Biography of civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, which argues that, despite his often being labeled an atheist, his religious and spiritual insights are actually central to understanding his political and intellectual work.

Introduction : Rethinking W.E.B. Du Bois, rethinking religion and race -- chapter 1. The hero with a black face : autobiography and mythology of self -- chapter 2. Race as cosmic sight in The Souls of Black Folk -- chapter 3. A dark monk who wrote history and sociology : the spiritual wage of whiteness, the Black church, and mystical Africa -- chapter 4. Black Messiahs and murderous whites : violence and faith in literary expression -- chapter 5. Christ was a communist : religion for an aging leftist -- Epilogue : The passing of the prophet -- Notes -- Index --Acknowledgments.