Jacob Goodson, associate professor of philosophy at Southwestern College, has completed his first co-authored book, “Introducing Prophetic Pragmatism: A Dialogue on Hope, the Philosophy of Race, and the Spiritual Blues.”

For this book, Goodson teamed up with Brad Elliott Stone, professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University. The publisher is Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

“Writing a co-authored book felt like a totally different experience than writing a single-authored book for a couple of reasons,” Goodson says.  “First, when I would make a claim in one of my chapters and then Stone would build his chapter around that claim, I was then ‘stuck’ with that claim because he built his chapter critiquing and responding to my particular claim. My first drafts had more of a ‘commitment’ to them while writing a co-authored book than they do writing only a single-authored book, which allows you to change your mind as much as you want until it gets to the copyeditor's desk. Second, Dr. Stone was able to come to Winfield during the time that most of the book was written. We nurtured such important disagreements that our engagements with one another in the book dominated our conversations in all settings. So being in the same place with your co-author, while writing a book together, means that it becomes much harder to take a break from thinking about the book.”

According to the book summary, pragmatism is a philosophical school of thought emphasizing action, practices, and practical reasoning whereas prophecy is an ancient religious concept that requires belief in the reality of God. Although these two concepts seem to not be a natural fit with one another, the authors demonstrate why prophetic pragmatism is ‘pragmatism at its best.’

Shannon Sullivan, a philosopher and professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, speaks highly of the book.

“The power of ‘Introducing Prophetic Pragmatism’ lies in its coauthorship,” Sullivan says.  “In scholarly friendship, Goodson and Stone debate, explore, respond, and sometimes agree to disagree about the meaning and relevant contexts of Cornel West's groundbreaking work. The result is a fresh approach to understanding prophetic pragmatism.”

The book can be purchased through Amazon.com. The SC community can purchase it through the publisher's website (https://Rowman.com/Lexington) and receive a 30% discount with the code: LEX30AUTH19.