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Letter from Birmingham Jail
There is an alternate edition published under ISBN13: 9780062509550.
'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'
This landmark missive from one of the greatest activists in history calls for direct, non-violent resistance in the fight against racism, and reflects on the healing power of love.
This edition also contains the sermon 'The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life'.
'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'
This landmark missive from one of the greatest activists in history calls for direct, non-violent resistance in the fight against racism, and reflects on the healing power of love.
This edition also contains the sermon 'The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life'.
54 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 1963
74 people are currently reading
4,820 people want to read
About the author
Martin Luther King Jr.
365books3,368followersMartin Luther King, Jr. was one of the pivotal leaders of the American civil rights movement. King was a Baptist minister, one of the few leadership roles available to black men at the time. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955�1956) and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), serving as its first president. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream� speech. Here he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 518 reviews
March 31, 2018
The fact that a man such as Martin Luther King spent time in prison demonstrates the fundamental wrongness that permeates humanity.
Laws are there to protect people, though which people are they protecting? MLK understood that the laws of society are not necessarily true laws, or what he saw as god’s laws, and he knew that they needed to be fought and changed for the betterment of mankind. His rhetoric is honest, compassionate and full of purpose.
King’s word were powerful and heroic. Despite the hatred that was thrown at him, he only had love to give in response. And that bespeaks the moral integrity of such a man. He could have rallied his followers to a more aggressive approach, though he never stooped so low. He knew what the world needed to heal, and he put as much of it out there as possible. Certainly, an example to follow for any invested in activism. Even here he only has kindness to impart.
The fact that he died at the hand of violence shows how feared he was and how strong he was becoming. If MLK saw the face of the world today he would be proud at how far we have come, and he would also understand how much further we still have to go.
This letter is testimony to his unshakable will in the face of tyranny.
Laws are there to protect people, though which people are they protecting? MLK understood that the laws of society are not necessarily true laws, or what he saw as god’s laws, and he knew that they needed to be fought and changed for the betterment of mankind. His rhetoric is honest, compassionate and full of purpose.
King’s word were powerful and heroic. Despite the hatred that was thrown at him, he only had love to give in response. And that bespeaks the moral integrity of such a man. He could have rallied his followers to a more aggressive approach, though he never stooped so low. He knew what the world needed to heal, and he put as much of it out there as possible. Certainly, an example to follow for any invested in activism. Even here he only has kindness to impart.
The fact that he died at the hand of violence shows how feared he was and how strong he was becoming. If MLK saw the face of the world today he would be proud at how far we have come, and he would also understand how much further we still have to go.
This letter is testimony to his unshakable will in the face of tyranny.
January 4, 2022
[4+] The first work in this small book, Letter from Birmingham Jail, is a searing indictment of racism and inaction. So many familiar quotes have been pulled from this letter. But the experience of reading the entire essay - Wow! Very powerful and inspirational. I can't recommend it enough. I listened to Dion Graham's excellent reading on Hoopla.
The second essay, Three Dimensions of a Complete Life is MLK on the pulpit. Everything he says can be used as a guide for a good life - but for me it is too preachy.
Penguin Modern Classics
#1 - Letter from Birmingham Jail
The second essay, Three Dimensions of a Complete Life is MLK on the pulpit. Everything he says can be used as a guide for a good life - but for me it is too preachy.
Penguin Modern Classics
#1 - Letter from Birmingham Jail
January 11, 2022
That was phenomenal. King wrote this letter on the margins of a newspaper, as a response to a statement written by eight white Alabama clergymen speaking against his methods. Strange that it is almost just as relevant today as it must have been back in 1963.
Favourite parts:
"Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."
"You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes."
". . . freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."
Favourite parts:
"Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."
"You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes."
". . . freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."
December 5, 2018
This book has two parts: one is the one named on the cover, the other one is "The Three Dimensions Of A Complete Life". The first focuses on defending direct, non-violent resistance of racism, written on the margins of a newspaper in 1963; the other is a sermon delivered in Chicago, April 1967, a recording that is cut short by some interruption, but that point is well towards the end, so not much was left to say in it anyway.
On the first part: where MLK talks of underlying reasons for demonstration. There has been so much refusal of communication, of broken promises, and a long, long time of everyday moments of oppression (and its impact), that just doing the 'wait and see' is no longer enough. The action is meant to push on the chance of negotiation; waiting often ends up being infinite-waiting. He talks of law: one should obey the just ones, not the (degrading) unjust ones. He is disappointed at the white moderates' lukewarm and silent behavior (this includes white churches). He feels that his manner of resistance stands between the apathetic adjusted ones, and the ones geared towards violence, ends.
The second part is more about how to live life (and more religious): To live the length, breadth, and height of it (see also John Bunyan's "All Love Excelling", which deals with dimensions too, this time of Christ's love - this came to mind immediately).
The length is about the developing of inner power of self: having a healthy self-love/acceptance (own's tools and limits), of what we can do work-wise (and to do it well, even when pretty plain and ordinary).
The breadth is about concern for others' welfare: MLK talks about the Good Samaritan (I learn something new); of one's duty to act and help; humanity is tied together (the source of one's everyday products is an example).
