Benjamin Elijah Mays

His views on how God and Religion serves Mankind andHow Mankind should serve God

Ronald Barnes, AuthorDecember 12, 2015

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Benjamin Elijah Mays (Born: August 1, 1894 – Died: March 28,

1984) was an American black minister, educator, sociologist,

social activist and the president of Morehouse

College in Atlanta, Georgia from 1940 to 1967. He was also a

mentor and respected advisor to civil rights leader Martin Luther

King Jr. i Mays was highly critical of segregation even prior to

the modern civil rights movement which for all practical purposes

began in 1955 with Rosa Parks’ refusal to go to the back of the

bus in segregated Birmingham, Alabama. I can argue that Benjamin

Mays, the man, cannot be accurately evaluated, understood or

assessed without acknowledgement of his belief in God and

devotion to his Christian faith. To talk about Benjamin Mays is

to talk about a man who was sincerely

concerned about others.

The purpose of this thesis is to present

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the views of Benjamin Mays on how God and Religion serves mankind

and his views on how mankind should serve God. First I will

investigate and identify the schools of thought Mays was exposed

in his early academic life that were instrumental in shaping his

own thinking about the “idea of God” and how that idea influences

or should influence human behavior. Next I will present how

exposure to these “ideologies of God” gave clarity and refined

definition to Mays’ specific views on how God and Religion serves

man and how man should serve God. Finally, I will comment on and

present my own viewpoints on the relevance of Mays’ ideas to our

modern 21st century society. There is more clarity to the issue

“How God and Religion serves mankind”, as the Bible clearly

states the purpose of religion, God and Jesus. There is less

clarity regarding “How mankind should serve God”. Even though the

Bible states specifically “How mankind should serve God” the

ambiguity is in how mankind actually does serve God. One can

argue the paradox in this difference. How God serves man is an

unwavering issue in the viewpoint of a true Christian. How man

serves God is complicated by mankind’s free will which often has

standard deviation form religious intentions of God as identified

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in the Bible, at least according to Benjamin Mays.

Benjamin Elijah Mays was born in Ninety Six, South Carolina, the

youngest of eight children; his parents were tenant farmers and

former slaves. As a child, seeing his father threatened by a

white mob during an election riot made a deep impression.ii After

being enrolled in Virginia Union University for one year, he

transferred to Bates College in Maine, where he obtained

his B.A. in 1920. Mays then attended the University of Chicago as

a graduate student, completing his M.A. in 1925 and his Ph.D. in

the School of Religion in 1935. While in graduate school Mays

worked as a Pullman Porter. He also worked as a student assistant

to Dr. Lacey Kirk Williams, pastor of Olivet Baptist Church in

Chicago and President of the National Baptist Convention, USA,

Inc.

While working on his doctorate, Mays and Joseph Nicholson

published a study entitled The Negro's Church, the first

sociological study of the black church in the United States. His

Doctoral thesis, written in 1935, was on the topic of “The Idea

of God in Contemporary Negro Literature”. Four years later in

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1938, he published a refined commercial version of this thesis

entitled “The Negro's God as Reflected in His Literature.”

His professional experiences include the following:- 1926 -Executive secretary of the Tampa, Florida Urban

League. - 1928 -National Student Secretary of the YMCA.

1934 -Dean of the School of Religion at Howard University in Washington, - 1940 -President of Morehouse College- 1967 -President of Atlanta School Board

As Morehouse President, Dr. Mays steered the financially

suffering Morehouse College into a financially secure

institution.iii   One of Dr. Mays’ primary goals as president of

Morehouse was to establish a proud academic and professional

legacy for the College. He introduced the esteemed tradition of

producing Morehouse Men. A Morehouse Man was a highly educated

black professional, dedicated to service. Specifically, Dr. Mays

wanted his Morehouse Men to be physicians, lawyers, and

ministers. In addition to their success, he believed that they

must be Christians who gave back to the black community.iv His

most famous student there was someone who benefitted deeply from

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Dr. Mays' educational and religious philosophies and leadership,

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  They developed a close relationship

that continued until Dr. King's death in 1968. Dr. King referred

to Dr. Mays as his "Spiritual Mentor", and he saw in Dr. Mays

"the ideal of what I (King) wanted a minister to be." Mays

delivered the eulogy for King at his funeral.

