Howard Thurman and the Mystical Heart of Nonviolence

Friday, 11:00am | Living Room

As a mystic, theologian, and spiritual adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Howard Thurman (1899-1981) possessed the uncanny and prophetic ability to make a connection between silence and the scrutiny of one’s inner life with social justice work. He encouraged Dr. King and other organizers of the Civil Rights Movement to examine their inward journeys and to use nonviolent responses to what was often very violent confrontation. Dr. Thurman chose to engage in sacred activism—work that would serve all people and to use the contemplative experience as a path to peace, joy, and power. He wrote about this desire in Jesus and the Disinherited, a book that Dr. King carried with him whenever he marched.

Lerita Coleman Brown

Professor of Psychology Emerita at Agnes Scott College, is a spiritual companion/director, writer, retreat leader, and speaker. A graduate of the Spiritual Guidance Program at the Shalem Institute, Lerita writes about and promotes contemplative spirituality in everyday life, the life and work of Howard Thurman, and uncovering the peace in one’s heart on her website PeaceForHearts.com, and also on Facebook.com and Twitter. Her publications include, “Praying without Ceasing: Basking in the Loving Presence of God,” published in the edited book, Embodied Spirits: Spiritual Directors of Color Tell their Stories, and “Dissecting Racism: Healing Minds, Cultivating Spirits,” published in the edited volume, Living into God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism in America.

peaceforhearts.com