The height is often missed by non-believers - it is the need of God: to search for Him, to go on in life because of Him (and His care for you).
Things end cut short, and one can feel the same about MLK's life. But these two texts are powerful, and well re-readable, quick yet deep. I'm glad I got this little book.
On the first part: where MLK talks of underlying reasons for demonstration. There has been so much refusal of communication, of broken promises, and a long, long time of everyday moments of oppression (and its impact), that just doing the 'wait and see' is no longer enough. The action is meant to push on the chance of negotiation; waiting often ends up being infinite-waiting. He talks of law: one should obey the just ones, not the (degrading) unjust ones. He is disappointed at the white moderates' lukewarm and silent behavior (this includes white churches). He feels that his manner of resistance stands between the apathetic adjusted ones, and the ones geared towards violence, ends.
The second part is more about how to live life (and more religious): To live the length, breadth, and height of it (see also John Bunyan's "All Love Excelling", which deals with dimensions too, this time of Christ's love - this came to mind immediately).
The length is about the developing of inner power of self: having a healthy self-love/acceptance (own's tools and limits), of what we can do work-wise (and to do it well, even when pretty plain and ordinary).
The breadth is about concern for others' welfare: MLK talks about the Good Samaritan (I learn something new); of one's duty to act and help; humanity is tied together (the source of one's everyday products is an example).
The height is often missed by non-believers - it is the need of God: to search for Him, to go on in life because of Him (and His care for you).
Things end cut short, and one can feel the same about MLK's life. But these two texts are powerful, and well re-readable, quick yet deep. I'm glad I got this little book.
December 30, 2023
هم دموکراته� و هم جمهوریخواها� مردهری� کینگ را متملقانه مدح میکنن� و بخشها� ناخوشایندش را در راستای منافع حزبیشا� نادیده میگیرن�. روایتها� هر دو گروه از زندگی و شخصیت کینگ خالی از هر اشارهایس� به روابط متعددِ خارج از ازدواجش یا اتهام مشارکت در تجاوز و آزار جنسی*. ولی اتفاقا جمهوریخواها� از دموکراته� مصرترند در لاپوشانی نقاط تاریک زندگی کینگ. فراموش نکنید که یک پرزیدنت جمهوریخواه� رونالد ریگان، روز بزرگداشت ملی به نام کینگ زد**. قصد جمهوریخواها� این است که با قهرمان ملی ساختن از کینگ و او را فرزند خلف پدران بنیانگذار (و حتی چهرها� محافظهکا�) وانمودن، عَلمی بسازند در مقابل دموکراته� و سیاستهای� چون تبعیض مثبت. غافل از آنکه کینگ، همانطور که در این نامه روشن است، خودش از طرفداران پروپاقرص چنین سیاستهاییس�. لنرد پیتس، یک ناسیونالیست سیاه، در مقالها�***، به درستی، از بیصداقت� محافظهکارا� سفید در مواجهه با میراث کینگ انتقاد میکن�. او میگوی� استناد سیاستمداران و ژورنالیستها� محافظهکا� به کینگ، از حد یکید� جمله در سخنرانی معروفش (1) فراتر نمیرو�. برخلاف ادعای این قبیل محافظهکارا� و چیزهایی که در رسانههای� چون فاکسنیو� میشنوید� کینگ مدافع سهمیه قائل شدن برای سیاهان بود (2)، به "ریسیسم ساختاری" سفیدها با شدت و حدت اعتراض میکر� و خودش را سوسیالیست میدانس�
*برای اطلاع بیشتر از جوانب ناگفته� شخصیت کینگ رجوع کنید به مقاله� زیر نوشته� دیوید گَرو. باید اضافه کنم گَرو یک راستگرا� افراطی نیست که برای به لجن کشیدن وجهه� کینگ چنین چیزهایی نوشته باشد. کاملا برعکس، یک سوسیالدموکرا� است که به خاطر نوشتن بیوگرافی کینگ جایزه� پولیتزر برده
** وقتی دو نماینده� جمهوریخوا� چنین طرحی را پیش نهادند، پرزیدنت ریگان از قبولش سر باز زد، ولی در نهایت با اکراه پذیرفت. ناگفته روشن است که رسانهها� چپگر� با حرارت این طرح را دنبال میکردن� و هرکه را که به هر دلیلی با آن مخالفتی میکرد� با برچسب "ریسیست" مینواختن�
***
(1) I Have a Dream
(2) برای نمونه� مصاحبه� سال 1965 مجله� پلیبو� با کینگ را بخوانید که در آن به صراحت از سهمیهها� نژادی دفاع میکن�
February 4, 2019
The Letter from Birmingham Jail was a text I’d studied many a time in class and referred to. But I’d never read it in completion and I’m glad I did. Basically, it shows me that MLK has mastered the art of responding to criticism. His points are thought out, precise and well developed. I couldn’t, and didn’t, disagree with a single word written. But it’s in the second part of this little classic that I was blown away.
The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life is one of the few essays I would tell EVERYONE to read. I rarely say that with books but this� this is something else. There are some religious references (Christian) but that doesn’t really matter for understanding the essence of what he is trying to say. You’ll be able to agree with the essay and learn from it anyway, excluding those parts. I think he says some incredibly true things about life. I’ve never seen life � which seems like an unexplainable enigma sometimes � broken down into three clear parts that I could understand. I especially think the first 2 dimensions he mentions are so relevant and have changed my way of viewing myself and what I do for others. A must read!
