Thurman's explanation of the subtitle of the book, 'Meditations for the Apostles of Sensitiveness', is also worth noting. Through them, I joined the spiritual quest of those to whom I ministered.' But there was more! The meditations were an experience of my own hunger and hope. In his autobiography, Thurman writes further about the meditations: 'From the beginning, the meditations were a channel through which I was able to place my own resources at the disposal of those who shared experientially in my pilgrimage. Thurman remarked that this was evidence of how 'deep is the hunger' for spirituality and the title for the book was born. In a meeting with the publisher, the publisher remarked that a friend had given a series of lectures about religion which had been attended primarily by psychiatrists.

In his autobiography, 'With Head and Heart', Thurman's explained the origin of the book's title. Thurman ultimately gathered his meditations into three volumes of which 'Deep is the Hunger' is the first. Thurman's work for the church was a lasting accomplishment.ĭuring the course of his work, Thurman prepared short weekly meditations for Sunday services together with additional short remarks he delivered before sessions of silent meditation. This church was the first ecumenical house of worship in the United States and welcomed individuals from every racial, national, or religious background. Between his positions as chaplain at Howard University and at Boston University, Howard Thurman (1899 - 1981) co-founded the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco and served as its pastor from 1944 - 1954.

Deep Is the Hunger by Howard Thurman