Building Beloved Community in a Wounded World

Author and philosopher Jacob Goodson will present at Winfield Public Library on Saturday, December 10 at 10:30am.

Goodson (PhD, University of Virginia) is an associate professor of philosophy at Southwestern College and author and editor of several academic books. His most recent book, Building Beloved Community in a Wounded World, is co-authored by Brad Elliott Stone and Philip Randolf Kuehnert and was published last month.

In the book, the authors explore the idea of beloved community. They trace the history of the phrase from Josiah Royce through Martin Luther King Jr to a variety of contemporary usages. Among other ideas, says Goodson, the beloved community represents the greatest hope possible for humanity.

Goodson and his coauthors acknowledge that our world is full of contradictions – of oppression, suffering, and woundedness existing alongside hope, progress, and redemption.

“Community exists within these contradictions,” says Goodson. “The purpose of the beloved community involves learning how and when to respond to suffering and woundedness with hope and compassion. No matter how realistic it is to achieve beloved community, I think it is worth pursuing and striving toward.”

During Saturday’s presentation, Goodson will read excerpts from the book, answer questions, and have a limited supply of books available to purchase. This event is free and open to the public.