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.
Author: LeRoy Haynes, Jr.
Rev. Dr. LeRoy Haynes received his B.A. from the University of North Texas, Th.M. from Perkins School of Theology, and Ph.D. in ministry from Brite Theological Seminary. He currently serves as President of North Portland Bible College and is a known scholar in Christian theology and church history.
Dr. Haynes has served in various pastorates in Texas and Oklahoma and currently serves as Senior Pastor at Allen Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Northeast Portland. Over the years, he has been actively involved in community affairs. He co-founded the Common Ground Housing and Economic Development Corporation in Dallas, Texas, and founded the Resurrection Drug Abuse Program as well as the Deliverance Gang Intervention Support Group in Fort Worth, Texas. His community involvement and his first-hand participation in the events of the civil rights struggle gives him a unique voice in the societal issues faced today.