--- product_id: 4404902 title: "Jesus and the Disinherited" price: "£13.33" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4404902-jesus-and-the-disinherited store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Jesus and the Disinherited **Price:** £13.33 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Jesus and the Disinherited - **How much does it cost?** £13.33 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4404902-jesus-and-the-disinherited) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Famously known as the text that Martin Luther King Jr. sought inspiration from in the days leading up to the Montgomery bus boycott, Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited helped shape the civil rights movement and changed our nation’s history forever. In this classic theological treatise, the acclaimed theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1900-1981) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower--it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God's justice prevail. Review: Beautiful and Powerful Masterpiece - Howard Thurman is well known as one of the 20th century's great mystics, thinkers, and spiritual leaders. "Jesus and the Disinherited" may be his best known book, and it's certainly his most influential. Martin Luther King, Jr. carried a copy with him in his travels and it grounded him as much as any book. It's certainly worth the accolades. It's a small book, and its organization is basic. Thurman begins by describing people under oppression as the people "With their backs to the wall." Most of what Christians have written about the role of the teachings of Christ in conversations about oppressed people comes from the perspective of those with power who have an obligation to help those who do not have power. Thurman affirms this approach, and compares it to the perspective of Paul, who, though a Jew and regularly persecuted for the Gospel, always had the power to assert his Roman citizenship. His was a chosen powerlessness, and he occasionally chose to use his societal power. Jesus, God Incarnate, chose to take his place among those "with their backs to the wall." Thurman believes that Jesus' life and teachings can only be understood from this vantage point. He argues that those who have never been powerless cannot fully understand what it means to have society's structures and systems turned not to their benefit and protection but to their subjugation and humiliation. Thurman describes how the life and teachings of Jesus relate to the great enemies of the soul--fear, deception, and hate. He is a master not only of the faith but also of psychology and society. The final chapter is about love, and how love between those in power and those with their backs against the wall can only be the result of relationships built on mutuality. He thinks the church is the best place for such relationships to form, and laments that congregations are so segregated and do not allow such relationships to form. Love is a miracle, and all of society makes the enemies of the soul and the possibility of the love Jesus describes incredibly difficult. One of the great wonders of the Jesus story is that he is a person with his back against the wall who was able to demonstrate the possibility of living in an oppressive situation without giving in to fear, deception, or hate. Jesus was able to love, even his enemies. This fact alone gives tremendous hope that those with their backs against the wall may actually live in such a way. Thurman certainly did. Howard Thurman wrote in the midst of the Civil Rights struggle, and he talks about his conversations with a grandmother who had spent her childhood in slavery. People like me, who take our freedom and privilege for granted, should read the book, if for no other reason, to get a sense of the interior struggles others face. Our world is full of fear, deception, and hate. The kind of love Jesus demonstrates and Thurman describes is rare, indeed. This book is a training manual for those who would live in this world with souls untouched by its cruelty. Review: Insightful, eye opening, challenging - As a white male, I have always had great compassion for my black brothers and sisters. I did struggle to understand the depth of their suffering and the feeling that their backs were always against the wall! Now that I have grandchildren of color who also share my bloodline I am deeper in that understanding. This book did reveal so many of the challenges of people of color and not much has changed sine the book was written! To love like Jesus taught Howard to love feels beyond my human capability in this present day! Jesus help me! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #8,096 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #41 in Inspirational Spirituality (Books) #95 in Christian Inspirational #127 in Christian Personal Growth | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 4,185 Reviews | ## Images ![Jesus and the Disinherited - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81nPe1vWUBL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful and Powerful Masterpiece *by N***D on March 21, 2012* Howard Thurman is well known as one of the 20th century's great mystics, thinkers, and spiritual leaders. "Jesus and the Disinherited" may be his best known book, and it's certainly his most influential. Martin Luther King, Jr. carried a copy with him in his travels and it grounded him as much as any book. It's certainly worth the accolades. It's a small book, and its organization is basic. Thurman begins by describing people under oppression as the people "With their backs to the wall." Most of what Christians have written about the role of the teachings of Christ in conversations about oppressed people comes from the perspective of those with power who have an obligation to help those who do not have power. Thurman affirms this approach, and compares it to the perspective of Paul, who, though a Jew and regularly persecuted for the Gospel, always had the power to assert his Roman citizenship. His was a chosen powerlessness, and he occasionally chose to use his societal power. Jesus, God Incarnate, chose to take his place among those "with their backs to the wall." Thurman believes that Jesus' life and teachings can only be understood from this vantage point. He argues that those who have never been powerless cannot fully understand what it means to have society's structures and systems turned not to their benefit and protection but to their subjugation and humiliation. Thurman describes how the life and teachings of Jesus relate to the great enemies of the soul--fear, deception, and hate. He is a master not only of the faith but also of psychology and society. The final chapter is about love, and how love between those in power and those with their backs against the wall can only be the result of relationships built on mutuality. He thinks the church is the best place for such relationships to form, and laments that congregations are so segregated and do not allow such relationships to form. Love is a miracle, and all of society makes the enemies of the soul and the possibility of the love Jesus describes incredibly difficult. One of the great wonders of the Jesus story is that he is a person with his back against the wall who was able to demonstrate the possibility of living in an oppressive situation without giving in to fear, deception, or hate. Jesus was able to love, even his enemies. This fact alone gives tremendous hope that those with their backs against the wall may actually live in such a way. Thurman certainly did. Howard Thurman wrote in the midst of the Civil Rights struggle, and he talks about his conversations with a grandmother who had spent her childhood in slavery. People like me, who take our freedom and privilege for granted, should read the book, if for no other reason, to get a sense of the interior struggles others face. Our world is full of fear, deception, and hate. The kind of love Jesus demonstrates and Thurman describes is rare, indeed. This book is a training manual for those who would live in this world with souls untouched by its cruelty. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Insightful, eye opening, challenging *by A***R on January 27, 2026* As a white male, I have always had great compassion for my black brothers and sisters. I did struggle to understand the depth of their suffering and the feeling that their backs were always against the wall! Now that I have grandchildren of color who also share my bloodline I am deeper in that understanding. This book did reveal so many of the challenges of people of color and not much has changed sine the book was written! To love like Jesus taught Howard to love feels beyond my human capability in this present day! Jesus help me! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A vey insightful read *by G***M on December 7, 2025* Absolutely powerful book! It's relevance to today's social and spiritual environment is very pertinent. The fact that it was written in the 1940's tells me we haven't progressed very far in our society in our treatment of racial and religious minorities. This was MLK's go to source. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4404902-jesus-and-the-disinherited](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4404902-jesus-and-the-disinherited) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-06-10*