Letter From Birmingham Jail Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

In “ Letter From Birmingham Jail “, by Martin Luther King Jr, King contributed to the broader conversation of civil disobedience by using the power of his own perspective of the church and his experiences of being a pastor. Furthermore, he uses allusions to god and his own point of view to build the ethos of his argument, with the purpose of convincing followers of Christianity to back his movement.

Throughout his letter King makes allusions, or references, to God and characters of the bible to provide a trustworthy source for the Christians that support segregation to believe in. After the assumption that King’s actions “ precipitate violence “, he makes a reference to the bible when he says, “ Isn't this like condemning Jesus because His unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to His will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see, as federal courts have consistently affirmed, that it is immoral to urge an individual to withdraw his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest precipitates violence.” ( King par. 25 ). And with this allusion to Jesus Christ, King compares the determination of Jesus for his will and the black community’s determination for their constitutional rights. This comparison allows the reader to connect the ideals of Jesus Christ and the black community, and grasp the credibility as well as the reasoning behind the movement to stop segregation. During the era of segregation, when “ Letter from Birmingham Jail “ was published, the effect that this allusion was intended to have was that the leaders of the church would see the struggle and fight of the black community, which would lead to the backing of Martin Luther King Jr’s movement. He makes another reference to Jesus while talking about the criticism of his extremism when he posed the question, “ Was not Jesus an extremist in love? -- "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you."’ ( King par. 31 ). King discusses his initial disappointment with the label of ‘extremist’, but he then formulates the idea that extremism can go both ways on the scale of love and hate, or good and bad. By affixing the idea that Jesus and himself are both extremists, King persuades the Christian audience to see that his beliefs might be tenable and worthy of consideration. This realization could also allow a reader, who might’ve believed in exclusively bad extremism before, to see the good side of extremism and the benefits it could bring about.

From 1954 to 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. was a pastor at Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, which gave him a unique, but dependable, point of view on the matter of the resistance from the white church to reinforce the anti-segregation movement. Because of the refusal to assist from the white church, King expresses his disappointment when he recalls, “ the strange feeling when I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery several years ago that we would have the support of the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests, and rabbis of the South would be some of our strongest allies. Instead, some few have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders. “, and he adds that he came to Birmingham with hope that, “ the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and with deep moral concern serve as the channel through which our just grievances could get to the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed. “ ( King par 35, 36 ). These quotes from King reveal his feelings and how his resolve has not crumbled, but it has taken a hit of discouragement. His tone as he writes adds the weight of guilt onto the white church, it makes them feel the pain of a fellow clergyperson who called for help, but received none. King mentions that the white churches of the south have “ [refused] to understand the freedom movement and [misrepresented] its leaders. “, and with this, he is stating that the white church has somewhat villainized the leaders of segregation and Martin Luther King Jr. himself. Throughout the letter, King proves that his ideals are just and have reason to be listened to and followed, while also providing his credibility to speak with God, but against the white church.