Abstract
Apocalyptic literature has been designated as “crisis literature” and as a “form of protest against society” by some interpreters. This essay explores Martin Luther King Jr.’s reception and use of apocalyptic literature and thought in his sermons and writings. In doing so, it examines how King appropriates this literature as well as apocalyptic motifs to speak about the significance of African American history and to protest racism in American society. Such an analysis provides insight into the ongoing importance of the protest and crisis features of these apocalyptic texts. Moreover, the apocalyptic facets of King’s work have never been analyzed from a biblical studies perspective and this essay highlights the significance of these dimensions for his social justice work.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Martin Luther King, Jr. and Apocalyptic Thought
- Enoch’s Green Apocalypse: The Source Material of Aronofsky’s Noah
- Armageddon: A History of the Location of the End of Time
- Is Biblical Studies Stuck in Antiquarianism? The Case of Behemoth and Leviathan
- The Return of the Accuser as God’s Defender: A Diabolical Reception of Elihu in Elie Wiesel’s The Trial of God
- A Note on Canon and Hermeneutics: Junillus, Inst. 1.1-10
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Martin Luther King, Jr. and Apocalyptic Thought
- Enoch’s Green Apocalypse: The Source Material of Aronofsky’s Noah
- Armageddon: A History of the Location of the End of Time
- Is Biblical Studies Stuck in Antiquarianism? The Case of Behemoth and Leviathan
- The Return of the Accuser as God’s Defender: A Diabolical Reception of Elihu in Elie Wiesel’s The Trial of God
- A Note on Canon and Hermeneutics: Junillus, Inst. 1.1-10