"Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered brothers."
Howard Thurman, African American educator, theologian, Search For Common Ground, 1971 (Thurman, 1986)
Using Jeremiah 17, Howard Thurman urges his listeners to find their security in God, not in the opinion of others. As Fluker and Tumber note, the denunciation of social elitism was an important theme throughout Thurman's career, particularly as he entered the realm of black society's elite at Howard. When throughout his journey Thurman was confronted with the contradictions of Christianity within segregated societies, he answered by distinguishing Christianity from the religion of Jesus. Thurman's believed that the "goal of the mystic ... is to know God in a comprehensive sense; ... the vision of God is realized inclusively." Establishing "community" in Howard's closed cultural environment through inclusive worship practices is a lofty goal. (Fluker & Tumber, 1998)
"What does Jesus have to teach those with their backs up against the wall," Fluker says. "He teaches that the anatomy of fear and hate only leads to violence. He offers the vision of spiritual discipline against resentment. This was the moral basis of the nonviolent movement of the Black freedom movement in the South." (Fluker & Tumber, 1998) Scholars say Thurman's real influence is on building community. "Thurman is a significant figure in ecunemical movements," says Thurman scholar, Luther E. Smith of Emory University and author of Howard Thurman: The Mystic as Prophet. "He speaks to what it means to have a community of Christians, Muslims and Buddhists living in the same community and finding ways to be tolerant of all religious views. The Thurman project seeks to recognize and utilize Thurman as we wrestle with these very difficult questions." (Smith, 1992)
From Howard Thurman.......
