Four Papers on Preaching Issues

 Author: 

King, Martin Luther, Jr.

Date:
September 14, 1948 to February 15, 1950
How do we determine conjectured information? ?

Location:
Chester, Pa.
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Genre:
Essay

Topic:
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Education
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Political and Social Views

King submitted the following assignments for preaching courses at Crozer taught by Keighton. They demonstrate the breadth of topics and issues that influenced King's emerging understanding of homiletics. “Karl Barth,” a review of a sermon by this theologian, includes a harsh critique of the theological complexity of Barth's homily: “The preaching of theology must be presented in the light of the experiences of the people. This Barth fails to do.”1 Keighton gave the paper an A. In “The Limitation of Experience,” King criticizes ministers who fail to read regularly and learn from others, claiming they “starve the people for the gospel.” He questions the viability of capitalism in “Will Capitalism Survive?” claiming it “has seen its best days.” In the final assignment, “Is the Church the Hope of the World?” King challenges the church, calling it “one of the chief exponents of racial bigotry.”

“Karl Barth”

Karl Barth, round whose name centres the great discussions now agitating the theological world, was born at Basle, in Switzerland, in 1886.2 He was born in the atmosphere of theology, for his father was a Professor of the Reformed Church and author of two useful books.3 Barth first went to school at Berne, and proceeded thence to the other Universities at Berlin, Tubingen and Marburg.4 The Neo-Kantian school at Marburg has left its mark upon the philosophical outlook of Barth.5 Barth gives interesting information concerning the writers who later influenced his thought. His “ancestral line runs back through [Søren] Kierkegaard to [Martin] Luther and [John] Calvin and so to Paul and Jeremiah.” To understand Mr. Barth's views one must know something of how he came to his present point of view. He has told us that most of his views came from the principles of the Reformed Churches.6 Such a dogmatic assumption as the utter depravity of man as a consequence of the Fall, is an example of the influence that the Reformed Churches had on Barth. All of this helps us to understand the views expressed by Barth in many of his books and also in the sermon that will be discussed at this point.

Karl Barth opens his sermon, “Repentance,” with the moving Biblical pharse, Jesus calls us: “Come unto me!”7 He states that Jesus desires to speak truth to us. He wants to talk God to us. He, who lets himself be told, repents. “Repentance,” according to Barth, “is turning about to that which is nearest and which we always overlook.”8

Mr. Barth makes it very clear that other voices also call us. He uses the church as an example. Today she calls men to thanksgiving, repentance, and prayers. But when the church says something, it is always an open question.9 Repentance must go beyond the church, for in many instances the church is the greatest hindrance to repentance. The church, in many instances, has betrayed God to the needs and humours of men. If we want to hear the call of Jesus we must hear it despite the church.10

The question arises, who is Jesus? We know him best by those whom he calls to himself.11 Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye!” He is free enough to invite all to himself. It is essentially at this point, says Barth, that Jesus differs from other great men, other aims and movements. Even the church is not for all men.

Again the question arises, who is Jesus? He is the one who calls the laboring and the heavy laden to Himself. Because we labor and are heavy laden we belong to the “all” to whom the invitation is given.12

In conclusion the quistion arises, what does Jesus want of us? He wants nothing of us but that we come. Here Barth makes it very clear that Jesus does not want “ours” but “us”. Of course to come to Jesus means to labor and to be heavy laden, therefore it is hard to come.13 But we must see, says Barth, that coming to Jesus begins with the knowledge that something difficult is asked of us.

It is very clear that many of Barth's theological concepts creep into this sermon, such as God, “the Wholly other.” Of course, one complaint that I must make is that Barth sets up an obstruse mode of expression which only the learned can understand. He leaven the average mind lost in the fog of theological abstractions.14 I am not saying that one must not preach theology, but I am contending that the preaching of theology must be presented in the light of the experiences of the people. This Barth fails to do.

Another complaint is that Barth doesn't fully explain his views; great terms like God, Faith, Repentance, are thrown out without adequate definition, as though their meaning were self-evident. For these reasons I found this sermon very boring.

[signed] M. L. King Jr.15

“The Limitation of Experience”

In historical theology three different things have been put forward as the source of Authority in Religion: the church, The Bible and experience. Luther and his friends destroyed the Church as the central Religious Authority for the Protestants and put the Bible in its place. Most Protestants are confused on this issue as they lean on both the Bible and Experience. The Protestants talk about the Bible and then proceed to rely on experience. But experience has its limitations.

