In this episode of Exploring A Course in Miracles, Robert and Emily Perry explore an often overlooked dimension of the Course’s history: the influence of Black voices and Black religious culture. Recorded during Black History Month, this conversation brings forward connections that have rarely been discussed in the Course community. From Helen Schucman’s early spiritual formation in a Harlem Baptist church to the appearance of African American cultural influences within the Course itself, the episode uncovers surprising threads woven into the story of A Course in Miracles. Among the topics discussed:
- The profound influence of Idabel, the Black Baptist housekeeper who helped shape Helen Schucman’s early spiritual life
- How an African proverb entered the Course through a remark by an elevator operator
- The connection between the Course and James Weldon Johnson, a Harlem Renaissance writer and civil rights leader
- Helen Schucman’s poem “Glory Train,” inspired by the tradition of Black spirituals
- What the teachings of A Course in Miracles may offer in conversations about equality, healing, and spiritual liberation
This episode also reflects on the unique way the Course presents a vision of radical spiritual equality—a vision that rejects hierarchy and affirms that everyone without exception is equal in God’s eyes.
