The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
Christianity, History
Associated Archive Content : 275 results
The Answer to a Perplexing Question"Why Could Not We Cast Him Out?" is a chapter in Dr. King's book "Strength to Love." In this chapter, Dr. King discusses the methods in which man attempts to deal with evil in the world. Two methodologies are distinguished. The first concerns man's independent attempt to remove evil and the second stems from man's ideology of making God solely responsible for eliminating evil. Dr. King concludes that neither method is successful and that man has to find a medium between the two. |
The BibleDr. King records his views of Scott regarding "The Bible." Scott believes that beyond being an "anthology of the noblest religions," the Bible is also an account of history. Even though there is the ambiguity that comes with history, there is also an unambiguous message of the purpose of God and the destiny of man. |
The BibleDr. King records notes regarding Protestant Orthodoxy and its great error in dealing with the Bible. |
The Black RevolutionThis pamphlet produced by the SCLC is an excerpt from Thomas Merton's "The Black Revolution: Letters to a White Liberal." Merton seeks to awaken the conscience of white America by presenting the Negro perspective in the struggle for civil rights. He discusses how Dr. King utilizes the philosophy of nonviolence as a tool of progress and the contrasting reaction of Negros based upon their religious association as either Christian or Muslim. The concluding message is a call for the complete reform of America's social system which permits and breeds injustice. |
The Christian Church and Communist AtheismHelmut Gollwitzer, a Protestant theologian, completes this body of work entitled "The Christian Church and Communist Atheism." The author states that, "socialists may be Christians, but Christians must be socialists." |
The Christian Sense of IndividualityDr. King quotes from "The Nature and Destiny of Man: A Christian Interpretation" by Reinhold Niebuhr, on the Christian sense of individuality. |
The Christian YearDr. King records a quote from William D. Maxwell's "An Outline of Christian Worship Its Developments and Forms." The quote describes how the Christian year came to be formed. |
The Dilemma of White AmericaThis early draft of the Racism and the White Backlash chapter of Dr. King's Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? explores the history and philosophy of white supremacy. King insists the current status of Negroes is the direct result of oppression by whites, who have developed delusional beliefs to justify their historic acts of colonization and slavery. |
The Gospel and How We Love Our EnemiesJohn C. Heidbrink sets forth the notion that in order to be a disciple of Christ, in any age, one must express unconditional love "toward him who seeks to destroy us," irrespective of differences in personal, national, or religious sentiments. |
The Great Empire During the Sojourn In EgyptDr. King contemplates the history of Egypt, noting that little is known about the time the Israelites spent there. At some point "Asiatic peoples," the Hyksos, invade Egypt and built a powerful empire known as the area of Syria and Palestine. Using horse and chariot technology the Hyksos conquered the land. Eventually, native rulers of Thebes in upper Egypt drove out the Hyksos. |
The Martin Luther King Column - No. 3In this column, Dr. King speaks of the outbreak of "Nazi-like degeneracy" less than 15 years after the Holocaust. He says that in spite of these evils, it should not discourage us from coming together as human beings, living in harmony and not letting the dangers of racism paralyze us as a world community. |
The Philosophy of Life Undergirding Christianity and The Christian MinistryIn this essay fragment from his Crozer Seminary days, Dr. King writes that Christianity is a value philosophy whose values are embodied in the life of Christ. He begins to spell out what those values are. The first, King states, is the value of the world as something positive and life-affirming, in contrast to the negative view of the world of the ascetics and religions of India. The second value is that of persons, who have supreme worth. People must be used as ends, never as means to ends, although there have been periods in history where Christianity has fallen short. |
The Power of SilenceDr. King provides an account of several passages from the Bible, outlining his notes and interpretation. |
The Secular in Relation to the HolyDr. King quotes theologian and philosopher Paul Tillich's "Systematic Theology." Dr. King's doctoral degree is in systematic theology from Boston University and his dissertation is on Paul Tillich. According to Tillich, secular and holy correlate and cannot act separately. Tillich states, "The holy embraces itself and the secular." |
The Ultimate Doom of EvilDr. King outlines a sermon entitled "The Ultimate Doom of Evil." The text is derived from a Biblical text, which states that one should not fret over evil doers because God is our vindicator. |
The Ultimate Doom of EvilThese sermon notes outline the inevitable fall of evil. Dr. King uses the work of influential American historian, Charles A. Beard to prove this claim. "A graphic example of this truth" is found in ancient proverbs that Dr. King aims to examine in detail. |
The Witness: MLK Writes from Birmingham Jail"The Witness" publishes the second part of Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail." In this pivotal document, Dr. King expresses dissatisfaction with the white moderate and the white church regarding their silent stance on segregation and discrimination. He urges individuals to understand the delays, broken promises, and intimidation Negroes face to secure their freedom. |
TheologyDr. King cites theologian Emil Brunner's "The Mediator," and discusses the topic of theology as it relates to the church. |
Three Dimensions of a Complete LifeThis sermon is one draft of Dr. King's "Three Dimensions of a Complete Life." It was first delivered by Dr. King to the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. |
Three Dimensions of a Complete LifeDr. King states that the key to an extended and fulfilling life is to live a life that is "three dimensional." He further identifies these dimensions as: "length, breadth and height." Dr. King proclaims these dimensions will ensure a life of self-love, community and love for God. |
TotalitarianismDr. King quotes a modern historian on their ideas of totalitarianism. |
Toynbee: List of Twenty-One SocietiesDr. King notes the twenty-one civilizations described in Arnold Toynbee's "A Study of History." |
Transformed NonconformistDr. King discusses the importance of not conforming in a sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Dr. King thoroughly discusses the hardships and the benefits that come with being a transformed non-conformist. |
Tribute to Dr. King by Rev. Joseph L. RobertsIn this document, Rev. Joseph L. Roberts, Presiding Elder for the West Detroit District of the AME church, delivered this profound tribute to Dr. King, the day after his assassination. |
TrinitarianismDr. King discusses the doctrine trinitarianism, the belief that God is one being, existing in three equal persons. |
TrinityDr. King quotes a sermon by Bernard of Clairvaux |
Unwise and Untimely?This pamphlet from the Fellowship of Reconciliation features a letter written from eight Alabama Clergymen to Dr. King. The Clergymen express their discontent with the movement and Dr. King brings forth a response. The response is later known as one of Dr. King's famous texts, "Letter from Birmingham City Jail." The pamphlet also includes Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech from the 1963 March on Washington. |
Vision of a World Made NewThis is a draft of "The Vision of a World Made New," a speech that Dr. King delivered during the 1954 Women's Auxiliary Convention. President Nannie H. Burroughs invited Dr. King to address the group's annual meeting where he condemned imperialism, colonialism, and segregation. |
We are Still WalkingDr. King describes how African Americans reacted to the Klan's plan to intimidate them after the decision of the Supreme Court. Although deeply involved in the bus protest, Dr. King stated that there were other goals to achieve such as establishing a bank and credit union in Montgomery for African Americans. |
What Is Man?This excerpt from Dr. King's book entitled "The Measure of Man" defines the physical and spiritual doctrines of Man. The passage highlights the sinful nature of human beings. |