What is experience? In philosophy according the [Immanuel] Kant, Experience is a compound out of sensation and the activity of the understanding. According to psychology, it is a change in a set pattern of behavior. According to the “man in the streets” it is simply living a log long time. And this is the danger.

Just because a man has lived a long time is no sign that he is a man of experience. There are plenty people thirty who have had more experience than a person fifty.16 A farmer who has spent fifty years on the same plantation has certainly not had as much experience as a son who has been roaming all over Europe and the USA and is now thirty.

It is therefore a sign of mature judgment when you rely absolutely on your own experiences. The teachers in our schools have been pounding this in the heads of [strikeout illegible] students to long.17 We must come to see that lives are enriched by the experiences of others.

A minister who therefore tries to preach out of his own experiences all the time soon becomes shallow. He should let the great souls of the world enrich his life. The run around all the week and never look in a book and then get up on Sunday and preach what rises from inside you is to fool yourself and starve the people for the Gospel.18

[signed] M. L. King Jr.19

“Will Capitalism Survive?”

Karl Marx, the German philosopher, once stated that capitalism carries the seed of its own destruction.20 There is an obvious fallacy in this statement. The fallacy lies in its limitation. He speaks of capitalism as if it is the only social institution that carries the seed of its own destruction.21 The actual fact is that every social institution carries the seed of its own destruction, its survival depends on the way the seed is nourished.22 Therefore, just as every social institution carries the seed of its own destruction it also carries the seed of its own perpetuation.

Now after admitting that there is a definite fallacy in Marx' statement, do we find any truth therein?23 It is my opinion that we do. I am convinced that capitalism has seen its best days in America, and not only in America, but in the entire world. It is a well known fact that no social institution can survive after it has outlived its usefullness.24 This capitalism has failed to do.25 It has failed to meet the needs of the masses.

Strikes and labor troubles are but surface indications of the deep dissatisfaction and distress in this country.26 There is a definite revolt by, what Marx calls, “the proletariat”, against “the bourgeoisie.” Every we turn we hear the demand for socialize medicine.27 In fact, what is more socialistic than the income tax, the T.V.A., or the N.R.B.28 What will eventually happen is this: labor will become so powerful (this was certainly evidenced in the recent election) that she will be able to place a president in the White House.29 This will in all probability bring about a nationalization of industry. This will be the end of capitalism.

What will the new movement be called in America? I must admit that I don't know. It might well be called socialism, communism, or socialistic democracy.30 But what does it matter anyway, “a rose called by a different name smells just as sweet."31 The point is that we will have a definite change. Capitalism finds herself like a losing football team in the last quarter trying all types of tactics to survive. We are losing because we failed to check our weaknesses in the beginning of the game.

[signed] M. L. King Jr.32

“Is the Church the Hope of the World?”

It is a common saying in religious circles that the church is the hope of the world. This question inevitably leads the objective mind to a bit of doubt. He immediately asks, “how can the church be the hope of the world when it is the most reactionary institution in society.”33 In other words, the church is suppose to be the most radical opposer of the status quo in society, yet, in many instances, it is the greatest preserver of the status quo.34 So it was very easy for slavery to receive a religious saction.35 The church is one of the chief exponents of racial bigotry. Monopoly capitalism has always received the saction of the church.36

Since this is the case, we must admit that the church is far from Christ. What has happened is this: the church, while flowing through the stream of history has picked up the evils of little tributaries, and these tributaries have been so powerful that they have been able to overwhelm the main stream. In other words, the church has picked up a lot of historical vices. This is the tragedy of the church, for it has confused the vices of the church with the virtues of Christ. The church has been nothing but the slave of society; Whenever the mores call for evil practicies, society runs to the church to get its sanction.

Therefore, I conclude that the church, in its present state, is not the hope of the world. I believe that nothing has so persistently and effectively blocked the way of salvation as the church. On the other hand, the church can be the hope of the world, but only when it returns to Christ. If we take Christ to the world, we will turn it upside down, but the tragedy is that we to often take Christianity.37It is our job as ministers to bring the church back to the center of the human race. But we can only bring the church back to the center of the human race when we bring Christ back to the center of the church.38

[signed] M. L. King Jr.39

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/four-papers-preaching-issues