underground railroad – Scott J. Pearson’s Book Review

Walking the Way of Harriet Tubman: Public Mystic & Freedom Fighter

By Scott J. Pearson | March 14, 2023March 14, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Christian and Islamic mysticisms make as their goal to achieve greater union with God. These forms of spirituality tend towards an individualistic interpretation of this goal. An individual privately seeks a mystic union with God. In contrast, African mysticism has traditionally been rooted in benefiting the community. Union with God is seen as benefitting the entire group. Contemporary African-American religion combines both of these approaches in an approach Therese Taylor-Stinson calls “public mysticism.” She explores…

Harriet Tubman by Adrian Ramos

By Scott J. Pearson | March 19, 2020April 4, 2020 by Scott J. Pearson

Americans, like me, prefer to think of their country as valuing where you end up rather than where you were born. They like to think that they judge people based on the content of their character rather than the peculiarities of their parentage. If these suppositions suggest how American someone is, then Harriet Tubman is about as American as they get. This biography helps us understand why. At 141 pages, Ramos’ work is not a…