Jesus and the Disinherited

Howard Thurman is well known as one of the 20th century's great mystics, thinkers, and spiritual leaders. "Jesus and the Disinherited" may be his best known book, and it's certainly his most influential. Martin Luther King, Jr. carried a copy with him in his travels and it grounded him as much as any book. It's certainly worth the accolades. It's a small book, and its organization is basic. Thurman begins by describing people under oppression as the people "With their backs to the wall." Most of what Christians have written about the role of the teachings of Christ in conversations about oppressed people comes from the perspective of those with power who have an obligation to help those who do not have power. Thurman affirms this approach, and compares it to the perspective of Paul, who, though a Jew and regularly persecuted for the Gospel, always had the power to assert his Roman citizenship. His was a chosen powerlessness, and he occasionally chose to use his societal power. Jesus, God Incarnate, chose to take his place among those "with their backs to the wall." Thurman believes that Jesus' life and teachings can only be understood from this vantage point. He argues that those who have never been powerless cannot fully understand what it means to have society's structures and systems turned not to their benefit and protection but to their subjugation and humiliation. Thurman describes how the life and teachings of Jesus relate to the great enemies of the soul--fear, deception, and hate. He is a master not only of the faith but also of psychology and society. The final chapter is about love, and how love between those in power and those with their backs against the wall can only be the result of relationships built on mutuality. He thinks the church is the best place for such relationships to form, and laments that congregations are so segregated and do not allow such relationships to form. Love is a miracle, and all of society makes the enemies of the soul and the possibility of the love Jesus describes incredibly difficult. One of the great wonders of the Jesus story is that he is a person with his back against the wall who was able to demonstrate the possibility of living in an oppressive situation without giving in to fear, deception, or hate. Jesus was able to love, even his enemies. This fact alone gives tremendous hope that those with their backs against the wall may actually live in such a way. Thurman certainly did. Howard Thurman wrote in the midst of the Civil Rights struggle, and he talks about his conversations with a grandmother who had spent her childhood in slavery. People like me, who take our freedom and privilege for granted, should read the book, if for no other reason, to get a sense of the interior struggles others face. Our world is full of fear, deception, and hate. The kind of love Jesus demonstrates and Thurman describes is rare, indeed. This book is a training manual for those who would live in this world with souls untouched by its cruelty.

As a white male, I have always had great compassion for my black brothers and sisters. I did struggle to understand the depth of their suffering and the feeling that their backs were always against the wall! Now that I have grandchildren of color who also share my bloodline I am deeper in that understanding. This book did reveal so many of the challenges of people of color and not much has changed sine the book was written! To love like Jesus taught Howard to love feels beyond my human capability in this present day! Jesus help me!

Absolutely powerful book! It's relevance to today's social and spiritual environment is very pertinent. The fact that it was written in the 1940's tells me we haven't progressed very far in our society in our treatment of racial and religious minorities. This was MLK's go to source.

The language is simple, and if I'm honest, Thurman's idea seems a bit too idealistic. But while it appeared to be light reading at first, it came with some really profound aftershock when I gave it a bit more thinking. Two weeks later, I'd now say it's not as simple as it looks at first. It's transforming, in terms of value, thought, and hopefully life, too.

Regarding Howard Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited, paperback. I suggest that the value of this work is less as a timeless document, as one reviewer suggests, and more as a great sermon for its time. Being great, that means it can speak to us as well, but it has a few scholarly and theological points which may have tarnished over the years. This is the situation: WW II is over, and the hints of efforts to desegregate were starting. This essay was not written as biblical scholarship or theology or sociology or psychology. Some claims from all those points of view are suggested. He wishes to influence behavior and attitudes, so that his audience can deal with their condition effectively, in a more Christian manner. He makes statements which may be historically or psychologically or scripturally inaccurate. However, most of his psychological theses are sound. The "homily" is written from the point of view of a preacher, addressing all the black people of mid-20th century America. I suspect few lay black Americans read it. Its primary role was in informing the sermons and strategies of the civil rights leaders arising in the following 15 years. His message is strengthened by the humility with which he describes the discussion which prompted his writing. It was in part written in response to a learned Hindu observation that Christianity had many sins laid at its feet. The irony is that the response is directed not to the Hindu as much as it is to Thurman's Christian contemporaries, as a remediation of the kind of reactions which would break out in American riots 20 years later and be fueled by the black power movement. Thurman never denies the racism and injustice. He makes no excuse for it. But it is also a sign of his times (1949) that he does not advocate the events which became the seeds of the integration movement 10 years later. He is describing how to make the very best of a bad situation. To his credit, he does it with no reference to sin or resurrection or the coming Parousia. I don't think he deals with it, he does relate his thoughts to domestic violence, which is not his primary subject. This shares the genre of Bonheoffer's The Cost of Discipleship, as a manual of practical Christian advice. Thurman is intent on restoring Jesus to the center of Christian life and thinking. His references to American and personal history are made to illustrate points about the psychology of the oppressor and the oppressed. They especially illuminate the sham of "separate but equal" attitude. What I liked best is that although he did not address it, he was not naive about the kind of violence we hear about in domestic abuse situations.

Bought this because it was said that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., carried it with him. It is indeed a worthwhile read if you want to understand discrimination from a spiritual perspective.

I truly appreciate the writing of this book. Sometimes one has to remember the struggle that others endured to pave the way for the next generation. It is still relevant today. Howard Thurman's writing is timeless.

I don’t normally write reviews. But after my second time through this book, I found myself compelled. Not that Howard Thurman needs anyone to sign off on his works, but as a Pastor ministering to this complicated modern world, I find his words incredibly relevant and inspiring. His understanding of Jesus as a member of the Disinherited is spot-on. I can no longer look at Jesus the way that I did in my youth, as a white man without fallibility. If the global church looked at Jesus as a member of the disinherited and understood his ministry therefore bringing good news to the poor and the disenfranchised, we would be looking upon a new and revitalized church. One that cares about doing good for the least among us and for speaking out about social justice.

Still as relevant as it was when first published 75 years ago. It speaks to all of us, not only to groups identified as "disinherited".

This book affects every moment of our lives. It gives us a new outlook! It gives me hope that if we can live into our humanity, seeing each other as equals, all lives would be improved.

Brilliant book, very deep and insightful

This book was a valuable purchase.

Thurman draws powerful parallels between the Afro-American experience and that of the Roman occupied Middle East - expounding the liberating message of Christ.