Good News for the Disinherited Howard Thurman on Jesus of Nazereth and Human Liberation

by Johnson, Alonzo

• ISBN13: 9780761806073
• ISBN10: 0761806075
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-02-20
• Publisher: UPA

Summary

This book examines the meaning of Jesus' humanity, his divinity, and the special significance of his teachings to the poor and the oppressed. The discussion of these issues is shaped around the theology of Howard Thurman (1900-1981), one of the greatest religious thinkers of his generation. It is the only such work which thoroughly defines Thurman's significance as an African American folk theologian who both adopts and transcends his religious heritage. Thurman is depicted as a 'folk theologian' who both perpetuates and transforms African American folk religion. The core of Thurman's theology revolves around his reinterpretation of the meaning of the concept of 'humanity' and 'divinity'. The search for a 'Black Christ', black messiah, has been a prominent feature of African American religious thought in the past two centuries. This book addresses Thurman's treatment of Jesus within the ebb-and-flow of the debates in this area. This is the first work devoted exclusively to the subject of Christology as the center of Thurman's theology.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
The Impact of the Black Religious Tradition Upon Howard Thurman's Interpretation of the Teachings and Life of Jesus of Nazareth	p. 1
Jesus of Nazareth: Towards a Definition of Humanity	p. 39
The Divinity of Jesus of Nazareth	p. 65
Good News for the Disinherited: Jesus of Nazareth and Human Liberation	p. 93
Howard Thurman and the African-American Quest for a Black Christ	p. 119
Who Do the People Say That I Am? Personal Perspectives Regarding Christology	p. 145
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