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Soundless Passion of a Single Mind, Lecture 3 (Starr King College), 1978 Jun 28
Thurman continues this lecture by discussing the fact that we cannot kill life, and it is arrogant to think that we can kill anything. Thurman tells how he is a time binder and a space binder which means that he can function freely outside of any time interval he might be in, and that death is an aspect of his space binding personality. Thurman describes how there is dimension to his personality that is rooted in the aliveness of life and cannot die. Then he tells how the struggle with humility…
St. Augustine, part 1 (7); St. Augustine, part 2 (8), 1961 Dec 3, 10
This sermon is the seventh of nine in a series of sermons given in Marsh Chapel that are titled "The Inward Journey." In this sermon, Thurman explores St. Augustine's biography, specifically speaking to the influence of Manichean Philosophy on Augustine prior to his conversion to Christianity. Thurman notes of the dualistic nature of this philosophy, and the ways in which redemption for both the body and the mind are non-existent in this train of thought. Thurman continues by noting the…
St. Augustine, part 1 (7); St. Augustine, part 2 (8), 1961 Dec 3, 10, Side B
This sermon is the eighth of nine in a series of sermons given in Marsh Chapel that are titled "The Inward Journey." In this sermon, Thurman explores St. Augustine's texts "Confessions," and "City of God." He uses each of these texts to navigate St. Augustine's theological posturing towards salvation, original sin, free will, and conversion. The climax of this sermon critiques Augustine's claim that the church is the place to which humanity finds salvation, which is held in juxtaposition to…
St. Francis of Assisi (5); Plotinus (6), 1961 Nov 12, 26
This sermon is the fifth of nine in a series of sermons given in Marsh Chapel that are titled "The Inward Journey." In this sermon, Thurman moves through the entirety of St. Francis of Assisi's biography. Starting with Francis' conversion, to his deep connection to creation, then to his love ethic, then concluding with the implications of his experience with mysticism and contemplation. Here, Thurman is holding up the life of St. Francis of Assisi as an exemplar for the ideal religious life - a…
St. Francis of Assisi (5); Plotinus (6), 1961 Nov 12, 26, Side B
This sermon is the sixth of nine in a series of sermons given in Marsh Chapel that are titled "The Inward Journey." In this sermon, Thurman explores biographical and theological elements of Plotinus, the 3rd century philosopher. The pinnacle of this sermon rests at a moment where Thurman explains that Plotinus' thought tells the listener that the entirety of creation is a creative expression of God. Thurman continues that it is in a movement of faithful pursuit of the said creative expression,…
Supporting Rhythm of Life (1962-04-13); Thank God for the Fall of the Year (1971-11-23)
In this recording within the We Believe Series; Thurman reflects upon wisdom, and the ways in which wisdom is grounded upon "the reflection of a person gazing deep into the heart of their own experience." This personal experience, Thurman explains, can be understood in both theological and ecological terms; relating human experience to the movement of the seasons, and the life of Jesus of Galilee.
This recording within the We Believe Series marks a transitional point in Thurman's career as…
This recording within the We Believe Series marks a transitional point in Thurman's career as…
Supportive Order Inherent in Life (1963-05-17); For Love's Sake (1958-05-30)
In this recording within the We Believe Series; Howard Thurman reads from his text, "The Inward Journey." Thurman's reading speaks to the intricate ways in which human life and experience is ordered in a synchronistic fashion. It is in one's understanding of creation's interrelatedness, Thurman suggests, that one can come to understand that the entirety of one's existence belongs.
In this recording within the We Believe Series; Howard Thurman reflects upon a poem from Eugene V. Debs, speaking…
In this recording within the We Believe Series; Howard Thurman reflects upon a poem from Eugene V. Debs, speaking…
Tempt God, 1962 September 13
In the second temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, Thurman explains why Jesus resisted making himself an exception to the rule of the natural order. The tempter’s efforts to convince Jesus to operate beyond the logic of physical reality was an effort to get him to be less human. Jesus did not act outside of life so that he could speak to human life, Thurman notes. No one can do as one pleases or “disregard the structure of dependability that holds life in focus.” Trusting God rather than…
Thankful for What? (1964-11-20)
In this recording within the We Believe Series, Thurman reflects upon the Thanksgiving season, asking the question: "What is the nature of your own gratitude?" He calls the listener to discern whether or not they have paused to look at their life in the present moment and identifies the present moment as a gift. When considering the task of understanding the present moment as a gift, mercy and gratitude function as the means to allow oneself to be present in the moment. Thurman claims that our…
Thanksgiving and the Nature of Life (1963-11-22); Waiting Creatively (1959-06-12)
In this recording within the We Believe Series, Thurman reflects upon the Thanksgiving season. He lists a litany of feelings, emotions, materials, and states of being that he is thankful for: air to breath, food to eat, shelter, love, etc. He then discerns the way in which humanity may overlook many of the things that humanity should be grateful for, and suggests that Thanksgiving should be approached as a sacrament which points one towards humility and gratitude.
In this recording within…
In this recording within…