Although Mays’ life was abundantly productive there are two major

traits that characterize and preoccupied his professional life;

1) the dignity of all human beings and 2) the gap between

American democratic ideals and American social practices. Those

became key elements of the message of King and the American civil

rights movement. Mays developed these themes at length in his

book “Seeking to Be a Christian in Race Relations”, published in

1957. After his retirement in 1967 from Morehouse, Mays was

elected president of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of

Education, where he supervised the peaceful desegregation of

Atlanta's public schools. He published two autobiographies, “Born

to Rebel” (1971), and “Lord, the People Have Driven Me

On” (1981). In 1982, he was awarded the Spingarn Medal from

the NAACP. Mays died in Atlanta on March 28, 1984. He was

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entombed on the campus of Morehouse College. His wife Sadie is

entombed beside him.

It is against this backdrop in the life of Benjamin Elijah Mays

that I will present my thesis.

According to Mays (Doctoral thesis 1935) there are “ideas of God”

that support a growing consciousness of social adjustment to

reconstruct the social order to be fairer to the Negro. “Ideas of

God” support physical adjustment proving the Negro is not

inferior and entitled to all the rights and privileges as others

in the society.v Mays determined that in the “mass” amount of

Negro literature the “ideas of God” reflect the orthodox views of

Christianity as written in the Bible. Mays discusses the

traditional views of God giving the example of the mother who

prays for her children to be safe and successful in this life. In

prayer the mother is consoled. Her anxiety is satisfied even if

the facts don’t match the reality. The idea of dependence on God

influences her behavior to pray for blessings on her family. In

this effort she is relieved of worry. Her behavior is different

from people who don’t believe in God, according to Mays.vi Belief

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in the rewards of going to heaven and punishment for those who

act against God’s will and incur his wrath are basis for the idea

that God supports social adjustment that gives equal rights to

the Negro.vii Mays further points out, there is a growing

sentiment among post war writers to abandon the idea of God as an

influence in social rehabilitation.viii I would argue that the

idea of God being insignificant in social change developed as a

result of post war discrimination and Negro writers realizing

discrimination is institutionalized in America. The fact that

Negros risked their lives in the War did not change the opinions

of racist America. Negros had equal rights to die in war but not

equal rights to live equally with whites in freedom and times of

peace.

i Jelks, Randall Maurice, Walking Integrity: Benjamin Elijah Mays, Mentor to Martin Luther King Jrii Fordham, Damon L., Voices of Black South Carolina: Legend & Legacy, P 125-126iii Jelks, Randal Maurice. Benjamin Elijah Mays, Schoolmaster of the Movementiv Roper, John Herbert. Magnificent Mays: A Biography of Benjamin Elijah Maysvii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P15

viii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P16

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Mays indicates the needs of the Negro group, the minority

disadvantaged group, are different from those of the privileged

group and the behavior of the suppressed group is different from

the behavior of the privileged group. Mays sites a study by H.A.

Miller (Races, Nations and Classes. P. 35) that asserts the

minority groups suffer from a “oppression psychosis”. This

condition according to Miller is symptomatic of the oppressed

group being “abnormally subjective and unable to view their

problems objectively”. The oppressed group is resentful, super

sensitive to insult and has a guarded suspicion of the dominant

group. Miller also states the minority group develops an

inferiority complex which makes them overly aggressive in

attempts to make up for being inferior. In effect this causes the

minority group to create a solidarity which otherwise would not

be created.ix Mays does not deny these assertions but cites them

as main reasons the needs of the Negro are distinctly different

v Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P. ii - iii

vi Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P14

ix Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P16

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from whites which gives credibility to how the “idea of God” has

developed in contemporary Negro literature.x

Mays does note that ideas of God relative to how Negro literature

presents them varies with the times and the conditions under

which they live, their economic, social and political status.

“Ideas of God” are expressed not only in Negro literature but

also in song, spirituals that Mays considers one of the major

contributions to American culture.xi Also much of the idea and

perception Negros had of God is contained in Religious Spiritual

song, created by slaves out of necessity to enable them to better

survive in America. Spirituals with themes such as; “Nobody knows

the trouble I see, Nobody know but Jesus”; “Sometimes I feel like

a motherless child”; “Every time I feel the spirit”; “Oh when I

come to die, give me Jesus”; and “Steal away to Jesus” are

examples of Negro spirituals that express these feelings,

thoughts and conditions of the Negro experience. Negro spirituals

x Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P17

xi Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P120

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expressed a dependence on Jesus in times of distress for comfort.

