Visions of a Better World: Howard Thurman's Pilgrimage to India and the Origins of African American Nonviolence
"An important portrait of a neglected figure  who deserves a wider recognition.”—Booklist, starred review“Highly recommended.”—Choice“Howard  Thurman was one of the great prophetic minds and spirits of the 20th  century – and this wonderful book does justice to his formation. Don’t miss  it!”—Cornel West, author ofRace Matters “In retrospect, great struggles for freedom tend to be viewed as smooth and inevitable social transitions. Thurman historians Quinton Dixie and Peter Eisenstadt offer precious details about the circumstances and cultural factors that grounded Howard Thurman’s spiritual leadership. Their engaging storytelling style and careful research will inform and inspire current and future generations."—Barbara Holmes, Professor of Ethics and African American Religious Studies, Memphis Theological Seminary, and author ofJoy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church“An  enlightening, engaging saga that expands our understanding of the global  creation of the African American intellectual tradition. The authors deserve  high praise for their thorough research, lively style, and for reminding us of  Howard Thurman’s cosmopolitan mind, one that reached across racial and national  boundaries to meld Black Christianity with Gandhi’s philosophy. The book  provides us with powerful lessons necessary for today’s turbulent world.”—Graham Russell Gao Hodges, George Dorland Langdon, Jr. Professor of History and  Africana Studies, and author ofDavid  Ruggles: A Radical Black Abolitionist and the Underground Railroad in New York  City“There  are too few works that expertly illuminate the luminous life and thought of  Howard Thurman. This perceptive and learned book by Quinton Dixie and Peter  Eisenstadt goes a long way toward remedying that  situation.”—Gary  Dorrien, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological  Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University“Visions of a Better Worldbrings back all  the memories of my time with Howard Thurman—I feel like I am once again  listening to him, feeling his presence. We had many talks at his home in  San  Francisco. His requirement  was two hours, preferably three, and no phone calls. These talks were among the  most inspiring and instructive moments of my life. His mentoring was spiritual,  practical, and mystical. It influences my life to the present day.”—Vernon  E. Jordan, Jr. Senior Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co, LLC“Dixie and Eisenstadt have given us a true gift. This  magisterial book distills the life of Howard Thurman, revealing the depth of his  influence on the African American freedom struggle and the power of his faith.  Howard Thurman always seemed a step ahead. And this account of his trip to  India and embrace of Gandhi is just  another example of his prophetic vision.Visions of a Better Worldtakes the reader  on an extraordinary journey: one can’t help but be transfixed and transformed by  Thurman’s witness." —Eddie S. Glaude Jr., William S. Tod Professor Religion and African American  Studies, Princeton University, and author ofIn  a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black  America“An admirably focused  portrait of… Howard Thurman… the authors delineate how Thurman’s brand of  theology and philosophy emerged from a desire to reconcile individual spiritual  experience and transcendence with broad social change—and how his thinking and  teaching inspired a generation…”—Publishers Weekly “Reveling  in the complexity of Thurman's thought and his actions, this book eloquently  blends intellectual history and biography and restores Thurman to his rightful  place as one of the 20th century's most brilliant and influential religious  thinkers. Thurman's early engagements in India  and the wider world deeply affected his ideas and his actions as a prophet, a  religious leader, and a political visionary. This book deserves a special place  in the long intellectual prehistory of the civil rights movement and African  American politics.”–Barbara  D. Savage, University of Pennsylvania, author ofYour Spirits Walk Beside Us: The Politics of Black  Religion