This review was originally posted on Olivia's Catastrophe:
The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life is one of the few essays I would tell EVERYONE to read. I rarely say that with books but this� this is something else. There are some religious references (Christian) but that doesn’t really matter for understanding the essence of what he is trying to say. You’ll be able to agree with the essay and learn from it anyway, excluding those parts. I think he says some incredibly true things about life. I’ve never seen life � which seems like an unexplainable enigma sometimes � broken down into three clear parts that I could understand. I especially think the first 2 dimensions he mentions are so relevant and have changed my way of viewing myself and what I do for others. A must read!
This review was originally posted on Olivia's Catastrophe:
February 7, 2022
On my way to work when I lived in Canada there was a man who stood in my train station every weekday around 5PM chanting that people need to read more black history. And at the time, I had read a bit of Malcolm X and James Baldwin, and was curious and never had the guts or decency to ask what other books he wanted to be heard. The best I can do now is just imagine what he would've said, and I'd like to think that this, or something else by Martin Luther King (MLK) would be one of them.
MLK really does show so much humility in this writing that it makes me interested in any more of his books, particularly his theology. I want to know his dream, fully and completely. I think there's a reason we remember he had it. I want to find a Church that understands MLK's view of Christianity, I don't think it'd be right to be praying somewhere else.
This is going to be one of the best books of the boxset but for now I can't say what will beat it!
�
In-depth review TBC. (And for those of you wondering, yes, I have all 50 Mini Moderns and yes we are fucking doing this thing!)
April 16, 2023
"... freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed".
Esta es una lectura importante sobre la desobediencia civil, la búsqueda de la libertad y el daño que hace la tibieza. Luther King es elocuente, optimista y tremendamente inteligente, incluso en un momento de crisis, incluso en la cárcel, incluso en un mundo tan terriblemente injusto.
Esta es una lectura importante sobre la desobediencia civil, la búsqueda de la libertad y el daño que hace la tibieza. Luther King es elocuente, optimista y tremendamente inteligente, incluso en un momento de crisis, incluso en la cárcel, incluso en un mundo tan terriblemente injusto.
April 3, 2018
Inspiring.
April 21, 2018
Such an important book and an absolute must-read!
December 2, 2022
By coincidence, I had picked up this ‘Penguin Modern� (01) from a bookshop just before watching Simon Schama’s “History of Now,� on the television. After seeing the horrific shots of white policeman beating old black women and young black children on the streets of Birmingham, I just had to read it that very night.
It’s in two parts. The first is a letter to eight white churchmen who advocated court, not direct, action, in the battle for civil liberties for black Americans. It was written in the margins of a newspaper, in which he justified to them what they considered as his “unwise and untimely� activities. He refers throughout to the need to oppose injustice.
�One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws�.
There follows a definition of what constitutes a just, or an unjust, law, which culminates in this powerful declaration:
�I submit that that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.�
For Martin Luther King, it is the ‘white moderate� who is “the great stumbling block� in the “stride toward freedom�, he who “prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice�. MLK defends accusations of being an extremist by references to those before him who are “creative extremists�, extremists not for hate, but for love.
The second part of the book is from a sermon in which is he builds up and strengthens his congregation in the New Covenant Baptist Church in Chicago. It’s from a collection of sermons called “Strength to Love�. I’ve only just discovered the note about this, right this minute, so my choice of the words ‘love� and ‘strengthens� above was not deliberate, but arose naturally from MLK’s writings.
The sermon is called, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life�. Its foundation is love. Here appears the current popular ethic of “rational and healthy self-interest�, which contributes to the length of life, but MLK associates it with one’s life’s work, so that whatever we do, we do it giving the best of our ability:
�Even if it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go out and sweep streets like Michaelangelo painted pictures; sweep streets like Handel and Beethoven composed music; sweep streets like Shakespeare composed poetry; sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: “Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.�
Loving - or at least accepting - oneself is the key to moving beyond oneself:
�The breadth of life is the outward concern for the welfare of others . . . And a man has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow confines of his own individual concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.�
To illustrate this Dr King uses the Parable of The Good Samaritan, but in a way I’ve never heard it before, with a vivid description of the actual road (a dangerous road, which he had been on), and with a confession, that he had once passed, on a deserted road at night, a man holding up his hand for a lift. He did this from fear of taking the risk, which enables him to explore that aspect in the two men who passed by the injured man in the story. I had never thought of that; that they were not simply mean, but afraid.
For Martin Luther King, life is not complete without the third dimension, that of looking beyond oneself and beyond humanity, to God.
