1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910787527903321

Autore

Blum Edward J

Titolo

W.E.B. Du Bois, American prophet [[electronic resource] /] / Edward J. Blum

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Philadelphia, : University of Pennsylvania Press, [2009]

ISBN

0-8122-0450-6

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (282 p.)

Collana

Politics and culture in modern America

Disciplina

305.896/0730092

B

Soggetti

African Americans

Civil rights workers - United States

African Americans - Religion

Race relations - Religious aspects - Christianity

United States Race relations

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. [223]-255) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- CONTENTS -- INTRODUCTION. Rethinking W. E. B. Du Bois, Rethinking Religion and Race -- CHAPTER ONE. The Hero With a Black Face -- CHAPTER TWO. Race as Cosmic Sight in The Souls of Black Folk -- CHAPTER THREE. A Dark Monk Who Wrote History and Sociology -- CHAPTER FOUR. Black Messiahs and Murderous Whites -- CHAPTER FIVE. Christ Was a Communist -- EPILOGUE. The Passing of the Prophet -- NOTES -- INDEX -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Sommario/riassunto

Pioneering historian, sociologist, editor, novelist, poet, and organizer, W. E. B. Du Bois was one of the foremost African American intellectuals of the twentieth century. While Du Bois is remembered for his monumental contributions to scholarship and civil rights activism, the spiritual aspects of his work have been misunderstood, even negated. W. E. B. Du Bois, American Prophet, the first religious biography of this leader, illuminates the spirituality that is essential to understanding his efforts and achievements in the political and intellectual world.Often labeled an atheist, Du Bois was in fact deeply and creatively involved with religion. Historian Edward J. Blum reveals how spirituality was central to Du Bois's approach to Marxism, pan-Africanism, and nuclear



disarmament, his support for black churches, and his reckoning of the spiritual wage of white supremacy. His writings, teachings, and prayers served as articles of faith for fellow activists of his day, from student book club members to Langston Hughes.A blend of history, sociology, literary criticism, and religious reflection in the model of Du Bois's best work, W. E. B. Du Bois, American Prophet recasts the life of this great visionary and intellectual for a new generation of scholars and activists.Honorable Mention, 2007 Gustavus Myers Center Outstanding Book Awards