Howard Thurman (1899-1981) was a remarkable spiritual leader and an inspirational Christian preacher and teacher. He was the first African-American dean of Boston University's Daniel Marsh Chapel and cofounder of the first multiracial, interdenominational church in the nation. He was also an advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr.

In "The Call to Prophetic Spirituality," the introduction to this paperback volume in the Modern Spiritual Masters Series, Luther E. Smith, Jr., who teaches at Candler School of Theology at Emory University and is senior consulting editor of the Howard Thurman Papers Project, offers a brief overview of this minister, philosopher, and civil rights activist. One of the most important figures in Thurman's life was his maternal grandmother. He said:

"I learned more, for instance, about the genius of the religion of Jesus from my grandmother than from all the men who taught me all. . . . the Greek and all the rest of it, because she moved inside the experience [of the religion of Jesus] and lived out of that kind of center."

Another figure who played a formidable role in this spiritual teacher's life was social activist Rufus Jones who introduced him to the formal study of mysticism:

"He gave to me confidence in the insight that the religion of the inner life could deal with the empirical experience of man without retreating from the demands of such experience. To state what I mean categorically, the religion of the inner life at its best is life affirming rather than life denying, and must forever be involved in the Master's instruction, 'Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly father is perfect.' "

Beginning in 1929, Thurman taught religion and philosophy at Morehouse and also taught the Bible and served as religious advisor to students and faculty at Spelman College. In 1932, he joined the faculty of Howard University's School of Religion as professor of Christian Theology. His work overseeing matters related to the chapel and religious programs later led to his being appointed dean of the university's Rankin Chapel.

Commenting on his sermons and speeches, Smith notes:

"Audiences connected to his emphases on personal worth, God's immediacy, the reality of community, and other themes of religious commitment. He spoke perspectives that resonated with many traditional understandings of the self, community, and God. He also articulated ideas that stretched listeners beyond familiar concepts of Jesus, God's dream for community, the religious significance of ordinary encounters, and social issues. The Bible was a major source of authority for his public speaking. His life experience, literature, biography, philosophy, science, social studies research, and history were prominent sources of authority. In utilizing these various sources, Thurman conveyed that all of life was material for the spiritual quest."

The material in this paperback is divided into three sections: "Religious Experience: Encountering God," "The Hunger for Community," and "The Authentic Self." Whether writing about intuition, surrender, the right times for prayer, the raw materials of the Christmas mood, the glad surprise of Easter, the meaning inherent in all experiences, nonviolence and the reconciling community, or a good death; Thurman digs deep and sifts through these subjects with an appreciation for what they have to offer us. Here is a passage that demonstrates his talent as a writer:

"There must be always remaining in every man's life some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathlessly beautiful and, by an inherent prerogative, throws all the rest of life into a new and creative relatedness, something that gathers up in itself all the freshlets of experience from drab and commonplace areas of living and glows in one bright white light of penetrating beauty and meaning — then passes. The commonplace is shot through with new glory; old burdens become lighter; deep and ancient wounds lose much of their old, old hurting. A crown is placed over our heads that for the rest of our lives we are trying to grow tall enough to wear. Despite all the crassness of life, despite all the hardness of life, despite all the harsh discords of life, life is saved by the singing angels."