�Modern man may know a great deal, but his knowledge does not eliminate God.�
There is of course a great deal more on this subject, with reference to philosophers who have called God by different names, Plato, The Architectonic Good, Aristotle, The Unmoved Mover, Hegel, The Absolute Whole, and Tillich, Being-Itself. For King, we don’t need any of these names; we need the love and the enabling power that comes from belief. “You can walk and never get weary�, like the seventy-two year old black woman, Sister Pollard, who, during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, was offered a lift to work, and refused it. The driver asked, “Aren’t you tired?�
She replied, �Yes, my feets is tired, but my soul is rested.�
It’s in two parts. The first is a letter to eight white churchmen who advocated court, not direct, action, in the battle for civil liberties for black Americans. It was written in the margins of a newspaper, in which he justified to them what they considered as his “unwise and untimely� activities. He refers throughout to the need to oppose injustice.
�One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws�.
There follows a definition of what constitutes a just, or an unjust, law, which culminates in this powerful declaration:
�I submit that that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.�
For Martin Luther King, it is the ‘white moderate� who is “the great stumbling block� in the “stride toward freedom�, he who “prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice�. MLK defends accusations of being an extremist by references to those before him who are “creative extremists�, extremists not for hate, but for love.
The second part of the book is from a sermon in which is he builds up and strengthens his congregation in the New Covenant Baptist Church in Chicago. It’s from a collection of sermons called “Strength to Love�. I’ve only just discovered the note about this, right this minute, so my choice of the words ‘love� and ‘strengthens� above was not deliberate, but arose naturally from MLK’s writings.
The sermon is called, “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life�. Its foundation is love. Here appears the current popular ethic of “rational and healthy self-interest�, which contributes to the length of life, but MLK associates it with one’s life’s work, so that whatever we do, we do it giving the best of our ability:
�Even if it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go out and sweep streets like Michaelangelo painted pictures; sweep streets like Handel and Beethoven composed music; sweep streets like Shakespeare composed poetry; sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: “Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.�
Loving - or at least accepting - oneself is the key to moving beyond oneself:
�The breadth of life is the outward concern for the welfare of others . . . And a man has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow confines of his own individual concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.�
To illustrate this Dr King uses the Parable of The Good Samaritan, but in a way I’ve never heard it before, with a vivid description of the actual road (a dangerous road, which he had been on), and with a confession, that he had once passed, on a deserted road at night, a man holding up his hand for a lift. He did this from fear of taking the risk, which enables him to explore that aspect in the two men who passed by the injured man in the story. I had never thought of that; that they were not simply mean, but afraid.
For Martin Luther King, life is not complete without the third dimension, that of looking beyond oneself and beyond humanity, to God.
�Modern man may know a great deal, but his knowledge does not eliminate God.�
There is of course a great deal more on this subject, with reference to philosophers who have called God by different names, Plato, The Architectonic Good, Aristotle, The Unmoved Mover, Hegel, The Absolute Whole, and Tillich, Being-Itself. For King, we don’t need any of these names; we need the love and the enabling power that comes from belief. “You can walk and never get weary�, like the seventy-two year old black woman, Sister Pollard, who, during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, was offered a lift to work, and refused it. The driver asked, “Aren’t you tired?�
She replied, �Yes, my feets is tired, but my soul is rested.�
November 10, 2024
I re-read this essay as it was referenced in another book I was reading. Below is an excerpt of a larger essay I wrote while doing my masters a few years back that referenced this seminal text.
Does the systemic validity of law delineate a duty to obey the law? During the Civil Rights Movement, pro-segregationists tacitly inferred that it might with calls of maintaining ‘law and order’—i.e., normalcy. Legal positivists, however, indicate that because a law may be systemically valid, it does not guarantee one’s obligation to uphold it. H.L.A. Hart, for instance, believes that positivist law may generate an initial prima facie duty to obey, but it is ultimately limited by its justness—so ‘there is no obligation to unfair laws�.
A law, therefore, may be systemically valid, but if it does not promote a principle of fairness, there may not be a duty to obey it. Why should justness underpin obeyance? Philosophers generally posit that the human enterprise is to live well. This endeavour invariably requires fair laws to govern interactions between people. If laws are not underpinned by fairness, they may become instruments of oppression and despotism—e.g., segregation. What determines whether a law is just or unjust? Martin Luther King proclaims that ‘a just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God�.
King was influenced by St Thomas Aquinas—a natural law theorist and Christian theologian. Aquinas stated that ‘the light is placed by nature [and thus by God] in every man to guide him in his acts�. Among God’s creations, only humans can use reason to govern their lives. The master principle of natural law is that ‘good should be done and pursued and evil avoided�. How do we know what is good? Guided by scripture, Aquinas mentions that ‘we know there are a variety that count as good and thus to be pursued—life, procreation, knowledge, society and reasonable conduct�.
King thereby argued that segregation ought to be disobeyed because it was inherently ‘evil� and against God. Moreover, countering legal positivists, King implicitly postulates that if the law lacks moral scruples, it may not even be systemically valid, quoting St Augustine—another natural law theorist—that ‘an unjust law is no law at all�. Thus, according to King, whether a law ought to be obeyed depends on whether it is just or unjust, and justness is inferred via Christian-theological determinations of ‘good� and ‘evil�. However, although this conception of natural law explicated racial injustice, its theological underpinnings may not be sound.
