Letters To A Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Softcover

Loritts; Bryan; Perkins; John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802411967 ISBN 13: 9780802411969

Publisher: Moody Publishers, 2014

Synopsis

On April 16th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail was published and soon became the manifesto of the civil rights movement. Dr. King did not pick up his pen and react to hate filled racists. Instead, he found any scrap of paper that he could write on and responded to the passive pleas of white clergy, 'Isn't there another way around this, a more subtle and patient way? Can't you just wait, Dr. King?'Over the half century that has elapsed since the publication of Letter from a Birmingham Jail, much has transpired and progress has been made. Long gone are the burning crosses, biting police dogs and angry mobs; in its place we find passivity, cynicism and avoidance. In God's sovereignty, voices from today's church have emerged declaring that we cannot wait. These diverse voices are grateful for the laws that the civil rights movement were able to change, but also acknowledge that while the movement could change laws, it could never change hearts. Only the cross and empty tomb of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can do that.Letters to a Birmingham Jail is a collection of essays written by men of various ethnicities and ages, yet all are committed to the centrality of the gospel, nudging us to pursue Christ exalting diversity. The gospel demands justice in all its forms - spiritual and physical. This was a truth that Dr. King fought and gave his life for, and this is a truth that these modern day 'drum majors for justice' continue to beat. Contributors include: Bryan Loritts (General Editor), John Piper, John Perkins, Matt Chandler, Crawford Loritts, Sandy Wilson, Charlie Dates, John Bryson, Soong Chan Rah, & Albert Tate

About this title

About the Authors

BRYAN LORITTS previously ministered in a large black church in Los Angeles followed by two predominantly white churches and is now the Lead Pastor of Fellowship Memphis- a multiethnic church ministering in urban Memphis, Tennessee. He speaks to thousands annually across the U.S. at churches, conferences, and retreats. Bryan and his wife, Korie, have three sons and serve as a couple on the Family Life speaker team.

Soong-Chan Rah is Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. He is the author of The Next Evangelicalism (IVP Books, 2009). Prior to coming to North Park, Soong-Chan was the founding and senior pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, a multi-ethnic, urban church in Cambridge, MA. Soong-Chan has a B.A. from Columbia University, a M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Harvard University, and a D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell. Soong-Chan serves on the boards of Sojourners, the Christian Community Development Association, World Vision, and the Catalyst Leadership Center. He lives in Chicago with his wife Sue, a special educator and his two children, Annah and Elijah.

From the Back Cover

More than fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." Much has transpired in the half-century since, and progress has been made in the issues that were close to Dr. King s heart. Thankfully, the burning crosses, biting police dogs, and angry mobs of that day are long gone. But in their place, passivity has emerged. A passivity that must be addressed.

That s the aim of "Letters to a Birmingham Jail." A collection of essays written by men of various ethnicities and ages, this book encourages us to pursue Christ exalting diversity. Each contribution recognizes that only the cross and empty tomb of Christ can bring true unity, and each notes that the gospel demands justice in all its forms. This was a truth that Dr. King fought and gave his life for, and this is a truth that these modern day "drum majors for justice" continue to beat."

Edition details

• Publisher: Moody Publishers
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802411967
• ISBN 13: 9780802411969
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240