God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent and belief that

God answers those who pray is the basic to the Negro spiritual

and religious life, at least during the era Benjamin Mays wrote

his thesis (1935). The “ideas of God” expressed in spirituals are

found in the Bible or inspired by Biblical scripture. The Negro

spirituals imply God will answer the prayers of his children. The

belief that God will make things right in this world or the next

(afterlife) is based on traditional Biblical interpretation. Also

Benjamin Mays presents the argument that the misery suffered by

Negroes is indicative that they are God’s “chosen vessel” and God

is preparing Negroes for victory and triumph at the end, “the

harder the cross, the brighter the crown”. That Negroes have

endured centuries of oppression and for the most part suffered

without revolution, bitterness and maintained a “reserved

resolve” is the basis of Mays argument for Negroes as the chosen

people. xii It is this belief in God according to Mays that has

allowed Negroes to prevail with a relative “emotional poise and

balance” up until the time of this thesis (1935).xiii

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Furthermore Mays raises the argument Negro spirituals were not

only born out of the religious spiritual conviction of Negroes

but also from the social conditions Negroes were forced to

endure, during slavery and until this present time.xiv Mays sites

that “other-worldly” “ideas of God” is not a new concept. The

Jews after centuries of oppression adopted the belief they could

not get relief in this world on earth and believed their

salvation was in the afterlife. An enlightening argument raised

by Mays is that as the social and economic condition in society

improves, the same situations become less advantageous for

Negroes. Whites prosper in times of prosperity yet even in

prosperous times conditions become worse for Negroes. As a

result, the churches have a significant and dominant role in the

lives of Negroes, disadvantaged people and the working class.

Their opportunities are less than those of the business dominant

class which increases their need to find comfort in religion. xii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P 27

xiii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P27

xiv Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P30

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Mays indicates this as one significant reason the “idea of God”,

the church and religion has been and still is a dominant force in

the lives of Negroes, working class people and oppressed people.

In Mays’ thesis and his early writings “ideas of God” were

expressed in sermons and speeches delivered by a number of

sermons and speeches which also includes some of his own thinking

and that of others to whom he references, Mays references sermons

that give insight into what he calls the “idea of God”. One such

sermon is as follows:xv

“We have so many folks today to whom God is speaking, trying to get them to repent, to listen but they are stubborn. The Christian world is not in harmony with God and God is pleading for them to come back to him, but the folks won’t hear God, so God causes calamity to come unto them.”

“You are too busy with things of the world to stop and confer with God. You are compassed about with things of theworld and saying that it is impossible for you to find timeto “work for God.” God will lay such persons on the bed of affliction -- too busy to serve him.” (Mays and Nicholson, op. Cit., p.87)xvi

xv Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P38

xvi Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P38

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Mays acknowledge that it is not clear in this quote what “Working

for God” means. He suggests that working for God implies

shouting, singing, praying and spreading the word in order to

escape the “wrath of God” and escape eternity in “burning hell.”

According to Mays it is the “idea of God” that keeps people from

doing wrong. Mays associates the “idea of God” as deterrent from

sin and belief “God will fight ones battles, solve ones problems,

he will hear and answer prayers, he will help those who pray and

punish those who do not pray.”xvii The idea of God “enables the

individual to be at peace and calm when conditions are stifling

and all but unbearable. This condition serves as an opiate for

people.”xviii This idea of God is traditional and based on Biblical

reference.

Mays takes his argument further by saying, “salvation and

security are sought in God. God makes specific and exact demands

xvii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P39

xviii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P39

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on mankind because mankind owes everything to God, including

mankind’s very existence. Mays’ argument is that God makes

demands on man to demonstrate appreciation, gratitude and

thankfulness for what God has given mankind. Among the demands

God makes on mankind are serving humanity to make one’s life more

livable as well as the life of others. Serving God includes

serving humanity to bring more opportunity to groups, people and

races that are denied them. Mays clearly states “God makes urgent

social demands upon man for the debt he owes to him.”xix It is

this belief Mays indicates gives responsibility to Mankind to

take responsibility for the betterment of life and equal

opportunity for all of mankind, including minorities, the working

class and especially the Negro. Mays believes the “idea of God

should transcend race and be interpreted considering ethical,

moral and social values. According to Mays God demands clean

hearts, free of envy, hate and malice. The rights of every man

should be respected. He further believes the “idea of God” should

evolve to include not only worship but also forgiveness of others

xix Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P41

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and social justice and equal opportunity for all. Simply to pray

with expect to achieve salvation and God’s grace is useless

without being accompanied with works of responsibility toward

ones fellow mankind.xx According to Mays God loves and is

interested in the welfare and development of everyone regardless

of class, race, creed or color. Every person should enjoy social

and economic security. In other words, Mays express thoughts that

the “idea of God” does not encourage a person to wait until death

to be compensated for his plight in his earthly existence but

rather mankind should enjoy the benefits of prosperity and equal

rights while living in his earthly existence. xxi

Themes presented by Mays delivered in various sermons giving definition to the “idea of God” are as follows:

