Biblical And Theological Address By Martin Luther King Jr.

Through the use of many rhetorical devices, Martin Luther King expertly writes this piece using those devices to improve and influence the response of his audience. This introduction to his book, Why We Can’t Wait, is used to bring injustice to light and as a call to action piece. His goal is to inform the whites of America about racial inequality and to rally the African Americans to continue working towards a desegregated world.

In Martin Luther’s letter to Nicholas von Amsdorf, Luther states, “I am carrying out our intention to put together a few points on the matter of the reform of the Christian estate, to be laid before the Christian nobility of the German nation in the hope that God may help his church through the laity; since the clergy, to whom this task more properly belongs, have grown quite indifferent.” This sentence sets the tone and describes what Luther wants to address in his treatise. Luther is saying that he intends to address the problems within the church and bring attention to them. He is convinced the way to fix these problems is to give the task to people who are not a part of the clergy, like the German nobility.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American Leader During the Civil Rights Movement. Mr.King was also a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39. He had 4 kids and a wife named Coretta Scott King. King was most important during the Civil Rights Movement. He was a very effective Civil Rights leader. He has many many speeches during his lifetime. His last words in public were I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!"

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s response to a public statement of concern from multiple Southern white religious leaders entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is perhaps one of the most important and influential pieces dedicated to the fight for equality written in the last one hundred years. It is striking just how much of the content within this letter continues to ring true. Numerous arguments King makes are still extremely relevant today, and it is nearly impossible to engage with and reflect on this text without drawing parallels to the current political landscape. This paper will discuss exactly how particular points

The central claim of Dr. Kings argument is that, he felt as if Blacks were still classified as slaves. The emancipation proclamation was passed one hundred years prior, promised freedom and equal opportunity to all Americans that meant Blacks as well. That was supposed to be the end of slavery, yet Blacks were still forced to live under poor living conditions. Although they weren't actual slaves anymore, still Blacks were subjected to unethical treatment. Some of which were, being limited to resources such as education, good jobs, and good housing. They were segregated for those very reasons so that they could not persevere, in a country with next to no rights as an American citizen; due to the color of their skin and background. Dr. King

Dr. King understands that the clergymen value negotiation over protest, but he insists that negotiations cannot happen without protest, which creates a “crisis” and “tension” that forces unwilling parties (in this case, the white business owners) to negotiate in good faith. He admits that words like “tension” frighten white moderates, but embraces the concepts as “constructive and nonviolent.” He provides examples that suggest tension is necessary for humans to grow, and repeats that the tension created by direct action is necessary in this case if segregation is to end.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a well-known advocate for justice and civil liberties. His biggest devotion was for equality of African-American citizens, usually revealed in marches or peaceful demonstrations; in Birmingham, however, one of such protests rendered King and hundreds of his fellow protesters in jail. From that cell, King wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” in which he proposed the idea that “it is a historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture but…groups tend to be more immoral than individuals” (par. 12). Regarding King’s quote, it could be ammended to state that groups are more likely to influence the upkeep of a practice of privilege while individuals hold more power over their own decisions.

Martin Luther grew up in a home with very strict parents. As a result, Luther’s childhood was plagued with anxiety at home and at school. Because his father planned for him to become a lawyer, shortly after receiving a Master of Arts degree from Erfurt University he returned to the university to study law. Consequently, after a life threatening experience in a storm, Luther left the university and joined a monastery. In 1505, Luther became an Augustinian monk and subsequently became a priest in 1507. According to John Dillenberger, “Luther was extremely sensitive to the problem of how to become worthy to receive the grace of God rather than the damning consequences of His righteousness”.

In addition to King’s uses of allusions, the speech contains many contrasting metaphors and similes that influence his audience very effectively. He begins by pointing out that even though Negros are freed from slavery, they are still slaves “crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.” King then goes on about how “America has given the negro people a bad check” whereas the check in this instance symbolizes their right to equality because the mistreatment of the Negroes and racial discrimination is evident and the check “has come back marked ‘insufficient funds’” meaning they have yet to feel what they too, are guaranteed. With that understanding of human nature, Martin Luther King, Jr. compares gradualism to a tranquilizing drug, implying that people have a tendency to relax when things are “cooling off.” But he urges for his people not to relax and to take charge “to make justice in reality for all of God’s children.”

Martin Luther King’s Jr.’s letter was influential in inspiring and ultimately altering societal attitude on racial issues. He used a creative use of language that addresses any plausible audience including: the clergymen, the religious moderates, the equal rights supporters and the oppressed black community. The use of famous icons, religious leaders, and traditional scholars as references provided a multitude of examples that clearly illustrated King’s key points. Moreover, King carefully analyzed the duplicity of racial segregation through examples of “civil disobedience” among important historical icons valued in society (King par 21). In doing this King is able to utilize Luke’s, three-dimensional approach and tilt the power dynamic in his favor.

Martin Luther King Jr dedicated his life fighting to end discrimination against African-American men, women, and children. Martin did not believe in violence at all and would use kindness and love as opposed to violence and hate, this would help set the tone of his iconic movement to end racism. Martin was able to prove that a world without violence can be successful. He would be able to establish equal voting rights between the black and white people, and establish that all nations must treat all people equal no matter their skin color.

Unlike DiAngelo’s White Privilege essay, a group of religious authorities under the umbrella of Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A. wrote a response letter to Dr. Reverend King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” First quoting a portion of Dr. King’s letter then responding to the quote, the group takes a Biblical stance on the racial issues that continue to preside in modern day American culture. Beginning the essay, the group differentiates between merely acting upon the symptoms of racism. “... (a) superficial kind of social analysis…” and discovering and fixing the root of the racial. By investigating the racial issues at hand and striving towards Dr. King’s dream of a community of equal opportunities for all races, then the conversation of racial inequality can begin. Realizing that fostering a multiracial community centered around radical love that forsakes “safety of our social order,” we, as the Christian body need to develop a society that eliminates the social prejudices currently penetrate into every aspect of

The 1960’s were a time of civil disobedience and protest against the inequalities in America. Specifically, in Birmingham, Alabama, in the year 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against the racial inequalities in one of the most famous letters in America’s history: “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter was sent to a group of Alabama clergymen who chastised King’s disobedience. The letter was written with the purpose to encourage these eight men to side with King. Martin Luther King Jr.’s knowledge of Christianity allowed him to successfully sway the clergy. King compared himself to Jesus, several famous people throughout history, and then condemns the clergy, using ethos based in religion. Emotions rooted in deep religion are the

In April 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. stated his speech at the Riverside Church, describing that the effects of the war made the “poor, white, and negro bear the heaviest burdens at the front and at home.” (Eyes on the Prize- (Part 10) The Promised Land 1967-1968) What he meant to explain was the heavy toll of death placed on the soldiers in the frontlines and the lack of economic resources for the citizens in both regions, which created support from people like Robert Kennedy, Ralph, Abernathy, and Mariam Right, as well as the initiation of campaign creation like the Poor People’s Campaign.

Throughout history our society has chose to recognize and remember certain individuals that have had a dramatic influence on our lives. Some of these individuals were of an evil nature, such as Hitler, but I would like to believe that the majority of the people we remember were the ones that had a positive influence on history, such as Jesus Christ and Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to reflect on the men who served a higher power that they called abba, father, or as we would recognize today, God.