Browse Items (16 total)

In this recording, Thurman discusses techniques used for surviving seemingly unsurvivable situations. He then tells an anecdote about a time he had his back against the wall, and how he got out of it. Thurman states that if one can’t differentiate between their organization and their self, then they’ll become lost. Thurman also advises on ways to solve one's problems. He says to take one’s problem, and to put it in the widest context possible to be able to fully understand it and find a…

Thurman starts this recording by telling multiple anecdotes that focus on the idea of sense of self, and the idea that people are victims to low expectations. He then proceeds to talk about how he wants to question how people in power got there, and the idea of mutual communication between people. He not only talks about relationships between people, but also how to escape one's own self destruction. Thurman also gives his opinions on the world that humans have created and how society is set up.…

Thurman discusses the idea of brotherhood. He talks about the exclusiveness that is associated with brotherhood and the difference in how Jesus and Paul view it. Paul says that you have to be a follower of Christ to be part of the brotherhood, and Jesus says you just have to be born to be a brother. The basis of the Jesus doctrine of brotherhood is that God is the creator, so everyone is a part of God, and therefore all are brothers because of that virtue. God never discriminated, so neither…

In this commentary and conversation on Jesus and the Disinherited, Thurman states that to be part of the brotherhood of man one has to be a believer of Christ, which a person becomes once they believe. Christians have a way to clean themselves of impurities, or in other words, have a permanently saved soul. Thurman speaks to Jesus’ definition of brotherhood and the fact that it will destroy civilizations because it’s different from the natural brotherhood that human societies have created…

Part 1 of Jesus and the Disinherited. Begins by referring to Jesus' "working paper." Thurman's book was written about ten years prior, and he wants to take another look at these issues with consideration of all that has happened. He tells the story of his father's death and funeral when he was seven. As he grew he found he had a very intimate relationship with Jesus, even verbally discussing things with Jesus at night in the sand dunes. Jesus was a real personality to Thurman. However, he…

Part 2 of Jesus and the Disinherited. He quotes from Russell Gordon Smith from "Fugitive Papers." Thurman argues that the Jews had a sense of destiny, which was hindered by the fact of Roman rule and created a constant turmoil and sense of danger. What made Jesus, then, different? The common belief was that anyone who upends that which blocks destiny, becomes a righteous arm of God as the enemy is destroyed. The Zealots want to appear Roman, then kill it from the inside. The Essenes wanted to…

Part 3 of Jesus and the Disinherited. He begins with a reading called "Joseph" by Clive Benson (not mentioned by name). The thrust of this piece is that God is primary, and can be trusted because God is kind. God is just and kind at the same time. There was only one real question Jesus was ever asking, "What is the will of God?" Not, "what do I want," or "how will this impact what's important to me?" He wants us to focus on this, and he tells the story of how he taught older women to ride bikes,…

Part 4 of Jesus and the Disinherited. Reads 2 pieces by Clive Benson: "The Brothers" and "The Phoenician Woman." This talk is on "brotherhood" or inclusiveness. He argues that Jesus considered someone included by their relationship with God, whereas to Paul it was one's relationship to Christ. The church has followed the Paul model. He points out that Paul had a different viewpoint than Jesus. Both were Jews, but Paul had Roman citizenship and could claim that for protection whereas Jesus could…

Part 5 of Jesus and the Disinherited. Again reads from Clive Benson, "Martha of Bethany," and "The Rich Young Ruler." Remember that Jesus was a poor Jew, and not just economically poor but a member of a marginal community which tends to give to the individual a low estimate of themselves. Story of the untouchable Indian boy who came to Thurman during his trip to India and asked, "Is there anything that you can say that would help a nobody?" When you are outside the mainstream of society, you are…

Part 6 of Jesus and the Disinherited on the topic of fear. Reads Clive Benson's "The Centurion" and from George Bernard Shaw's "On the Rocks," "the greatest of Rome is nothing but fear." Fear is an emotional response to danger. Even those in power show fear by devising so many creative ways to insure the status quo. Example of Pliny the Elder requesting and being denied the organization of a firefighting unit, because those in the unit might organize against the government. Story of French…