Introducing Prophetic Pragmatism: A Dialogue on Hope, the Philosophy of Race, and the Spiritual Blues

(Hardback)

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Prophetic pragmatism is a gritty philosophical framework that undergirds the intellectual and political work done by those who seek to overcome despair, dogmatism, and oppression. It seeks to unite ones intellectual vocation and ones duty to fight for justice. Cognizant of the ways in which political forces affect thought, while also requiring political action to not be so sure of itself that it simply replaces one oppressive structure with another, prophetic pragmatism requires a critical temper through the mode of Socratic questioning. Introducing Prophetic Pragmatism argues that hope lies between critical temper and democratic faith. Socratic questioning, prophetic witness, and tragicomic hope open a space for democratic energies to flourish against the forces of nihilism and poverty. Critical temper keeps democratic faith from becoming too idealistic and Pollyannaish, and democratic faith keeps critical temper from being pessimistic about the ability to change current realities. These twin pillars provide the best and most helpful framework for understanding the nature and purpose of prophetic pragmatism. Through their dialogue, Jacob L. Goodson and Brad Elliott demonstrate why prophetic pragmatism is, in the words of Cornel West, pragmatism at its best.

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The power ofIntroducing Prophetic Pragmatismlies in its co-authorship. In scholarly friendship, Goodson and Stone debate, explore, respond, and sometimes agree to disagree about the meaning and relevant contexts of Cornel West's groundbreaking work. The result is a fresh approach to understanding prophetic pragmatism. -- Shannon Sullivan, UNC Charlotte

Author Bio

Jacob L. Goodson is assistant professor of philosophy at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. Brad Elliott Stone is professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.