Leaders in History: Martin Luther King
Born on 15 th January 1929, Martin Luther King was son to Michael and Alberta King. Martin Luther King Jr, grew up in Atlanta and was enrolled in a public school at the age of five. After junior school, he attended Booker. Washington High School where he was considered a precocious but very popular student. King’s family was deeply involved in church, but he constantly questioned religion and felt uncomfortable with the display of religious worship. In Junior high school, however, he renewed his faith, took a Bible class and envisioned career in the ministry. His active participation played a crucial role and shaped his life into becoming a prominent leader in the U.S.
Martin Luther King, Jr was a leader in social activism and a Baptist minister who played a critical role in the American Civil Rights Movement from the mid-50s to late 60s, when he was assassinated. As a leader, King is worth following for a number of reasons. First, he sought equality and fought for the rights of African-Americans, the poor, and all victims of injustice i . King disrupted the status quo of racism and inequality that was apparent in the American society by fighting for equality. King’s actions backed his vision as they shook the popular culture of the time. King is honored and revered many years after his death for refusal to accept the status quo t the time and outlining a bold vision of what needs to be changed and how.
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Secondly, Martin Luther King Jr, is worth following as he used non-violent protests to lead African-Americans in the advancement of civil rights. Through peaceful protests, Luther was the driving force behind events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington. During the Montgomery event for instance, Martin Luther and his family had been living in the region that had become a center for the burgeoning struggle of civil rights for Black Americans. Following the Montgomery Bus Boycott, there was a severe economic strain and business owners chose Martin Luther King Jr as the official spokesman and protest leader. By the time the ruling was made, King had entered the national spotlight for the organized non-violent resistance. Also, during the March on Washington, he used non-violent means to pass to the message of having the dream of a better America where equality was recognized. Through the experiences of Luther, one’s faith is deepened on the relevance of non-violence crucial for peaceful social change.
Theology of Leadership: How did the theology of Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and Bonhoeffer influence and impact their leadership? Be specific about what aspects of their theology encouraged them to lead. How does theology provide the foundation for biblical leadership?
Luther’s theological approach had significant impact on his leadership. Commonly, his theological breakthrough is summarized as justification by faith in Christ alone. A crucial aspect of Luther’s understanding of the cross is that it is beyond the power to save and is inclusive of the power and ability of believers to see. Furthermore, through his active participation in Baptist Ministry and as a leader in African Americans, Civil Rights Movement, Christians are able to see the kind of leader he was and what he advocated for-equality. Theologian Alister McGrath refers to King’s theology of the cross as a powerful and radical understanding of the nature of Christian theology that the church has ever known. ii
Calvin held the belief that spirituality is achieved through daily disciplines as opposed to the few outbursts of enthusiasm and inspiration. His theological beliefs that were based on the study of the Bible, captured adherents from around the Christian World. Calvin believed in predestination and held the belief that God’s rewards for humans have already been selected. For Calvin, some men are elected for salvation while others are to be damned. According to Calvin, God foresaw the fall of man, the ruin of his posterity, but arranged all these by the determination of his own will. A major premise of Calvin’s theology is that everything that happens is decreed by God. This belief shaped his leadership and the way justified the opulence that God’s plan should not be disturbed.
Bonhoeffer is a great follower of the theologian Martin Luther. Just as Luther, for Bonhoeffer, Christ the center, yet at the center of it all is Christ on the Cross. He had similar beliefs as Luther King. Bonhoeffer speaks of a theology of the cross and so according to him, Christian living flows from the cross. iii This belief on the cross impacted his leadership in that once God is sovereign, human beings are similarly free but in a limited sense.
According to Packer, Edward’s theology of revival is one of the most significant contributions to today’s evangelical thinking. Edward is regarded as one of the most relevant theologists in modern Christianity. Preeminently, he was the theologian of revival and this impacted his leadership towards the revival direction. These various aspects of theology encouraged them to lead.
Though with different approaches of theology, these men did not just preach the gospel, instead they lived it. Notably, they had similar struggles as every other Christian but they always strived to live a Christ-like life. Theology communicates the foundation for biblical leadership in that it reveals to us the various aspects of leadership that Christian’s ought to look out for. As a language, the theology of God communicates the tenets of leadership and provides a body of reference for study.
Theological Assessment: What aspects of your understanding (or practice) of theology are weakest, and what can you do about it in the next twelve months?
Aspects of theological practice I find weak revolve around being spiritual and religious. In the modern world, there is the aspect of people being spiritual but not religious. It relieves me as a Christian the burden of do-it-yourself kind of Christianity combined with various traditions. Besides, it serves as a reminder that there are various spirits out here, but that does not necessarily mean that they are spirits of God in Christ Jesus. Besides, it challenges me to remember that neither spirituality nor religion does anything for me. Instead, they both play a crucial role by directing me to God’s attention both in whom we live and have our identity and being. Furthermore, both spirituality and religion are about God. Lastly, it gives a spiritual perception of the crowdedness of an individual. Particularly two communities-spiritual and religious engaged in embodies practices as a way of being the body of Christ in the world. Thus, Christians, we should be aware of the longevity of touching the body of Christ and be aware that both spirituality and religion and regardless of each play a crucial role in Christianity.
Furthermore, Bonhoeffer reminds me that how easily the practice of religion can lose its heart when the bearings are lost. In other words, without the spiritual orientation, the life-giving and gift given to us by God become empty actions and disembodied and people begin to find meaning elsewhere iv . Therefore, for the next twelve months, I want to get into an in-depth understanding of spirituality and religion. I will hold discussions with my peers to discuss on the same. I will also actively preach and hear the word of God. Furthermore, if there were no other sign than this, it would be to prove that holy people must exist for God’s word cannot be without people and God’s people cannot be without God. All other theological practices revolve around this one-preaching and hearing the word of God and serves to remind us that the word of God is not a book or something but people- Christians. I believe that Christians should have no other better map than preaching and hearing the word of God , as it forms a foundation for other theological practices and understanding of theology.
Biography
i Hanagan, Nora. "“Creative, Good Will for All Men:” Martin Luther King Jr. the Moralist." Perspectives on Political Science (2021): 1-8.
ii McGrath, A. E. (2016). Christian theology: An introduction . John Wiley & Sons.
iii McGrath, A. E. (2016). Christian theology: An introduction . John Wiley & Sons.
iv Jungling, Laurie. "Theological Practices That Matter. Vol. 5 of Theology in the Life of the Church Series." (2012): 205-208.
