This book was recommended by Texas Representative James Talarico. I am not a religious person, but I enjoy learning about others’ way of life, and I would like to think I can appreciate and learn from anyone and everyone, so I am going to give this a read. Talarico, being a good Texas boy, also recommended Lonesome Dove, and I think it is time to read it again.
🌟 Reason to Read
This book is a cornerstone of 20th-century American theology and social philosophy. It is famously known as the text that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reportedly carried in his pocket during the Montgomery bus boycott. Jesus and the Disinherited is a revolutionary interpretation of the gospel through the eyes of the oppressed and marginalized. Thurman strips away the “official” religion of the powerful to find the heart of Jesus’s message for those with “their backs against the wall.” If you are interested in the psychology of resistance and how to maintain your humanity in the face of fear and hatred, this book is essential.
- Howard Thurman
- Other
- Rich
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Howard Thurman examines the life of Jesus not as a divine icon of an established church, but as a poor Jew living under Roman occupation. He argues that Jesus’s teachings were specifically designed as a “survival strategy” for those living in a state of constant insecurity.
The book is structured around the “three hounds of hell” that track the footsteps of the disinherited: Fear, Deception, and Hatred. Thurman analyzes how these three forces destroy the spirit of the oppressed and explains how Jesus’s message of radical love and self-worth provides the only path to true liberation and psychological freedom.⭐ Reviews
The Christian Century:
“A brief but shattering book. Thurman speaks with a quiet authority that cuts through decades of theological dust. He reminds us that the gospel is most powerful when it is most dangerous to the status quo.”
The Journal of Religious Thought:
“Thurman’s analysis of the psychological effects of segregation is profound. He does not just offer hope; he offers a rigorous intellectual framework for dignity in an undignified world. It is a masterpiece of spiritual insight.”🎙️ Audible Note
The Jesus and the Disinherited audiobook is often narrated by Bakari Sellers, whose voice carries a weight and resonance that perfectly matches the gravitas of Thurman’s prose. Because the book is relatively short (about 4 hours), it is a dense, high-impact listen. The pacing is deliberate, allowing you to reflect on Thurman’s deep philosophical questions while you are out in nature.