A Knock at Midnight : Great Sermons of Martin Luther King Jr. - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0349112010 ISBN 13: 9780349112015

Publisher: Abacus

Synopsis

Before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains my greatest commitment.' Before Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream with the nation and the world, he was preaching it from the pulpit of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Known throughout the world as a leader and a visionary in the civil rights movement, Reverend King Jr. was first and foremost a preacher. With fiery words of hope, wisdom, and a passion for justice that resonate as much today as they did years ago, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., stirred the deepest convictions of listeners everywhere, inspiring them to extraordinary acts of courage and perseverance that ignited one of the most influential moments of the twentieth century.A KNOCK AT MIDNIGHT is the definitive collection of eleven of Dr. King's most powerful and spiritual sermons. These sermons are each introduced by a distinguished member of today's spiritual community, including Reverend Billy Graham and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

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Review:

These 11 historic sermons--some complete recordings of entire addresses, others reconstructed from various church services--make plain why Martin Luther King Jr. considered his "first calling and greatest commitment" to be a preacher of the gospel. As an orator he is second to none, drawing his audience in with an urgency that resonates through every soaring cadence of his familiar, powerful voice. Using insights from psychology, philosophy, and the Bible, he appeals to the heads as well as the hearts of his congregations, explaining that personal and social change can only be effected by adopting a morality of love in service of God and humankind. While King's concern for social justice is a common theme throughout, each sermon is a jewel of literary artistry, as it presents a simple problem, examines its complications, and offers a startling and often challenging resolution. Topics range from "Rediscovering Lost Values," a caution that scientific progress without moral progress can result only in a step backward for humanity, to "An American Dream," a wake-up call to the "self-evident truth" of equality proclaimed in the Constitution.

Brief introductions to the sermons from spiritual leaders and friends, including Dr. Joan Campbell, Billy Graham, Dr. Robert Franklin, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, offer personal insights into King's life, work, and legacy. An interesting note from the producers explains how the recordings of the sermons (published in a hardcover companion of the same name) were pieced together. In word and in voice, these are masterpieces of theological literature from one of the world's great orators, who Robert Franklin rightly says may well be "the greatest religious intellectual of the twentieth century." (Running time: 8 hours, 6 cassettes) --Uma Kukathas

From the Back Cover:

With fiery words of wisdom and a passion for justice, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., inspired people everywhere to perform extraordinary acts of courage and ignited one of the most influential movements of the twentieth century. This is the definitive collection of eleven of his most powerful sermons, from his earliest known audio recording to his last sermon, delivered days before his assassination. With introductions by renowned theologians and ministers including Reverend Billy Graham and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, filled with moving personal reflections and firsthand accounts of the events surrounding each sermon, A KNOCK AT MIDNIGHT is Dr. King's living voice today -- an irresistible call that resonates and inspires the greatness in us all.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abacus
• ISBN 10: 0349112010
• ISBN 13: 9780349112015
• Binding: Paperback