Hitchhiker's Guide to Religion
Black Church

Howard Thurman

The Mystic of the Movement

Black Church Contemplative theology, mysticism, the inner life of the activist, nonviolence as spiritual practice
Portrait of Howard Thurman
Portrait of Howard Thurman
Rank Theologian / Mystic / Dean of Howard University School of Religion / Co-founder of the first major interracial church in the United States
Domain Contemplative theology, mysticism, the inner life of the activist, nonviolence as spiritual practice
Alignment Holy / Contemplative
Power LEGENDARY 84

Attributes

ATK
30
DEF
90
SPR
99
SPD
60
INT
98
CHA
99
WIS
99
END
95

Combat Profile

ATK DEF SPR SPD INT CHA WIS END
Special Move

Inner Sanctuary

grants all allies spiritual fortitude and reveals the sacred within opposition, transforming hostility into understanding through contemplative witness

Passive

Centering Prayer

continuously radiates a field of nonviolent presence that de-escalates conflict and awakens dormant conscience in all who approach

Weakness

His mystical and contemplative emphasis was sometimes dismissed by activists who wanted more direct political engagement -- though King kept Thurman's *Jesus and the Disinherited* in his briefcase throughout the Montgomery campaign

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman

1 min read
Primary Source

Thurman, *Jesus and the Disinherited* (1949); *With Head and Heart* (autobiography, 1979); Luther Smith, *Howard Thurman: The Mystic as Prophet* (1981)

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