“it is the spirit of God in the life of an individual that transforms them”xxii

“the Negro is the chosen race and God is on his side”xxiii

“health, life and security from disease come from God”xxiv

“God fights for those who ask and he guides, protects and xx Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P43

xxi Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P45

xxii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P46

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counsels them”xxv

“God will save us to eternal life”xxvi

“God is the author of all life and all life is precious in God’s sight”xxvii

Mays presents another evolution theory in the “idea of God.” Mays

credits Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, President of Howard University at

the time, and Carter G. Woodson with advancing an “idea of God”

that requires the abandonment of the “White man’s religion”, the

“White man’s Christianity” and realization it is not in the best

interest of Negroes to follow this brand of Christianity.xxviii

According to Mays, Johnson and Woodson shared common opinions in

a positive belief in democracy and religion but not as it is

represented, practiced and manifested in the actions and behavior

xxiii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P47

xxiv Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P49

xxv Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P49

xxvi Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P52

xxvii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P61

xxviii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P147

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of the “white man.” They believed the Negro will never achieve

economic, political, social or spiritual equality and liberty in

America as long as Negroes subscribe to a religious system

developed by the “White man.” Mays, referencing a comment by

Carter G. Woodson stating; Negroes by “following the religious

teachings of their traducers, the Negroes do not show any more

common sense than a people would in permitting criminals to enact

the laws and establish the procedure of the courts by which they

are to be tried.”xxix Personally, it appears to me they do

exercise a sound logic. Woodson and Johnson, according to Mays

have different reasons for criticizing the “White mans” religion.

Woodson because it is a religion “that has been used to justify

slavery; Johnson because economic, political and spiritual

liberty are denied.”xxx Both men confessed beliefs that people who

believe in the one true God, the God of Jesus would not

exterminate, discriminate, oppress or exploit other human

beings.xxxi

According to mays, the viewpoints of Woodson and Johnson

represent a movement away from the “idea of God” based solely on

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prayer, dutiful behavior and hope for salvation at the end of

life. Even the “idea of God” with inclusion of acts directly in

tribute to God along with duty to ones fellow man does not

compromise the views of Woodson and Johnson. They believe it is

in the best interest of the Negro to abandon the White man’s

religion altogether. It is these “ideas of God” that Mays was

exposed in writing his Doctoral thesis in 1835.

In his book, “Christianity on Trial”, Mark Chapman, associate

professor of African American Studies at Fordham University,

cites the contributions of Black Scholars and Theologians

Benjamin Mays and Howard Thurman, two pre-black power

theologians, as examples of Black men who worked against racism

and black men with intelligence and ability comparable or

superior to most whites. According to Chapman both Mays and

Thurman believed the Church should use their resources to solve xxix Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P148

xxx Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P149

xxxi Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P149

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the race problem and end segregation. Mays points out that

nowhere in the Bible is racism supported. Stating, that God does

not judge people based on their race.xxxii According to Chapman,

Mays firmly believed in God and was a defender of the poor,

further adding it was Jesus’ belief in God and man that gave him

courage and willingness to die on the cross.xxxiii While Thurman

and Mays continued to support Christianity and believed

Christianity to be the solution to racism, others of their era

did not agree, Elijah Muhammad being one. Mr. Muhammad, like

Woodson and Johnson believed Christianity was the white man’s

religion and Blacks would never gain freedom from oppression

while they practice Christianity.xxxiv Both Muhammad and Mays

argued the hypocrisy in Christianity however they differed in the

value of Christianity to Black Americans.xxxv

Muhammad arguments against Christianity being a viable religion

for Black people included the following: xxxvi

xxxii Chapman, Mark L. Christianity on Trial, p. 38

xxxiii Chapman, Mark L. Christianity on Trial, p. 38

xxxiv Chapman, Mark L. Christianity on Trial, p. 42

xxxv Chapman, Mark L. Christianity on Trial, p. 46

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1 The races should be separated because Blacks will neverreceive equal treatment from whites under a racist government and racist society

2 God was Black and the first humans in the world were Black. White people were created in scientific experiments by a Black man named Yakub for the purpose of evil.

3 Slavery alone is sufficient to discredit Christianity.4 If Christianity were a good religion, Black people

would not be begging for civil rights.5 Christianity is misleading in teaching Black people to

“love your enemies”. While Muslims are not a violent people they do believe in “an eye for an eye” as a means of self-defense against their enemies.

6 Whites promoted self-hatred among Blacks. Self- hatred must be replaced with self-love and this cannot be accomplished under Christianity.

7 Muhammad, himself could not understand why Black peoplewould want to follow a religion the practices segregation and defiles blackness.

