Martin Luther King, Jr. and Apocalyptic Thought

Apocalyptic literature has been designated as “crisis literature” and as a “form of protest against society” by some interpreters. This essay explores Martin Luther King Jr.’s reception and use of apocalyptic literature and thought in his sermons and writings. In doing so, it examines how King appro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of the Bible and its reception Vol. 10; no. 2; pp. 151 - 172
Main Author Bowens, Lisa
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Boston De Gruyter 27.11.2023
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Subjects
African Americans
apocalypse
apocalyptic literature
apocalypticism
Bible
Christianity
Civil Rights Movement
Eschatology
Judaism
Martin Luther King, Jr
New Testament
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Summary:Apocalyptic literature has been designated as “crisis literature” and as a “form of protest against society” by some interpreters. This essay explores Martin Luther King Jr.’s reception and use of apocalyptic literature and thought in his sermons and writings. In doing so, it examines how King appropriates this literature as well as apocalyptic motifs to speak about the significance of African American history and to protest racism in American society. Such an analysis provides insight into the ongoing importance of the protest and crisis features of these apocalyptic texts. Moreover, the apocalyptic facets of King’s work have never been analyzed from a biblical studies perspective and this essay highlights the significance of these dimensions for his social justice work.
ISSN:2329-440X
2329-4434
DOI:10.1515/jbr-2022-0010