An Analysis Of Lewis Baldwin's There Is A Balm In Gilead

In Lewis Baldwin’s book, “There is a Balm in Gilead,” he argues that one cannot fully understand the development of Martin Luther King, Jr. without realizing that he was heavily influenced by southern culture and by black religious life. King’s development as a black southerner is an extremely important factor to focus on when talking about his social, religious, and political thought. Baldwin argues this importance by situating King within the black southern culture he was raised in and exploring its impact on key aspects of his life. This paper will show the influence of southern culture and black religious life on King’s social, religious, and political thought, as well as how the legacy of racism and white supremacy shaped his development

His regional and cultural identity instilled in him a sense of cultural and moral obligation to make the place he identifies with even better than he could imagine (Baldwin, 41). King knew he wanted to address the main issues that plagued the country while being a faithful Christian. King’s sense of place in the South led him to address many issues that he did not even experience directly, like poverty, because he shared this common identity (Baldwin, 21-23). King’s theological argument is directly linked to the influence of southern culture, black religious life, and even dating back to slave preachers (Baldwin, 301). He preached that God is a God of justice, mercy, and peace; He is a God that liberates those who are cast down upon. He is a God that will break into history and free people now, not later on (Baldwin, 173). These theological arguments were shaped by the black church and its emphasis on Christian optimism and Christian hope which state that God will ultimately emerge as triumphant over evil and bring liberation, wholeness, and salvation to all people (Baldwin, 77). This theological argument speaks to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a transformed South becoming a model for the beloved community where all humans are treated with equal worth (Baldwin, 43). Lastly, Dr. King’s religious life contributed to his theological

His sense of place as a black Christian southerner was essential to the formation of his political thought. He was a fantastic preacher that also lead to his abilities to give great speeches (clarity). He could not have gained the ability to do this so well unless he had grown up in the black church like he had (explain more). Martin Luther King, Jr. had a few critiques of the black church that spoke to his political thought. King’s first minister position was at Dexter Ave. Church, which was a mostly middle class congregation (Baldwin, 176). In this congregation, emotionalism often overtook rationality (Baldwin, 180). King, though, did not support this aspect of black churches and worried about its effects on the congregation. He wondered, does this emotionalism lead to action, or does it just make members feel good on Sunday morning and never act on it? It was for this reason that King used the black social gospel as an application of the gospel to social and political life. He weaved together intellect and emotion to plant a seed of change inside his listeners. King used his regional and cultural identity to continue to foster a sense of community and to show that one has to commit to take action and not just passively listen in order to make change (Baldwin, 180). Another major critique of the