In our groups, we create a safe sacred container for conversation and practice as we journey together through books on contemplation, Christianity, and spiritual growth. Through shared ground rules and curiosity, we learn from each other, ourselves, and the text. Many participants stick with their groups for future studies and become ongoing groups.
“Howard Thurman was one of the few individuals who could deeply bridge the gap between a profound spiritual life and a socially active life.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Howard Thurman nurtured the spiritual imagination that helped sustain Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through the Civil Rights Movement. Today, a whole new generation of contemplatives is discovering the enduring wisdom of Howard Thurman.
Meetings Times (Central Time):
Wednesdays at 11:00am
Wednesdays at 1:30pm
Thursdays at 11:00am
Saturdays at 9:00am
About the Book
Vincent Harding, foreword to 1996 edition of Jesus and the Disinherited
“Jesus and the Disinherited is the centerpiece of the Black prophet-mystic’s lifelong attempt to bring the harrowing beauty of the African-American experience into deep engagement with what he called ‘the religion of Jesus.’ Ultimately his goal was to offer this humanizing combination as the basis for an emancipatory way of being, moving toward a fundamentally unchained life that is available to all the women and men everywhere who hunger and thirst for righteousness, especially those ‘who stand with their backs against the wall.'”
Famously known as the text that Martin Luther King Jr. sought inspiration from in the days leading up to the Montgomery bus boycott, Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited helped shape the civil rights movement and changed our nation’s history forever.
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.
About the Author
Hailed by Life magazine as one of the great preachers of the twentieth century; a spiritual advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., Sherwood Eddy, James Farmer, A. J. Musty, and Pauli Murray; the first black dean at a white university; cofounder of the first interracially pastored, intercultural church in the United States; Howard Thurman (1899-1981) was a man of penetrating foresight and astonishing charisma. His vision of the world was one of a democratic camaraderie born of faith, and in light of today’s global community, one of particular importance. He wrote over 20 published books, such as Meditations of the Heart, With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman, and Disciplines of the Spirit.
What Happens Next
All groups are hosted on The Contemplative Cathedral, an online platform that allows for sharing, discussion, access to Zoom links, and multi-model learning and engagement. You will receive an invitation to join the group in The Cathedral at least a week before we begin.
