What Makes You Come Alive - by Lerita Coleman Brown (Hardcover)

About the Book

Howard Thurman served as the spiritual godfather of the civil rights movement. What wisdom might he offer us today? Lerita Coleman Brown beckons everyday seekers and activists into a mentorship with Thurman and his mystical and liberating spirituality. Thurman's work enlivened an entire movement, and it may inspire us to authentic action today.

Book Synopsis

"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

Known as the godfather of the civil rights movement, Howard Thurman served as a spiritual adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders and activists in the 1960s. Thurman championed silence, contemplation, common unity, and nonviolence as powerful dimensions of social change. But Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown didn't learn about him during her years of spiritual-direction training. Only when a friend heard of her longing to encounter the work of Black contemplatives did she finally learn about Thurman, his mystical spirituality, and his liberating ethic.

In What Makes You Come Alive, Brown beckons readers into their own apprenticeship with Thurman. Brown walks with us through Thurman's inimitable life and commitments as he summons us into centering down, encountering the natural world, paying attention to sacred synchronicity, unleashing inner authority, and recognizing the genius of the religion of Jesus. We learn from Thurman's resilience in the psychologically terrorizing climate of the Jim Crow South, his encounters with Quakers and with Mahatma Gandhi, and his sense of being guided by the Spirit. Each chapter illuminates an aspect of Thurman's work and includes reflection questions and spiritual practices.

Decades after their deaths, sages like Howard Thurman offer spiritual kinship and guidance for our contemporary life. Thurman's spirituality enlivened an entire movement, and it can awaken us to intimacy with God and to authentic action today.

Review Quotes

"Brown's vibrant portrait is sure to pique curiosity into Thurman's writings and open meaningful conversation about what the relationship between spirituality and social action can be today." --Library Journal

"If you have been searching for an engaging introduction to Howard Thurman, here it is.... This book makes good on its central promise: in her hands, it is not a book about Howard Thurman; it is a spiritual walk with him. Accept her invitation to take that walk, and the healing won't stop with your spirit. Your body, mind, and heart will be restored as well." --Barbara Brown Taylor, author of An Altar in the World and Holy Envy

"Brown illuminates Howard Thurman's lasting spiritual and societal impact." --Center for Action and Contemplation's Daily Meditations

"Lerita Coleman Brown offers her readers the generous gift of guidance through Howard Thurman's wisdom. Weaving in her own experiences, the text becomes a sacred conversation about what it means to be fully human.... This should be required reading for anyone interested in spiritual direction or mysticism." --Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, online abbess of Abbey of the Arts and author of Breath Prayer

"Lerita Coleman Brown has written an excellent introduction to Howard Thurman, one of the most important mystics of our time. This book also stands as a beautiful and insightful survey of contemplative wisdom in its own right." --Carl McColman, author of Eternal Heart and The Big Book of Christian Mysticism

"In What Makes You Come Alive, Lerita Coleman Brown invites us to join her for a spiritual walk and conversation with Howard Thurman. Enhanced with practical exercises, reflection questions, and 'spiritual steps, ' this wise, engaging, and deeply insightful book is a genuine treasure." --Jan Willis, professor of religion, emerita, at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, and author of Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist and Buddhist

"Simply and elegantly written, this wonderful distillation of Howard Thurman's profound wisdom includes questions and guides at the end of each chapter that invite readers into their own creative encounter with their truth, mystery, and the love of God. I highly recommend What Makes You Come Alive to churches, religious and educational institutions, and spiritual seekers everywhere who are looking for an inward journey that finds its home in the world of nature, people, and things." --Walter Earl Fluker, editor and director of the Howard Thurman Papers Project and Dean's Professor of Spirituality, Ethics, and Leadership at Candler School of Theology

"What Makes You Come Alive opens many windows into the legacy of Howard Thurman, one of the most important religious thinkers of twentieth-century America, an inspiration to Martin Luther King Jr. and countless thousands of others. For both longtime admirers and those wishing to know more about Thurman, take a spiritual walk with Lerita Coleman Brown in this marvelous book. It brings Howard Thurman alive, and may work the same magic for you." --Peter Eisenstadt, author of Against the Hounds of Hell: A Life of Howard Thurman

"This book is the most extensive portrayal of Howard Thurman's influence upon a spiritual seeker. The 'walk' with Thurman and Lerita Coleman Brown invites readers to explore their own religious experiences that guide living with deeper meaning and fulfillment. Abundant insights are given for a lifelong journey." --Luther E. Smith Jr., PhD, professor emeritus, Candler School of Theology, Emory University