Scripture asserts that homosexuality is sinful. Aquinas considered homosexuals to be unnatural and immoral, thereby justifying their legal oppression throughout history. Although King was assassinated before the Stonewall riots, would he have followed Aquinas in considering homosexual oppression just? Perhaps. Martin Long observes that given King’s ‘reiteration of traditional church teachings on the sacredness of sex in marriage� he was no ally on behalf of gays and gay rights during his lifetime�. Thus, theological natural law arguably dictates that homosexuals must obey laws that oppress them because their existence opposes the ‘law of God�.
Does the systemic validity of law delineate a duty to obey the law? During the Civil Rights Movement, pro-segregationists tacitly inferred that it might with calls of maintaining ‘law and order’—i.e., normalcy. Legal positivists, however, indicate that because a law may be systemically valid, it does not guarantee one’s obligation to uphold it. H.L.A. Hart, for instance, believes that positivist law may generate an initial prima facie duty to obey, but it is ultimately limited by its justness—so ‘there is no obligation to unfair laws�.
A law, therefore, may be systemically valid, but if it does not promote a principle of fairness, there may not be a duty to obey it. Why should justness underpin obeyance? Philosophers generally posit that the human enterprise is to live well. This endeavour invariably requires fair laws to govern interactions between people. If laws are not underpinned by fairness, they may become instruments of oppression and despotism—e.g., segregation. What determines whether a law is just or unjust? Martin Luther King proclaims that ‘a just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God�.
King was influenced by St Thomas Aquinas—a natural law theorist and Christian theologian. Aquinas stated that ‘the light is placed by nature [and thus by God] in every man to guide him in his acts�. Among God’s creations, only humans can use reason to govern their lives. The master principle of natural law is that ‘good should be done and pursued and evil avoided�. How do we know what is good? Guided by scripture, Aquinas mentions that ‘we know there are a variety that count as good and thus to be pursued—life, procreation, knowledge, society and reasonable conduct�.
King thereby argued that segregation ought to be disobeyed because it was inherently ‘evil� and against God. Moreover, countering legal positivists, King implicitly postulates that if the law lacks moral scruples, it may not even be systemically valid, quoting St Augustine—another natural law theorist—that ‘an unjust law is no law at all�. Thus, according to King, whether a law ought to be obeyed depends on whether it is just or unjust, and justness is inferred via Christian-theological determinations of ‘good� and ‘evil�. However, although this conception of natural law explicated racial injustice, its theological underpinnings may not be sound.
Scripture asserts that homosexuality is sinful. Aquinas considered homosexuals to be unnatural and immoral, thereby justifying their legal oppression throughout history. Although King was assassinated before the Stonewall riots, would he have followed Aquinas in considering homosexual oppression just? Perhaps. Martin Long observes that given King’s ‘reiteration of traditional church teachings on the sacredness of sex in marriage� he was no ally on behalf of gays and gay rights during his lifetime�. Thus, theological natural law arguably dictates that homosexuals must obey laws that oppress them because their existence opposes the ‘law of God�.
August 19, 2020
"There are those who become so involved in looking at the man-made lights of the city that they unconsciously forget to rise up and look at that great cosmic light and think about it - that gets up in the eastern horizon every morning and moves across the sky with a kind of symphony of motion and paints it technicolor across the blue - a light that man can never make."
Martin Luther King Jr. truly has a way with words. At times, the second essay in this little collection felt a bit preachy in regards to religion, but to witness someone so engulfed by their faith that they work their life around it is beautiful. There is so much to be learned from this.
Martin Luther King Jr. truly has a way with words. At times, the second essay in this little collection felt a bit preachy in regards to religion, but to witness someone so engulfed by their faith that they work their life around it is beautiful. There is so much to be learned from this.
June 30, 2020
So inspiring!
January 31, 2024
this is actually a read that i do every black history month (im early this year) since 2021. it's a reminder of his legacy and what he stood for and how whitewashed his character has been. i've always known that martin luther king jr. was way more radical than presented in current media and school. like... that man was an outright socialist, that's for sure.
in this letter, to be honest, it baffles me to see what he had to do to be considered and how he had to fucking discern legality from morality to some fucking priest in the southern churches, to lay out the infrastructures that led him in that jail cell, called them out for not calling to the right resolve/liking negative peace over positive peace... not even a hundred years, it baffles me people were so lacking in empathy and intelligence (bcs really, mlk is common sense).
one thing this letter talks about and nails it, is the discussion around the white moderator. the disappointed and them being the true spoiler to progress. and i don't know why people are shocked when i speak of that irl. people are confused when i say it's the average joe's who's in for neoliberal speech policies that enables the tolerance of fascism and its growth. it's the white moderator who allows the men with the ill will to bludgeon us, black folks, and they are as guilty as the devil.
one thing though, i personally am closer to malcolm x than i am to martin luther king jr. and i very mcuh disagree with the heavy use of religious symbols and jesus and the innate belief of christianity as a tool for moral. apart from that, i'm cool with mlk.
in this letter, to be honest, it baffles me to see what he had to do to be considered and how he had to fucking discern legality from morality to some fucking priest in the southern churches, to lay out the infrastructures that led him in that jail cell, called them out for not calling to the right resolve/liking negative peace over positive peace... not even a hundred years, it baffles me people were so lacking in empathy and intelligence (bcs really, mlk is common sense).
one thing this letter talks about and nails it, is the discussion around the white moderator. the disappointed and them being the true spoiler to progress. and i don't know why people are shocked when i speak of that irl. people are confused when i say it's the average joe's who's in for neoliberal speech policies that enables the tolerance of fascism and its growth. it's the white moderator who allows the men with the ill will to bludgeon us, black folks, and they are as guilty as the devil.
one thing though, i personally am closer to malcolm x than i am to martin luther king jr. and i very mcuh disagree with the heavy use of religious symbols and jesus and the innate belief of christianity as a tool for moral. apart from that, i'm cool with mlk.
