Martin Luther King and the Rhetoric of Freedom: The Exodus Narrative in America's Struggle for Civil Rights

Studies in Rhetoric and Religion

by Gary S. Selby

In this beautifully written book, Gary Selby shows how Martin Luther King, Jr. used the biblical story of Exodus to motivate African Americans in their struggle for freedom from racial oppression. Through an examination of King's major speeches, Selby illuminates the ways in which King drew from the Exodus narrative to offer his listeners a structure that explained their present circumstances, urged united action, and provided the conviction that they would succeed. Selby explains how King constructed a symbolic framework for interpreting the setbacks of the Civil Rights movement, even as he challenged them to remain faithful to the cause.

Genres: Race, History

225 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2008

About the author

Gary S. Selby (PhD, University of Maryland) serves as professor of ministerial formation at Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan College. He is the author of Not with Wisdom of Words: Nonrational Persuasion in the New Testament and Martin Luther King and the Rhetoric of Freedom: The Exodus in America's Struggle for Civil Rights.

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent analysis, but there isn't much here that's unique, as far as I can tell. Nevertheless, a study of King would do well to consult this book for at least a few moments to see the development of King's Mosaic rhetoric.