A Knock at Midnight : Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., by Martin Luther King, Peter Holloran (Editor), Clayborne Carson (Editor)
Paperback - 234 pages (January 2000), Warner Books, ISBN: 0446675547
More than a leader and organizer in the civil rights struggle, Martin Luther King, Jr., was "first and foremost" an anointed preacher of the gospel. A Knock at Midnight features a selection of eleven of Dr. King's best sermons—some from his days at Ebenezer Baptist Church and Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, as well as other preaching points. They include "Rediscovering Lost Values," "A Knock at Midnight," "The American Dream," and "When Jesus Called a Man a Fool."
This sermon collection includes brief introductions from spiritual leaders and friends, including Dr. Joan Campbell, Billy Graham, Dr. Robert Franklin, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which offer personal insights into King's life, work, and legacy.
King's sermons, which "ring with authenticity and resound with relevancy," speak profoundly to our troubled times and offer both prophetic insight and divine guidance as we attempt to find our way into the next millennium.
These historic sermons—some of which are complete recordings of entire addresses, while others are reconstructed from various church services—make plain why Martin Luther King Jr. considered his "first calling and greatest commitment" to be a preacher. As an orator he is second to none, drawing his audience in with an urgency that resonates through every soaring cadence of his familiar, powerful voice.
Using insights from psychology, philosophy, and the Bible, he appeals to the heads as well as the hearts of his congregations, explaining that personal and social change can only be effected by adopting a morality of love in service of God and humankind. While King's concern for social justice is a common theme throughout, each sermon is a jewel of literary artistry, as it presents a simple problem, examines its complications, and offers a startling and often challenging resolution.
Finally, readers should note that this book is also offered as an audiobook. Because of King's rhetorical power and delivery, this format is in many ways superior to the printed text. Regardless, whether you purchase the book or the audiobook, you are in for a rare treat!