Read
August 28, 2023Do miłości, o miłości, kiedy o nią, kiedy dla niej, kiedy walczyć, a kiedy puścić ją wolno - kiedy staje (się) wolnością. Dzisiaj to artefakt skrótu/wstępu, ale jakże silny grunt pod teraźniejszość; jakże silny głos bezsilności.
August 5, 2018
Inspirational, monumental, and essential.
January 4, 2019
Here I am, well over fifty years after his time, and I felt goosebumps just by reading MLK's words. Even after so much hate thrown upon him, he showed only love. Fifty years after he's gone, his legacy shone on. Great man.
I'm overjoyed I chose this book to start the year 2019.
Complete review:
I'm overjoyed I chose this book to start the year 2019.
Complete review:
May 11, 2024
There are two pieces of writings in this collection.
1. Letter from Birmingham Jail.
2. Three Dimensions of a Complete Life.
The first is addressed to the Fellow Clergymen of Birmingham region.
The second one is a sermon delivered to the faithful of MLK's church.
In both the pieces of writings, MLK scathingly attacks the Segregation Policy and the need to right the system, a system where everyone is treated equally as God's Children irrespective of one's colour or creed.
But as a priest, I was fascinated by the Christian elements that MLK seamlessly inserted in his writings. And as a priest I loved the sermon.
Taking on the verse from the Book of Revelation (Rev 21: 16), MLK builds up a superb sermon in which he adapts the present realities in a superb manner and I am certain, he would have succeeded in moving hearts of a few, if not all.
If you are a Christian read the sermon just for the beauty of it. The beauty of the thought; beauty of the reflection; beauty of the application; beauty of the expressions; beauty of the language.
And the Christian reflection in the Letter to the Birmingham is also superb. There he critically examines the role of the Church in establishing the Social Justice.
I would have loved to hear his sermons preached and the talks delivered.
1. Letter from Birmingham Jail.
2. Three Dimensions of a Complete Life.
The first is addressed to the Fellow Clergymen of Birmingham region.
The second one is a sermon delivered to the faithful of MLK's church.
In both the pieces of writings, MLK scathingly attacks the Segregation Policy and the need to right the system, a system where everyone is treated equally as God's Children irrespective of one's colour or creed.
But as a priest, I was fascinated by the Christian elements that MLK seamlessly inserted in his writings. And as a priest I loved the sermon.
Taking on the verse from the Book of Revelation (Rev 21: 16), MLK builds up a superb sermon in which he adapts the present realities in a superb manner and I am certain, he would have succeeded in moving hearts of a few, if not all.
If you are a Christian read the sermon just for the beauty of it. The beauty of the thought; beauty of the reflection; beauty of the application; beauty of the expressions; beauty of the language.
And the Christian reflection in the Letter to the Birmingham is also superb. There he critically examines the role of the Church in establishing the Social Justice.
I would have loved to hear his sermons preached and the talks delivered.
January 23, 2020
What else can be said about this stirring, poignant, provocative letter, written in the margins of a newspaper at the height of America's most successful mass movement for equality? Reading it aloud to my children this past MLK Day, I was struck by how many lines have become immortalized:
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"Justice too long delayed is justice denied."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
The section in which King extols the virtues of productive, nonviolent tension.
The section in which King chastises the "white moderate" who cautions patience, turning "wait" into "never."
The section in which King elaborates the difference between just laws, which should be followed, and unjust laws, which may be disregarded as part of a moral stand against them.
The list goes on. What struck me most this MLK Day, however, was King's indictment of a church that had grown too comfortable with the status quo to support those marching against injustice and oppression. It requires little imagination to transport these words into today's context:
King's radical notions of what it meant to be a Christian extended well past what his white celebrators would countenance from a moral leader today � he was antiracist, antiwar, anticapitalism, all of it informed by his being unabashedly pro-Jesus and pro-kingdom of heaven. It's precisely because of his visionary, radical voice that "Letter from Birmingham Jail" resonates so deeply today, nearly six decades later.
[NOTE: My star review is for the letter alone; the Penguin Modern version I read also includes a sermon of King's from 1967, "Three Dimensions of a Complete Life," whose presence is somewhat mystifying, especially since the recording it's based on was cut off at the end. Why not a different, more historic sermon or speech, such as "I Have a Dream" or "I've Been to the Mountaintop"? The sermon itself is fine, if somewhat forgettable.]
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"Justice too long delayed is justice denied."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
The section in which King extols the virtues of productive, nonviolent tension.
The section in which King chastises the "white moderate" who cautions patience, turning "wait" into "never."
The section in which King elaborates the difference between just laws, which should be followed, and unjust laws, which may be disregarded as part of a moral stand against them.
