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Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis

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Martin Luther King, born on January 15, 1929. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the most influential civil rights activists of our time. He led many non-violent protests demanding that segregation be outlawed. He constantly proclaimed the use of oppression is the biggest contradiction to everything America is supposed to stand for. In 1963, Martin Luther was asked by activists of Birmingham, Alabama to lead a non-violent protest for desegregation, fair hiring practices, and the establishment of a biracial citizens’ committee. The city government of Birmingham passed a legal provision banning street marches without permission. The black people were not happy with this unfair legislation, which did not allow the blacks to protest for equality. Martin Luther King felt compelled …show more content…

Patton analyzed King’s use of the name of god in “A Transforming Response: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” Patton wrote that King extends his argument by continuing the rhetorical model of reflection and musing. When King write "the judgment of God is upon the Church as never before," (paragraph 20) Patton felt he did this to open a spiritual basis for civil rights action over and beyond the boundaries of institutionalized religion. He writes, “On the other hand, King gave audiences a view of the movement and his leadership as connected with the "inner spiritual church," at once validating the moral basis for civil rights and extending its claims to diverse secular audiences.” Edward Berry, also analyzed King’s use of god and religion in “Doing Time: Kings “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” Berry felt that when King compared his work to the work of the apostle Paul he merged his contemporary ministry with Paul's ministry, his own revolutionary moment in Birmingham with the revolutionary history of the church. Berry said, “In doing so, he not only expands the historical and religious significance of the movement but the role he himself plays within

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