Episode 41: James Baldwin is bringing the fire with Dr. Cornel West

Published: Oct. 21, 2021, 1:14 p.m.

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I am pleased to share a very special episode of Sacred and Profane, our first episode recorded in front of a live audience, and with the amazing Dr. Cornel West! The context for this episode is that the Classic Learning Test (which has sponsored several episodes this season, and on whose board of academic advisors I happily serve) held its third annual higher education summit in beautiful Annapolis, Maryland, and invited me to record an episode for the educators who had gathered for three wonderful days to discuss aspects of the summit\\u2019s theme: Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.\\u201d The result is the conversation that is episode 41, in which Cornel West and I discuss James Baldwin\\u2019s The Fire Next Time and Go Tell it on the Mountain. Cornel argues that Baldwin is a \\u201cSocratic prophet\\u201d and a \\u201clove warrior\\u201d, and that if we only approach him through a political lens we will miss or misunderstand so much of what he has to say. Cornel helpfully traces out some of Baldwin\\u2019s main influences: From Conrad and James to Mahalia Jackson and Ray Charles, but argues that, in the end, Go Tell it on the Mountain is a profoundly Augustinian novel. As always, I hope you enjoy our conversation.

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