While Mays shared partial beliefs with Mr. Muhammad he still

believed that Christianity, if practiced as God, Jesus and the

Bible scriptures intended or if practiced consistent with the

“idea of God”, contained the remedy for solving the

discrimination problems in America against African Americans,

minorities, working class and other disenfranchised people.

In support of the “idea of God” and Christianity, Mays concludes the following:

xxxvi Chapman, Mark L. Christianity on Trial, p. 45-64

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“the Negros firm faith in God has saved him up to this point, from violent revolutionary methods of achieving his rights. His faith in God has not only served as an opiate for the Negro but it has suggested and indicated pacific and legal methods of achieving them. ... unless liberal or progressive religion moves more progressively to the left in the effort toachieve complete citizenship for the Negro, the more irreligious the Negros become, the more militant and communistic they will become in their efforts to attain full manhood in American life. ... prior to 1914, one finds no “ideas of God” that imply doubt and repudiation. Since the warand particularly since 1920, there is a wave of cynicism, doubts and frustrations in the writings of young Negroes whereGod is discussed.”xxxvii

I take this statement by Mays on the “idea of a Christian God” to

mean that Christianity has saved the Negro from harm up to this

point in history (that the outcome of a Negro revolution would

have been favorable to the Negro is doubtful). It is my

understanding Mays views this as a positive attribute of

Christianity. One that prevented Mays from entertaining the

notion to abandon Christianity as did Johnson, Woodson and

Muhammad. However, I believe Mays recognizes the ambiguity in the

way Christianity is practiced and the way it serves as a remedy

for the condition of disadvantaged people, especially Negroes.

Still he is not accepting of Christianity as it serves Negroes in

xxxvii Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P175

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America. Another well know African American scholar that has

views similar to those of Woodson, Johnson and Muhammad is Dr.

James Cone.

In his autobiography, “Seeking to be a Christian”, Mays begins by

stating “the most baffling problem confronting mankind today

(1957) is the problem of race.” Mays discuss the difficulty and

challenge race relations places on maintaining a Christian

character.xxxviii One interesting argument raised by Mays is that

“man cannot build the world as he pleases”. The Pharaohs, Cyrus

the Great, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, the Caesars,

Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, Hitler, Mussolini and others are

mentioned by Mays as people who have tried to enforce their will

on their respective societies yet failed in relatively short time

because it is God, not man, who determines the fate and moral

ethical rotation of the world.xxxix God has created the kind of

justice that enables man to live in harmony with others and only

Gods shaping of mankind’s interrelationships will endure over the

xxxviii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. ixxxxix Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 4

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long run, according to Mays. Neither money, military might, most

populated nor any other material advantage has authority over the

Christian faith, according to Mays.xl Even the scientist

according to Mays is dependent on God. Prediction of a scientific

occurrence, such as a comet appearance, or an astronomical

prediction or even a medical phenomenon discovery is dependent on

God because what the scientist calls natural law, order and logic

in the universe that allows predictions and discoveries to take

place, the Christian calls God.xli Attempts to abolish

Christianity during early and ancient Roman history failed in

spite of torture and killings of Christians. In the face of death

Christianity prevailed. The Nazi attempt to abolish Christianity

between 1939 -1945 by exalting Karl Marx and by substituting

Hitler for Christ was a failure. Mays raises these issue pointing

out that Christianity has an endurance and presence in our world

that represents the power and undeniable purpose of an

irrefutable God.xlii However, every belief in God must be belief

in a universal God of justice, mercy and love, non-racist,

xl Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 5

xli Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 5

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without class or status consciousness and a God for all people

otherwise the “idea of God” among mankind is inaccurate and does

not represent the true God in the Bible, according to Mays.xliii

Mays makes and interesting argument, stating that God created

man, unique to other animals. God gave man attributes that

distinguish him as a special creature in God’s world and it is a

“foolish notion” of man to create their own “special distinctions

merely because he belongs to a particular race, nation or

family.”xliv As science has determined the commonality and kinship

among all human beings, man has not authority to deny God’s

domain as the author and father of mankind. “Either God is the

father and creator of all or he is the father and creator of

none”, so says Mays.xlv

Another argument advanced by Mays is that Christianity upholds

xlii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 6-5

xliii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 7

xliv Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 9

xlv Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 12

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the free will of man. Man is never wholly a slave to his

prevailing conditions. Man has ability to rise above any

situation that confronts him. This creates the potential (though

unrealized to the extent Mays perceives Gods will for it to be)

for all mankind (Jews, Negroes, Gentiles, Whites, Asians,

Hispanic, young, old, rich, poor) to live harmoniously without

prejudice. It is deep-seated prejudice and man’s free will acting

against God’s preference that causes the diffraction among human

beings. Free will can be a good thing when exercised in

accordance with God’s will.xlvi Free will acting against the will

of God will be evaluated by God on judgment day, according to my

understanding of how Mays views the gift of free-will.

