DeCaro, Louis A. Malcolm and the Cross: The Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, and Christianity. New York and London: New York University Press, 1998.

Malcolm and the Cross

After reading  two articles concerning Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam, I headed over to the Library Catalog and searched “Nation of Islam.” While we tend to relate the Civil Rights movement to Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and their nonviolence ideology, Malcolm X played a crucial role, providing a radical voice that called for a separate black country in America. This sort of radicalism is what created the polarizing personality of Malcolm X. To find the root of his beliefs, I realized works concerning the Nation of Islam would provide good background. I immediately found multiple books and articles and decided on Malcolm and the Cross: The Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, and Christianity.  Looking over the subjects covered in the book, it was clear that this book dealt with Malcolm X as a religious figure and the, sometimes hostile, relations between Islam and Christianity.

The book, in relatively poor condition, was clearly old; however its age added to its allure. The book is divided into two main parts: “Fires Which Burn Brightly: The Nation of Islam in a Christian World” and “X and the Cross: Malcolm, the Nation of Islam, and Christianity.” Each of these sections have subchapters, the first sections focusing on the founding of the Nation of Islam and its spread via Elijah Muhammad, and the second section focusing on the personality and philosophies of Malcolm X. The second section particularly interested me as I hoped to learn more about the man that was Malcolm X, a man that I had never really understood. It is clear to see that he was a man of deep religious and philosophical thought, attempting to navigate through pre-Civil Rights America with Islam as his foundation. Many of the chapters are titled with quotes from him, while the rest focus on his position in a Christian-dominated country where his voice was quieted because of the color of his skin. Malcolm X felt it his duty to tear down the racial hierarchy in America by undermining “white naturalization.” He is quoted as having said that Jesus was depicted as white “to maneuver him into worshiping the white man.” He said that much of history had been “whitened,” including historical black figures. White supremacy had permeated into every aspect of life, such as in the portrayal of a white Jesus as compared to a black Devil. It is this deep level of thinking and realization that Malcolm X had achieved and motivated him to make a change.

Just from skimming through these few chapters, the character of Malcolm X is one that would take a whole semester to understand. Near this book, I found other texts concerning the Nation of Islam and black religion. Elijah Muhammad, the man who inspired Malcolm X before X’s departure from the Nation of Islam, would without a doubt be another interesting character to explore. Both of these men and the message they promoted would be fascinating to research. I believe that their radical beliefs and philosophies make them all the more interesting.

Hudson, Dennis D. Krishna’s Mandala: Bhagavata Religion and Beyond. New Dehli: Oxford University Press, 2010

My started with a visit to the library’s catalog. From there I used a keyword search for “Vaishnavism,” because I feel like the different sects of the religions we have learned about, Hinduism in particular, could provide for fascinating research. Studying Vaishnavism could also further uncover the monotheistic aspects of Hinduism we mentioned in class. Krishna’s Mandala was the first return I got and upon further investigation, I saw the book had a whole chapter devoted to Vaishnavism. After seeing that the other chapters put an emphasis on scriptures in the scriptures of Hinduism, I realized this was the book for me and after a quick through the stacks, I had found what I was looking for.

Upon seeing the book, the cover immediately captivated me because of the interesting painting adorning the top of it. It appears to depict Krishna and another deity riding on a chariot pulled by many horses towards an army of elephants, which is wild. Looking into the table of contents, I came to discover the book is divided into three sections, each with their own chapters. The first section “Tales of Two Cities,” was split into four chapters, each of which describing the mythology behind the city of Madurai, a city in South India populated by the Tamils. The first chapter “Madurai: The City as Goddess” was of particular interest because it showed the connection between society and Hinduism. The city, along with other cities, was thought to symbolize a deity. The second section, “Reading Bhagavata Texts – Temples and Tomes,” seemed to highlight the history of the Bhagavad Gita and the role it played in society, specifically in the “The Initiation of the Emperor” chapter which appears to like the text to the monarchy. The third section titled “Antal and the Sri Vaishnava World,” was of particular interest to me because it finally addressed the sect of Vaishnavism, namely its founding and theology. Antal, a female goddess from the Bhagavad Gita, “expounds” Vaishnava traditions and is revered by the sect. This section especially helps when trying to relate Vaishnavism to the scriptures and its interpretation of them.

Near Krishna’s Mandala is saw many writings about the tantras and different sects of Hinduism as well as the tales of different religious figures. The various books on the tantras represents their importance in Hinduism, an importance that would be intriguing to investigate. The book titled Vaisnavism looked interesting and would be very helpful if I further research Hindu sects. Another book, Reconstructing Tradition, also seems like it would provide for an fascinating read as the ambiguity of the title leaves the door open to so many possibilities.