The list goes on. What struck me most this MLK Day, however, was King's indictment of a church that had grown too comfortable with the status quo to support those marching against injustice and oppression. It requires little imagination to transport these words into today's context:
But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.
King's radical notions of what it meant to be a Christian extended well past what his white celebrators would countenance from a moral leader today � he was antiracist, antiwar, anticapitalism, all of it informed by his being unabashedly pro-Jesus and pro-kingdom of heaven. It's precisely because of his visionary, radical voice that "Letter from Birmingham Jail" resonates so deeply today, nearly six decades later.
[NOTE: My star review is for the letter alone; the Penguin Modern version I read also includes a sermon of King's from 1967, "Three Dimensions of a Complete Life," whose presence is somewhat mystifying, especially since the recording it's based on was cut off at the end. Why not a different, more historic sermon or speech, such as "I Have a Dream" or "I've Been to the Mountaintop"? The sermon itself is fine, if somewhat forgettable.]
April 8, 2018
The first half of this is a compelling piece of writing of a man looking for equality and the right way to achieve those goals.
Very powerful writing.
The backup feature, "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life" is dull and pulled only a small amount of emotional involevment. A stark contrast to the title piece.
Very powerful writing.
The backup feature, "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life" is dull and pulled only a small amount of emotional involevment. A stark contrast to the title piece.
March 14, 2019
One of the best pieces of literature written in American history that represents the civil rights movement. It's amazing how much restraint, hope and resolve these people had. A must read for everyone.
Rest in peace, Martin Luther King.
Rest in peace, Martin Luther King.
May 18, 2021
an expertly crafted rebuttal.
June 7, 2018
I received the wonderful boxed collection of the new Penguin Moderns series for my birthday, and have decided to read and review them in order. The first book in the collection, and therefore my first review, is black rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail. The blurb states that this 'landmark missive from one of the greatest activists in history calls for direct, non-violent resistance in the fight against racism, and reflects on the healing power of love.' Despite its being written in 1936, in the margins of a newspaper in Alabama, it still seems incredibly current in the issues and widespread disparity which it addresses.
'Letter From Birmingham Jail' was written as a 'response to eight white clergymen in Alabama, who argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought in the courts - not the streets'. Whilst discussing at the beginning of his letter why he finds himself in Alabama, King writes: 'I am in Birmingham because injustice is here... I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and voices. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' He has such compassion for those who feel they have been forced to fight for their rights as citizens: 'It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.' King goes on to say: 'We know through painful experience that freedom is never inherently given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.'
Along with the issues which King is currently fighting for from his prison cell, he sets out the historicity of black people, and the glaring lack of freedom which they have in the United States: 'The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.' King poses many interesting questions and comparisons upon what makes a law 'just' or 'unjust', and the terrible things which he has had to face as a black man in a segregated society.
In conclusion to his highly respectful, engaging, and insightful letter, King muses that his creation of the piece was a direct consequence of his being imprisoned: 'Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?'
The second piece in this collection, 'The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life', was delivered as a sermon in Chicago in April 1967. This follows on from the disappointment with the church which he says he has in 'Letter From Birmingham Jail', when the 'white church' is happy enough to sit back and not get involved in the plight of fellow Christians. The sermon has been transcribed from a recording, and was delivered under the premise that 'if life itself is to be complete, it must be three-dimensional'. Circumstantially, this piece is very involved with Christianity. King's faith is a constant throughout both of these pieces, but it is more explicitly depicted in this second piece.
Throughout this collection, King's words are searching and intelligent. The pieces here are moving, and ought to be read by everyone, regardless of their race or creed. The proposals which King gives, and the ideas which he thoughtfully discusses, could serve to make our world a better, and more peaceful, place.
King inspires throughout; he shows that a single voice has the ability to change the way in which people act, and challenge how we view one another. I shall end this review with an incredibly powerful and empowering fragment taken from 'The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life': 'Too many Negroes are ashamed of themselves, ashamed of being black. A Negro got to rise up and say from the bottom of his soul, "I am somebody. I have a rich, noble, and proud heritage. However exploited and however painful my history has been, I'm black, but I'm black and beautiful."'
'Letter From Birmingham Jail' was written as a 'response to eight white clergymen in Alabama, who argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought in the courts - not the streets'. Whilst discussing at the beginning of his letter why he finds himself in Alabama, King writes: 'I am in Birmingham because injustice is here... I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and voices. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' He has such compassion for those who feel they have been forced to fight for their rights as citizens: 'It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.' King goes on to say: 'We know through painful experience that freedom is never inherently given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.'
Along with the issues which King is currently fighting for from his prison cell, he sets out the historicity of black people, and the glaring lack of freedom which they have in the United States: 'The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.' King poses many interesting questions and comparisons upon what makes a law 'just' or 'unjust', and the terrible things which he has had to face as a black man in a segregated society.
In conclusion to his highly respectful, engaging, and insightful letter, King muses that his creation of the piece was a direct consequence of his being imprisoned: 'Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?'
