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Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King

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When reading Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and James M. Gustafson “The Moral Conditions Necessary for Human Community”, there are similar themes present. Both authors discuss the issue of how individuals are treated within a community, Also, the way in which individuals should be treated for a community to function morally and just. Dr. King Jr. writes about the treatment of African-American in Birmingham, Alabama. While Gustafson writes about the moral conditions necessary for any human to live in a community. To articulate his points, Gustafson uses the “Christian Virtues”: Faith, hope, and love. Though all three of these virtues are essential to living in a morally correct community, I am only going to discuss faith …show more content…

King Jr. and several members of his staff are there in Birmingham because a promise made to them was broken. The terms of this negotiation were thought to have been made in good faith and trust. However, a short time after the negotiation and promises were made, they were broken. “As in so many past experiences, our hopes have been blasted, and the shadow of disappointment settled upon us.” With this statement Dr. King Jr. makes is abundantly clear the effect that this broken promise has had on the African-American community. Because this trust placed in the Birmingham “city fathers” has been broken it is now time to take action. King acts in the best way he knows hoe, through direct-action in the form of nonviolent demonstrations. These demonstrations include sit-ins, marches, and other things of that …show more content…

King Jr.’s statement regarding broken trust, promise, and blasted hope, Gustafson makes the point about faith and how it is essential to living in a morally correct community. Gustafson defines faith not as we generally think of it as a particular religious experience or as a belief in certain propositions. He defines it as referring to the kind of relationship between individuals and between groups. He continues to define faith as having two aspects. The two aspects that would correctly define faith in his usage is confidence and trust. With the understanding of confidence and trust, we can now understand Gustafson’s use of the word faith. It is now clear to us to “live by faith” in a community we must be able to live by faith with other individuals and groups within our community. “Each person lives in the confidence that other persons and social institutions are reliable, trustworthy, and

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