Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr.

Models of Preaching, Spirituality, and Social Activism

Abstract

This article focuses on Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr. as models of preaching, spirituality, and social activism. As Luther declared in his Large Catechism (1530): “I am both a doctor and a preacher.” Likewise, as King once observed: “In the quiet recesses of my heart, I am fundamentally a clergyman, a Baptist preacher.” According to the Augsburg Confession, Article 4, the doctrine of justification has implications for socio-politico-economic justice. It means justified sinners are actively engaged in the search for peace and justice on earth.