⛪ Pastor in Montgomery
In 1954 King became pastor of a Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama. His sermons linked the Bible to the struggle for fairness.
Christianity: Origins and Their Impact on the Community » Martin Luther King Jr: Teaching and Contribution
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Christianity (4RS1/2B), 1.4 and 1.1
- The main events in the life of Martin Luther King Jr
- What he taught and why he said Christians must work for justice without violence
- How he contributed to Christianity, and how relevant he is to Christians today
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Unlock This CourseWho was Martin Luther King Jr?
Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister in the USA. A Baptist is a member of a Protestant church that stresses the Bible and teaches that believers choose to be baptised. King grew up in a Christian family in Atlanta, Georgia, where his father was also a pastor. Christians study him because he is one of the best-known examples of a person who tried to live out Jesus' teaching in public life.
In King's lifetime, many states in the southern USA had laws of segregation, which kept black and white people apart on buses, in schools, in restaurants and in many other places. Black Americans were treated as second-class citizens. King believed this was a sin against God and set out to change it.
Key terms:
- Baptist: a member of a Protestant tradition that stresses the Bible and the baptism of believers.
- Segregation: keeping groups of people apart by law or custom, here black and white Americans.
- Civil rights: the rights every citizen should have, such as the right to vote and to be treated equally under the law.
- Non-violent protest: campaigning for change by peaceful means, such as marches and boycotts, and never by force.
- Agape (recap from Love, Sex and Relationships in Christianity): a Greek word for selfless, unconditional love. King used it to describe the love Christians should show even to their enemies.
Key events in his life
🚌 The bus boycott, 1955-56
After a black woman, Rosa Parks, was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat, black people in Montgomery stopped using the buses. King became a leader of the boycott. It lasted over a year and ended when the US Supreme Court ruled that segregated buses were against the law.
📢 March on Washington, 1963
In August 1963 a huge crowd marched in Washington, D.C. for jobs and freedom. There King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech, hoping for a future of equality.
🏆 Nobel Peace Prize, 1964
King won the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the struggle by non-violent means. In the same year the Civil Rights Act made segregation in public places illegal.
King was assassinated (murdered for his public role) in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4 April 1968, when he was 39. Many Christians see him as a martyr, someone who suffered and died for what they believed.
His teaching
King's teaching came from his Christian faith. These were his main ideas:
- Everyone is equal in God's eyes. Christians believe that humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), so racism insults God as well as people.
- Love your enemies. King pointed to Jesus' command to love enemies (Matthew 5:44). He taught agape: hating or hitting back only adds more hate to the world.
- Non-violent protest. He taught that unjust laws must be resisted, but without violence. Protesters accepted insults, arrests and even attacks without hitting back, which he believed showed up the injustice and the courage of the cause. He saw this as following Jesus' teaching to turn the other cheek.
- Justice is a Christian duty. For King, faith must be lived out. A Christian cannot say they love God and ignore a neighbour who is suffering. He often spoke of justice in the spirit of the prophet Amos.
His contribution to Christianity
✈️ Faith in action
King showed Christians that faith could be seen in public action against racism and poverty, not only in church on Sunday.
🌐 An example worldwide
His example inspired Christians in many countries to campaign peacefully for justice. Many churches today remember him and teach about him.
King led through the churches. Black churches in the southern states were the meeting places for much of the movement, and its mass meetings often began with prayer and hymns. He helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), a group of church leaders working for civil rights. In his later years he also spoke out about poverty, saying that Christians should care about the poor of every race.
Is he relevant to Christians today?
✅ Yes, he is relevant
Racism and poverty still exist, so his call to work for justice still matters. Many Christians see him as a role model who put the Gospel into practice. His method of peaceful protest is still used by Christians today.
❌ Less relevant
The laws he fought against have been changed, so some say his work is finished. Others argue that Christians should follow Jesus himself first, or that politics is not the Church's main job. Some Christians do not accept non-violence in every situation.
Christians from many traditions, including Baptist, Anglican and Catholic, have praised his example, though some in every tradition think the Church should stay out of politics. They also differ in how they remember him. Some admire him mainly as a preacher of love and forgiveness. Others stress his challenge to unfair systems and his call to action for the poor.
Common mistakes
Do not say King was a Catholic or a priest: he was a Baptist minister. Do not say his protests were violent: non-violence was central to his teaching. Do not only describe what he did. In an Explain question, say why it matters to Christians, for example because it follows Jesus' command to love enemies.
Exam-style question
(a) Outline two teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why Martin Luther King Jr is important to Christians. [6 marks]
(c) "Martin Luther King Jr is no longer relevant to Christians today." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include: reference to teachings; other (divergent) points of view; your opinion or point of view using reasoned arguments. [10 marks]
Model answer
(a) King taught that all people are equal in God's eyes (1), because Christians believe every human is made in the image of God, so racism is wrong (1). He also taught non-violent protest (1), so campaigners should resist unjust laws by peaceful means such as boycotts and marches, never by force (1).
(b) King is important to Christians because he showed faith in action. He led the Montgomery bus boycott and the March on Washington as a Baptist minister, so he joined belief and action (1). He followed Jesus' command to love enemies (Matthew 5:44) and refused to hit back, which gives Christians an example of agape (1). He believed that everyone is made in the image of God, so he campaigned against racism and for equality (1). He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, which showed the world that non-violent protest could change laws (1). He also spoke up for the poor, so many Christians see justice as part of their duty (1). Because he died for his cause, many see him as a martyr, and his example still inspires Christians around the world (1).
(c) Plan. For: the laws he opposed have been changed; some Christians say the Church should focus on Jesus, not on politics; some Christians do not think non-violence is right in every case. Against: racism and poverty still exist, so his call for justice still applies; Genesis 1:27 and Matthew 5:44 are still Christian teachings, and his example of faith in action is used by many churches; he is a role model for Christians who campaign today. Possible conclusion: The laws have changed, but the injustice he spoke against has not gone away, and his teaching comes from Jesus' own command to love. He is therefore still relevant, though Christians differ on how far they should follow his example.
Exam tip
In a 6-mark Explain question about a person, give three or four reasons and link each one to a Christian teaching or to what believers do today. Do not just tell the story of their life.