Mays raises another interesting issue in “Seeking to become a

Christian in Race Relations” by raising the point, Jesus’

troubles began and persisted to his death because he believed in

man. That Jesus professed belief in God was a non-threatening

issue because belief in a God or a super-human deity was common

in those times. In his pursuit to combine the integrated belief xlvi Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 15

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in man with his belief in God along with his failure to deny

being perceived as the messiah attracted the jealous envy of

Pharisees toward Jesus that eventually lead to his death. “… love

God and love your fellow man” (Matthew 22:35-40), Mays references

as basic to the thinking of Jesus. Mays attributes man’s “ultra-

selfish” nature as the “cardinal sin of mankind” especially in “a

nation that wants to be God, in the race that wants special

privileges or in the individual who sees and judges everything

according to his own likes or dislikes.” xlvii

Mays quotes Genesis 3:2-5 to substantiate man’s recognition of

his limitation is the moment sin entered the world. Man’s

dissatisfaction with himself and stupid jealously of God is an

ignorant weakness in man to attain the unattainable. Man’s pride

in wanting to be what he is not creates self-deception that leads

mankind astray from the will of God.xlviii Religion centered on man

becomes estranged from the will of God. Man loses perception of

the center of his ground of being which should be God but the

xlvii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 17

xlviii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 20

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center of man’s being becomes man, himself, and his own selfish

interest. This condition according to Mays causes mankind to lose

their focus of God as well as loss of the true “idea of God”.xlix

Mays’ position on the “idea of God” is brought into focus in his

autobiography, “Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations”. It

is the issue of race combined with Mays’ own Christian spiritual

character that leads to his belief that a true Christian cannot

separate devotion to God from his devotion to his fellow man.

Race is the vehicle Mays uses to highlight mankind’s relationship

to his fellow man because of the highly visible and

discriminating nature of race relations. This gives Mays a “birds

eye” insight into the realization that Christianity and Religion

is based on mankind’s relationship with God combined with

mankind’s relationship with mankind.l

Mays express an insightful viewpoint into the Church culture in

America. According to Mays, American churches (of all xlix Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 24-32

l Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 33-42

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denominations) deny they are solely an earthly institution,

created by man. The Christian church also denies it has ultimate

purpose to and final obligation to mankind. According to Mays the

church in America has “ultimate allegiance to God” and is not

responsible to the state nor has responsibility to conform to the

ways of the world. The American church holds “there must be a

tension between it and the world.”li Being an institution of

worship, it is improper for any church in America to deny anyone

freedom to worship, especially based on race. Any difference in

language, service procedure, or liturgy may be reason for people

to separate themselves from a church or choose not to worship at

that particular church but that is decision for the individual,

not the church as God’s agent on earth.lii According to Mays, the

Old Testament, the New Testament, the early church, science, the

World Council of Churches, national church bodies (National

Council of the Churches of Christ in the US, The Federal Council

of Churches in Christ in America, The Methodist Church, The

United Presbyterian Church of North America and more), all

denounce segregation in religious choice, worship and

practice.liii Racial discrimination became a practice when western

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imperialism exploited Africa, brought slaves to America and

segregated people along lines of color. According to Mays, this

was the first cause of overt racial discrimination and

segregation in America, as well as denial of religious practice

to become institutionalize in the modern world.liv

According to Mays, Booker T. Washington, another of our country’s

great Americans, believed it was “folly” for the Negro to try to

force whites to accept him, socially or politically. He believed

that the Negro should “strive to make himself proficient and

indispensable” in the industrial and mechanical areas of life

then rights will be achieved.lv Considering my vantage point from

21st century America, I would argue this statement is only half

true. I do agree that it is “folly” for the Negro (and in

reference to our modern times, Black person or African American) li Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 42

lii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 43

liii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 42-59

liv Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 48-49

lv Mays Benjamin E, The Development of the Idea of God in contemporary Literature, P16

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to attempt to force whites to accept them. However, it is also my

opinion that there is a radical separation between whites and

minorities in America which also includes rich and poor. American

culture is simply a discriminating culture and will be as long as

white class conscious people dictate the political, economic and

social policies in American culture.

