Browse Items (11 total)

In this recording within the We Believe Series; Thurman reflects upon the way in which American culture makes sense of love. He notes that typically, the "flow of love is chocked beneath the deep recesses of the heart." This is the product of quantitative love rather than qualitative love. He reminds the listener, that qualitative love is more significant than any price tag or number of accoutrements one acquires. Qualitative love speaks to the depths of the human experience.

In this…

In this recording within the We Believe Series; Thurman reads from his text, "Meditations of the Heart," discerning the implications psychology has on the religious identity. He emphasizes that there is great danger in wishing one's life away. He emphasizes that it is in the responsibility that one finds in a religious identity that finds what it means to honor their own existence.

In this recording within the We Believe Series; Thurman reflects upon the way in which American culture makes…

In this recording within the We Believe Series; Howard Thurman reflects upon Jane Steger's "Leaves From A Secret Journal," to reflect upon the significance of personal experience. He reflects upon a dog, from Jane Steger's writing, who is blind but slowly is able to see light, to which Thurman asks the question, "Did you ever dream that this universe of light was waiting for you?" From this question, Thurman dives into the significance of human experience, revering relationship as the driver for…

In this recording within the We Believe Series; Howard Thurman uses Oswald W.S. McCall's "Hand of God" to reflect upon Good Friday. Thurman utilizes a historical interpretation to makes sense of the life and death of Jesus, stating that "the event of his death cannot be separated from the logic of his life."

In this recording within the We Believe Series; Howard Thurman uses Oscar Wilde's "De Profundis" to make sense of Good Friday. He again dwells upon the historical Jesus, the implications…

In this recording within the We Believe Series; Thurman draws from his work "Meditations of the Heart" to reflect upon the meaning of a new year. He suggests that each passing year is a "year that has fulfilled itself and passed on," and is filled with change, fresh starts, grace, and hard lessons. In the passing of the previous year, Thurman suggests, there is an "opportunity to love life more wisely," noting that both the past and the future are "Golden Ages."

In this recording within the…

Thurman begins by discussing the shyness he had when he was young, and how it caused him to create a strong relationship with God. With this, Thurman emphasizes the importance of a sense of validity with something greater than a human being. He also talks about his teacher of systematic theology, and how he shaped him to be his absolute best. His teacher had great plans for him, but unexpectedly passed away before Thurman could execute all of them. After this Thurman tells anecdotes about how he…

In the second sermon of this series, Thurman extends his commentary on God as a centering force in human experience. For Thurman, the awareness of God always arises out of some present stirring, passion, concern, or, anxiety. The religious spirit, he says, emerges to “focus on the ultimate destiny” of the human race whenever there is “moral confusion” in the world. In these instances, God is the reference point enabling creative and dynamic faith. One must turn to the altar of the divine to…

Thurman reflects on the importance of Christian ethics, emphasizing that no individual should be excluded from moral responsibility, as every person embodies the face of God. He also highlights Martin Luther King's approach to racial injustice, asserting that it is a sin against God, and discusses the personal and collective struggles with racial prejudice, linking moral responsibility to one's relationship with God.

Thurman reflects on the struggle to bend the will of God to personal urgency, expressing a desire to find a way to pull God into their life. He contrasts two types of mysticism: one where an individual feels they can compel God's presence through purification, and another that emphasizes waiting for God's arrival, understanding that the power to control divine will is beyond human capacity.

Here Thurman highlights the spiritual experience of freedom. The implications of freedom as it relates to the manifestation of God and the awareness of God realized in the individual are also discussed. Just as there is a responsibility in freedom for our actions that determine, shape, and influence the future; there is also a responsibility for one’s reactions to life’s experiences. The most authentic expression of freedom is the endless possibilities of choice. Freedom is the power to accept…