"In this critique of the work of Harvard University professor Cornel West, Mark David Wood examines West's philosophy of prophetic pragmatism. Combining elements of Christianity, pragmatism, and Marxism, West has articulated a liberationist "theology of the streets" that seeks to expand freedom and democracy throughout society.". "Wood evaluates the political consequences of a shift in West's position from an earlier, revolutionary socialist stance to a later, progressive reformist one. Wood shows how West's subsequent reworking of Marxism supports his transition from a socialist to a progressivist politics."--BOOK JACKET.