The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me

By Jonathan Rieder,

Book cover of The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me: The Righteous Performance of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Book description

"You don't know me," Martin Luther King, Jr., once declared to those who criticized his denunciation of the Vietnam War, who wanted to confine him to the ghetto of "black" issues. Now, forty years after being felled by an assassin's bullet, it is still difficult to take the measure of…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Rieder’s work is perhaps the single most interesting interpretation of King’s ability to thrive in very different rhetorical audiences, and explains his ability to communicate to so many different audiences at the same time. From King’s street talk in private to his SCLC colleagues, to his magnificent sermons to black church crowds, to his soaring oratory to more general public audiences, King code-shifted with ease and skill. No one captures this quality better than Rieder in this book.

From Paul's list on Martin Luther King, Jr..

Want books like The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me.

Browse books like The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me

Book cover of Parting the Waters
Book cover of Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Book cover of From Civil Rights to Human Rights: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Struggle for Economic Justice

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,194

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther, and the Vietnam War?

Martin Luther 18 books
The Vietnam War 242 books