American prophets
Subtitle: seven religious radicals and their struggle for social and political justice
By: Albert J. Raboteau
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 224
ISBN-13: 9780691164304
Subjects: Religion; Civil rights; Religious aspects; Christianity; History
Description: American Prophets sheds critical new light on the lives and thought of seven major prophetic figures in twentieth-century America whose social activism was motivated by a deeply felt compassion for those suffering injustice. In this compelling and provocative book, acclaimed religious scholar Albert Raboteau tells the remarkable stories of Abraham Joshua Heschel, A. J. Muste, Dorothy Day, Howard Thurman, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Fannie Lou Hamer--inspired individuals who succeeded in conveying their vision to the broader public through writing, speaking, demonstrating, and organizing. Raboteau traces how their paths crossed and their lives intertwined, creating a network of committed activists who significantly changed the attitudes of several generations of Americans about contentious political issues such as war, racism, and poverty. Raboteau examines the influences that shaped their ideas and the surprising connections that linked them together. He discusses their theological and ethical positions, and describes the rhetorical and strategic methods these exemplars of modern prophecy used to persuade their fellow citizens to share their commitment to social change. A momentous scholarly achievement as well as a moving testimony to the human spirit, American Prophets represents a major contribution to the history of religion in American politics. This book is essential reading for anyone who is concerned about social justice, or who wants to know what prophetic thought and action can mean in today's world. -- Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Abraham Joshua Heschel, prophet of divine pathos; title: A.J. Muste: the redemptive power of nonviolent suffering; title: Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement: doing the works of mercy; title: Howard Thurman: in search of common ground; title: Thomas Merton: contemplation in a world of action; title: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement: religion in US politics; title: "Is this America?" Fannie Lou Hamer and the voices of local people.