The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr | Themes

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr Themes

The Social Implications of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up a religious man. He was a Christian from an early age, but in his teenage years developed various doubts about the fundamentalist faith in which he was raised. In college, he became concerned that science conflicted with religion and became inclined towards theological liberalism. As time progressed, however, he was led towards neo-orthodoxy while still remaining in the liberal theological camp. He still believed in God and the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that men could be saved by believing in Jesus' atonement for their sins. However, King came to see Jesus' Gospel of loving one's neighbor as a call to social activism on behalf of justice, particularly for the poor and oppressed. He believed that if a man called himself a Christian and did not fight for justice as he best understood it, that he was a hypocrite. King rarely doubted that...
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