This is my first in depth exposure to the philosophy of Benjamin

Mays. He is a well-known and respected African American citizen

of prominent status in African American history and culture as

well as in American History.. Having researched in depth into his

life, I have developed a new found appreciation for the man, the

social activist, the scholar, the minister and the Christian,

Benjamin Mays. It is common knowledge the obstacles during his

era made it far more difficult and challenging for Black people

to achieve success in America than today. His efforts paved the

way for future generations of Black people to achieve the

advances in many areas of American life (education, medicine,

sports, entertainment, law, and others). Though discrimination

against Blacks in America still has a strong presence, the verve,

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determination and will of Black people to succeed has become

stronger. I believe Black people today are not encumbered with

the obstacle of insecurity and self-doubt that restricted them

from advancing in prior generations. Black people today are much

better equipped to combat the racist enemy than in prior

generations. That being said, I do think there is a certain

degree of naivety in the sentiment expressed by Booker T.

Washington and redacted by Mays. I think it matters not, how

accomplished Black people become nor the amount of expertise

Black people acquire in their technical, industrial and

mechanical skills to contribute to American progress, there is a

cultural barrier institutionalized in American culture that

prevents white Americans from being fair and to realize their own

quality of humanity. White people are culturally socialized and

instilled with a “negative X” factor gene that prevents them from

being able to accept the concept of equal rights and fully

embrace the “idea of God” as presented by Benjamin Mays and the

Bible. This is my opinion and I am not referring to all white

people. I am referring to the institutions in America that are

controlled by whites that even the majority of decent non-

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discriminating white people are powerless to change. I do need to

make a disclaimer that the majority of whites, in my opinion, do

not fit the “negative X” gene theory. However, that

discrimination exists is cause to believe those that do fit the

“negative X gene” theory are in position to dictate the plight of

others including non-racist decent white people.

Nevertheless, it is my belief that Benjamin Mays is an example of

a man who carved his niche’ into American society with credible

productivity and success while still maintaining an honor and

pride in his African heritage. Both Mays and Muhammad found ways

to exist in America in spite of America’s racism. I do however

believe Mays was slightly naïve to think White America will

change simply because it is the right thing to do. The Bible is

in obvious dispute with the mistreatment and disrespect of one

human being to another. I believe the viewpoints held by Carter

G. Woodson and Mordecai Wyatt Johnson has more in common with the

viewpoint of Elijah Muhammad. If white society has not altogether

ended discrimination and racism in the last 150 years since

slavery was abolished, what proof is there to give hope they will

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follow the bible in terms of how one human should treat another

anytime soon or in this generation. At the risk of sounding

pessimistic, I believe Black people must seek to operate within

the American society with minimum dependence on the areas in

American society that harbor discrimination and racism. Elijah

Muhammad, regardless of what people think about him, is an

example of a Black leader that has led his people away from total

dependence on white society while at the same time operating

within the boundaries of American values and laws. At the least,

I think Mays does realize there are two types of Christianity

being practiced in America. The Christianity that serves white

people and the Christianity that disadvantaged people embrace.

Also there is the Christianity that serves all people which Mays

contends in not being practiced in America. I believe the problem

is not in the “idea of God” or in Christianity itself. The

problem is in the way the “idea of God” and Christianity is

practiced and manifested in American society. If American society

is truly a Christian society, then I believe Mays would agree

that change is required; Changes that demonstrates mankind’s

devotion to God while at the same time change that demonstrates

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mankind’s devotion to all human beings, practiced as one

Christianity.

Mays writes in his autobiography, “Lord, The People Have Driven

Me On”, about his academic experiences at Bates College in Maine.

It was here that Mays came into contact with a different caliber

of white people, a caliber different from southern whites. His

interactions and positive experiences in a predominantly white

environment caused him to realize there are many decent white

people in the world. He was treated decent, “as a person”, “as a

human being”, and “respected” for who he was by faculty,

students, men and women. It was at Bates College that Mays

developed an appreciation for white people as opposed to a benign

tolerance. He got a radically different perspective of whites

than in prior experiences that shaped his thought.lvi Possibly it

could have been this experience with whites had a slight

influence that caused Mays not to abandon his devotion to

Christianity. This is mere speculation however while Mays was

lvi Mays, Benjamin E., Lord The People Have Driven Me On, P. 21

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critical of Christianity and how whites practiced Christianity,

he still maintained his devotion to Christianity in America in

spite of his exposure to criticism by associates and peers that

Christianity is “a white man’s religion”. I have always believed

that past life experience weighs in, one way or another, on how

our life path is directed. This is my opinion.

