Malcolm and the Cross: The Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, and Christianity (Hardcover)

~ Louis A. Decaro Jr. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this study, DeCaro presents a "fine appreciation of Malcolm X's life and work that not only shows him as a religious revolutionary but clarifies his contribution in affirming the religious community in its glorious diversity."
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

DeCaro continues his religious biography of Malcolm X (begun in On the Side of My People, 1996), shifting from the continuity of Islam in Malcolm's development to the impact of Christianity, particularly the distortion known as "white" Christianity. He again recognizes the influence of Louise Little, Malcolm's mother, in modeling an open but critical embrace of many religious and spiritual traditions and avoiding fanatical religiosity. Such an embrace characterizes DeCaro's critical assessment of the Nation of Islam and white Christianity alike. DeCaro, who admits to pastoral motives, expects his work to rouse anger, which for a book true to Malcolm X should not be surprising. Readers will come away from it with a better understanding of Malcolm X--and the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, and Billy Graham, too--and with a greater appreciation of the revolutionary potential of religious ideas in confrontation with such distortions as those that have sustained racism throughout U.S. history. Steve Schroeder

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: NYU Press (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814718604
• ISBN-13: 978-0814718605
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,656,320 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Odd slant on Malcolm X, March 8, 2006

By	Emily Dee (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Malcolm and the Cross: The Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, and Christianity (Paperback)

Decaro is too eager to assess Malcolm X from a Christian viewpoint. For example, he refers to Malcolm X's (once-held) view that there is no afterlife as "posthumous nihilism," and assumes throughout that there is some essential, true Christianity. He also engages in frequent psychoanalytic speculation, without necessarily signalling that he is doing so. This book presents interesting ideas about Malcolm X's religious background and development, but I would read it with some skepticism.