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Keith D. Miller
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Voice of Deliverance: The Language of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Its Sources Paperback – September 1, 1998

by Keith D. Miller (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Martin Luther King Jr.'s words defined, mobilized, and embodied much of the American civil rights movement, crystallizing the hope and demand for racial justice in America. His powerful sermons and speeches were unique in their ability to unite blacks and whites in the quest for reform. In the first full-length study of King's language, Keith D. Miller explores his words to find the intellectual roots, spiritual resonances, and actual sources of the speeches and essays that continue to reverberate in America's mind and conscience.

Miller argues that King's skillful borrowing and blending of the black oral and white written traditions was in fact the key to his language and to his effectiveness. It made his message of hope and deliverance accessible to all people and enabled blacks and whites to move in harmony to action and commitment.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Georgia Press
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 1998
  5. Dimensions
    5.96 x 0.64 x 9.19 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0820320137
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0820320137
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Significantly extends and enriches our understanding of the real roots of Martin Luther King Jr.'s eloquence and the centrality of the church in King's life.

-- David Garrow

Miller's discoveries amount to a major reevaluation of our current understanding of King as a thinker and leader.

-- New York Newsday

This well-researched book . . . achieve[s] a groundbreaking understanding of King's ability to motivate Americans to achieve social change.

-- Washington Post Book World

Review

Significantly extends and enriches our understanding of the real roots of Martin Luther King Jr.'s eloquence and the centrality of the church in King's life.



Miller's discoveries amount to a major reevaluation of our current understanding of King as a thinker and leader.



This well-researched book . . . achieve[s] a groundbreaking understanding of King's ability to motivate Americans to achieve social change.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Georgia Press (September 1, 1998)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0820320137
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0820320137
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.96 x 0.64 x 9.19 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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Keith D. Miller

Keith D. Miller

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Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sadie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
Amazing breakdown of his speech writing and inspirations.
One person found this helpful
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Christopher W. Coffman
5.0 out of 5 stars A genius--like Homer and Shakespeare, and a great man
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2000
This superb book deserves to be widely read. It is well known that King plagiarised much of his academic work and many of the passages from his sermons and speeches, but Miller compelling explains this practice as the hallmark of the oral culture of African American religion that produced its finest example in King himself. Although Miller doesn't cite classical literature, King's method of creating his own unique works from the building blocks of others is a central and completely accepted insight into scholarship on Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, and it is well known that Shakespeare closely followed the plots of third rate plays to produce his own masterpieces.
Miller also shows how the courageous resistance of African Americans against centuries of slavery produced a profound gospel of deliverance that was a concentrated version of Judeo-Christian doctrines, pared to its essentials and vivid enough to sustain people through seemingly hopeless injustice and oppression, indeed, with the power to motivate people to lay down their lives, if necessary. It was this doctrine of deliverance that King delivered to America and the world, electrifying the consciences and imaginations of white Americans, and providing leadership of the highest quality to the many brave African Americans who were determined to end the injustice of racism in America.
This is a fine and inspiring book about a great American, Dr. M. L. King, Jr.
8 people found this helpful
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Michael R. Nothstine
4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and written
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2004
Keith D. Miller does a good job examining the sources of Martin Luther King Jr. and explaining their significance. King was very successfull as the leader of the Civil Rights Movement in America because he effectively appealed to many white moderates. By quoting the founding fathers he was able to appeal to the broader American tradition. By borrowing and blending from black and white tradtions of speech and language, King was all the more effective at uniting people. There is obviously a considerable amount of informaton on Ghandi within Miller's publication. I think much more attention should have been focused on King's borrowing from Aquinas and natural law, which is so clearly evident in King's "Letter From A Birmingham Jail." I found it also interesting that King borrowed sources from contemporary white preachers as well as historical figures. Of all the criticisms you could throw at King, he was still very very intelligent.
4 people found this helpful
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