The second piece in this collection, 'The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life', was delivered as a sermon in Chicago in April 1967. This follows on from the disappointment with the church which he says he has in 'Letter From Birmingham Jail', when the 'white church' is happy enough to sit back and not get involved in the plight of fellow Christians. The sermon has been transcribed from a recording, and was delivered under the premise that 'if life itself is to be complete, it must be three-dimensional'. Circumstantially, this piece is very involved with Christianity. King's faith is a constant throughout both of these pieces, but it is more explicitly depicted in this second piece.
Throughout this collection, King's words are searching and intelligent. The pieces here are moving, and ought to be read by everyone, regardless of their race or creed. The proposals which King gives, and the ideas which he thoughtfully discusses, could serve to make our world a better, and more peaceful, place.
King inspires throughout; he shows that a single voice has the ability to change the way in which people act, and challenge how we view one another. I shall end this review with an incredibly powerful and empowering fragment taken from 'The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life': 'Too many Negroes are ashamed of themselves, ashamed of being black. A Negro got to rise up and say from the bottom of his soul, "I am somebody. I have a rich, noble, and proud heritage. However exploited and however painful my history has been, I'm black, but I'm black and beautiful."'
February 12, 2019
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.[...] For years now I have heard the word "Wait!"[...] This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."
Letter from Birmingham Jail is a powerful defence of nonviolent resistance.
I would highly recommend Leynes' review of a joint edition of Letter from Birmingham Jail and the I Have a Dream speech, her reviews are highly informative and just amazing!
I'm a little confused by the choice to add a transcript of The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life, but it certainly showcases Dr King's incredible way with words!
February 26, 2024
Until a few days ago - embarrassing admission incoming - I'd never read this letter. I've read history books and research about this letter. I could quote from it and tell you about the historical and political implications and changes that resulted from MLK Jr's imprisonment that led, in part, to this letter. Yet, I'd never read it from start to finish. I both read it and listed to the audio. Highly recommend the audio.
January 26, 2022
Mám rád, keď počas čítania počujem v hlave hlas toho, kto text písal. Svieže dielko, stále aktuálne problémy, o ktorých MLK píše pokorne a nádejne.
Ako pri všetkých politických dielach, aj pri tomto odchádzam s pocitom, že netreba voliť/počúvať/nasledovať republikánsko národniarske drísty. By sme sa ušetrili problémov.
One day...
P.S. prosím oceniť (márnu) snahu o čo najmenej patetický review čohokoľvek, čo sa týka MLK
Ako pri všetkých politických dielach, aj pri tomto odchádzam s pocitom, že netreba voliť/počúvať/nasledovať republikánsko národniarske drísty. By sme sa ušetrili problémov.
One day...
P.S. prosím oceniť (márnu) snahu o čo najmenej patetický review čohokoľvek, čo sa týka MLK
April 18, 2025
Read this for a seminar of civil disobedience.
I love it when uni texts aren't just philosophically and politically informative but also personally enlightening and inspiring. No less can be said about this essay.
I love it when uni texts aren't just philosophically and politically informative but also personally enlightening and inspiring. No less can be said about this essay.
September 11, 2020
(7.5/10)
March 5, 2024
Letter from Birmingham Jail is a booklet consisting of Dr. King's eloquent Letter from Birmingham Jail, which he had written on strips of newspaper in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was imprisoned by the authorities in the spring of 1963 for leading a non-violent, direct action public protest against the segregationist laws and practices in Birmingham. This letter Dr. King had written as a response to "eight white Alabama clergymen, who argued that the fight against racial segregation should be fought in the courts - not the streets."
Letter from Birmingham Jail is a eloquent summation of Dr. King's advocacy of non-violent, direct action as a way of helping to end an injustice or injustices against a segment of the population based upon the color of their skin. I first read it in a 1963 issue of EBONY magazine many years ago and was deeply moved by it. And now that I have had re-read the Letter, here is a passage therefrom that had a deep resonance with me ---
[Dr. King to the Alabama clergymen:] "In your statement, you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber. I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom."
The booklet also contains a sermon Dr. King gave in Chicago on April 9, 1967 entitled "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life." I would strongly urge the reader of this review to read both texts in the booklet, if so inclined. Reading both texts for me has deepened my respect and admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his eloquence and uncommon courage in the fight against racial segregation and socio-economic injustice throughout the U.S. and the world, despite the risks such a stand often put on his life from his critics and those who hated him for being "a drum major for justice", inspiring millions to become involved in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Letter from Birmingham Jail is a eloquent summation of Dr. King's advocacy of non-violent, direct action as a way of helping to end an injustice or injustices against a segment of the population based upon the color of their skin. I first read it in a 1963 issue of EBONY magazine many years ago and was deeply moved by it. And now that I have had re-read the Letter, here is a passage therefrom that had a deep resonance with me ---
[Dr. King to the Alabama clergymen:] "In your statement, you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber. I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom."
The booklet also contains a sermon Dr. King gave in Chicago on April 9, 1967 entitled "The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life." I would strongly urge the reader of this review to read both texts in the booklet, if so inclined. Reading both texts for me has deepened my respect and admiration for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his eloquence and uncommon courage in the fight against racial segregation and socio-economic injustice throughout the U.S. and the world, despite the risks such a stand often put on his life from his critics and those who hated him for being "a drum major for justice", inspiring millions to become involved in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
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