The Theology and Philosophy of King’s Concept of Non-Violence

This article examines Martin Luther King Jr.’s paradigm of non-violent engagement through attention to King’s personal history, his theological and philosophical development, his developed understanding of non-violence, and critiques of King’s paradigm. While admitting that King’s model of non-violent confrontation has limitations, the claim made here is this essay argues that King’s paradigm is more effective than his critics realize. For one, King develops a love ethic based on the example of Christ that aims at social transformation rather than limiting Christ’s ethic of love to the individual, religious sphere. Moreover, King’s model of social transformation aims at reconciliation between the oppressed and their oppressors. King’s non-violent paradigm should be the initial strategy for addressing injustices and wrongs throughout the world for social change because it causes the least harm to the opponent and has proven itself as to be one of the most effective methods for social transformation.