Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Boundaries of Law, Politics, and Religion

Beginning with the social, political, and economic implications of King's vision of the "New South" and his prophetic critique of southern civil religion, this pathbreaking study casts King in the role of "political liberal, " "consummate politician, " and "political theologian." The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. focuses considerable attention on King's refusal to separate religious faith and moral considerations from politics, legal matters, and social reformism. In so doing, it demonstrates King's remarkable ability to transcend church-state boundaries and to formulate an alliance that permeated every facet of American life.

Featuring four chapters by Lewis V. Baldwin -- a leading authority on King -- as well as a chapter by Rufus Burrow, Jr., and one co-authored by Barbara Holmes and the Honorable Susan Holmes Winfield, this volume reveals how King moved beyond southern particularism to create a more democratic Americaand a more inclusive world. Among the topics covered are King's relationship to various American political traditions and figures, King's theories of civil disobedience and his understanding of the Constitution, and the influence of moral law and personal idealism on King's teachings.