I have a reinforced pride and respect for The University of

Chicago. Mays recollects how he was denied entrance into many

northern colleges to which he applied. Being rejected by most of

the colleges he applied and upon receiving acceptance from the

University of Chicago, Mays received words of encouragement from

his Bates College professor, Halbert Haine Britan. Britan told

Mays he need not be concerned about his rejections because the

University of Chicago is far superior to all other colleges to

which he applied and was rejected.lvii I would argue that although

Mays was a balanced and extremely intelligent man in his own

right. There is an additional balance that is given to his

lvii Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, P. 34

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psychology by the positive experience he encountered form whites

that I will assume reinforced his own character to deal with

rejections based on racism in a disappointing, yet positive

manner. Again this is speculation but as mentioned previously,

past life experience is a source that weighs in on how we respond

to other situations we confront in life. This is my opinion.

Another influence Mays encountered while attending the University

of Chicago was the relationship he developed with Professor A.E.

Hayden, a humanist. Hayden believed man did not need to rely on

God, Jesus, traditional Christian religion, angels, heaven or

hell to build a world of peace, goodwill and justice. While the

views of Hayden challenged Mays’ own Christian beliefs he was

drawn to Hayden’s humanity and the value Hayden placed on the

human being. Hearing Hayden make a speech in Rockefeller Chapel

stating the “life of one child is more important than all of the

buildings put up on the University Campus”, created a lifetime

bonding between Hayden and Mays. Mays gives Hayden credit as

being an inspiration to his own life.lviii

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That Mays held more moderate views regarding Christianity than

other of his contemporaries (Johnson, Woodson, Elijah Muhammad),

I believe the real impact of his value can be judged by his

influence on one of the greatest American human beings in history

(in my opinion), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK). Few men in

history did as much as Dr. King to change American society. The

advancements made by Black people during his (MLK) lifetime and

caused by his (MLK) efforts of gave realization to the “idea of

God” as expressed by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays. It is clear to me that

the philosophy of Dr. Mays regarding the “idea of God” was

manifested in the Christianity and Civil Rights activity

practiced by Dr. King. More so, one can witness the Christianity

espoused by Mays in the actions, efforts, speeches and life of

Dr. King. I cannot help to consider the thought of the cost to lviii Mays, Benjamin E., Lord The People Have Driven Me On, P. 47

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realize the “idea of God” as Dr. Mays advances and as Dr. King

put into action. The cost to implement the kind of Christianity

supported by Mays is evidenced in the price Dr. Martin L. King

paid, his life. What does this say about American Religion in the

20th Century? (See the attachments that indicate the relationship

between Dr. Mays and Dr. King. One can speculate and argue that

indirectly Dr. Mays was an architect of the Civil Rights

movement.

Following are some of the many letters of correspondence

exchanged between Dr. Mays and Dr. King that gives indication of

the closeness of their relationship, and the mutual value and

respect they shared for each other.

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from Benjamin E. Mays to MLK

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Mays to MLK

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 Exhibit Mays to King after Kennedy Assassination

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Correspondence November 29, 1963 (exhibit Mays to King)Atlanta, GA

Dr. Benjamin E. Mays writes to Dr. King shortly after President Kennedy's assassination to urge him

These are but a few of the letters of correspondence that speak to the relationship between Dr. Benjamin E. Mays and Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Dr. King often requested the advice of Dr. Mays and keep him in the loop of his Civil Rights activity. Likewise Dr. Mays was reliant on the feedback of Dr. King for input on Morehouse College. Their relationship was personal as well as professional.

Primary Resources

Mays, Benjamin E., The Idea of God in Contemporary Negro Literature, University of Chicago Doctor of Philosophy Thesis Submission, Chicago Illinois, 1935

Mays, Benjamin E., The Negro’s God as Reflected in His Literature, Russell & Russell, New York, 1938, reissued 1968

Mays, Benjamin E., Seeking to be a Christian in Race Relations, Friendship Press, New York, New York, 1957.

Mays, Benjamin E., Born to Rebel: An Autobiography. Athens, GA, USA: University of Georgia Press, 2003.

Mays, Benjamin E. Lord, the People Have Driven Me On, Vantage Press, Chicago Illinois, 1981

Supplemental Secondary Sources

Jelks, Randall Maurice, Walking Integrity: Benjamin Elijah Mays, Mentor to Martin Luther King Jr., Mercer University Press, Macon GA., 1998

Jelks Randall Maurice, Benjamin Mays: Schoolmaster of the Movement, A Biography, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel

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Hill, NC, 2012

Roper, John Herbert, Magnificent Mays: A Biography of Benjamin Elijah Mays, University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, USA:, 2012.

Dumas, Carrie M. and Hunter Julie, Benjamin Elijah Mays (A Pictorial life and Times), Mercer University Press, 2006

Chapman, Mark L. Christianity on Trial, Orbis Books, New York 1996

Colson, Freddie C., Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Speaks (Representative Speeches of a Great American Orator), University Press of AmericaInc., New York, 2002

http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/theme/3088

End Notes

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