An Analysis Of Lewis Baldwin's There Is A Balm In Gilead

In Lewis Baldwin’s book, “There is a Balm in Gilead,” he argues that one cannot fully understand the development of Martin Luther King, Jr. without realizing that he was heavily influenced by southern culture and by black religious life. King’s development as a black southerner is an extremely important factor to focus on when talking about his social, religious, and political thought. Baldwin argues this importance by situating King within the black southern culture he was raised in and exploring its impact on key aspects of his life. This paper will show the influence of southern culture and black religious life on King’s social, religious, and political thought, as well as how the legacy of racism and white supremacy shaped his development

as a black southerner. I will argue that King’s sense of place as a black Baptist southerner influenced his social emphasis on community and on redeeming the South. I also argue that his sense of place influenced his religious thought in regards to his preaching of Christian optimism and, also, his political thoughts on acting in order to create change. Lastly, I will argue that the legacy of racism and white supremacy played a role in the development of King by forcing him closer to the institution of the Black church—offering him a platform for speaking on radical social change.
King’s emphasis on community is a central theme that is essential for understanding his social thought. Community is the most pervasive theme in most of his writings and speeches. Whether he was giving a speech on love, forgiveness, justice, or nonviolence, the connecting thread could almost always be related to his ultimate quest for unity and community (Baldwin, 172). He challenged his audiences and congregations with a communal vision that envisioned a South, a nation, and eventually a world that worked together (Baldwin, 339). King had an uncanny ability to bring people together and listen—this ability stemmed from his lifelong investment in the black church as well as his experiences during his years at Morehouse College (Baldwin, 33). He was very active in his church, and had the benefit of being able to listen to experienced preachers, including his father and many other prominent preachers of the day. Through this method of learning, he learned how to connect with different types of audiences—something that would further him as a main leader in the civil rights movement. For example, black southerners recognized King as someone who shared in their cultural experiences, spoke their language, and understood the struggles that plague them (Baldwin, 2). King knew it was immensely important to connect with his audiences on these fronts in order to establish in them what he saw as the next step towards civil rights. All of King’s sermons had a religious and social message that spoke to King’s belief that a minister should not only be a spiritual leader but also an advocate for social justice (Baldwin, 289). He so strongly hated the racism that was all-pervasive in the South, but he also strongly believed that there was a large potential for positive change and growth leading to a “New” (Baldwin,). Baldwin positions King as attempting to redeem the South with a vision of a radically transformed region.
King’s sense of place (nurtured by family, education, the church, and culture) gave him a sense of identity as a black Christian southerner.

His regional and cultural identity instilled in him a sense of cultural and moral obligation to make the place he identifies with even better than he could imagine (Baldwin, 41). King knew he wanted to address the main issues that plagued the country while being a faithful Christian. King’s sense of place in the South led him to address many issues that he did not even experience directly, like poverty, because he shared this common identity (Baldwin, 21-23). King’s theological argument is directly linked to the influence of southern culture, black religious life, and even dating back to slave preachers (Baldwin, 301). He preached that God is a God of justice, mercy, and peace; He is a God that liberates those who are cast down upon. He is a God that will break into history and free people now, not later on (Baldwin, 173). These theological arguments were shaped by the black church and its emphasis on Christian optimism and Christian hope which state that God will ultimately emerge as triumphant over evil and bring liberation, wholeness, and salvation to all people (Baldwin, 77). This theological argument speaks to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of a transformed South becoming a model for the beloved community where all humans are treated with equal worth (Baldwin, 43). Lastly, Dr. King’s religious life contributed to his theological

argument by driving home that racial injustice distorts the imago dei, or the image of God (Baldwin, 171). His sense of place as a black Christian southerner allows for his understanding that one cannot be a Christian and support inferiority (Baldwin, 55).
King's development as a black southerner shaped his unbelievable ability to ignite a fire in a group of people by making them want to enact change the change he talked about.

His sense of place as a black Christian southerner was essential to the formation of his political thought. He was a fantastic preacher that also lead to his abilities to give great speeches (clarity). He could not have gained the ability to do this so well unless he had grown up in the black church like he had (explain more). Martin Luther King, Jr. had a few critiques of the black church that spoke to his political thought. King’s first minister position was at Dexter Ave. Church, which was a mostly middle class congregation (Baldwin, 176). In this congregation, emotionalism often overtook rationality (Baldwin, 180). King, though, did not support this aspect of black churches and worried about its effects on the congregation. He wondered, does this emotionalism lead to action, or does it just make members feel good on Sunday morning and never act on it? It was for this reason that King used the black social gospel as an application of the gospel to social and political life. He weaved together intellect and emotion to plant a seed of change inside his listeners. King used his regional and cultural identity to continue to foster a sense of community and to show that one has to commit to take action and not just passively listen in order to make change (Baldwin, 180). Another major critique of the

black church was the intense elitism and classism that King saw as a direct hindrance to social and political change (Baldwin, 177). If the church was a classist environment, could it still foster a model of the beloved community? Class oppression and race oppression are intrinsically intertwined according to King’s political thought.
Although Martin Luther King, Jr. had some critiques of the church and questioned multiple aspects of it, like the resurrection, he never rejected it (Carson, 6). King continued to explore his faith despite his reservations at Morehouse College and, eventually, at Crozer Theological Seminary. He hated the racism that was rampant in the south and wanted to change it. He also hated the hierarchical society in which he lived as well as how evident it was even in the black church. That being said, his sense of place and hatred of racism and white supremacy as a social injustice forced him closer to the black church (Carson, 45). He needed a springboard to help him speak his mind and get his voice heard; his college fraternity or the teaching position offered to him at Morehouse College was not the platform he needed. King’s call to the black church allowed him to foster his voice as a spiritual and cultural leader who his audience saw as deeply invested in the life of the community (Carson, 47). His extensive knowledge of and experience in the black church illuminated some important positives that the church provided him such as the ability to speak to crowds, to connect with people, and to listen intently. It offered him a receptive audience who trusted his leadership. King’s main theme of community continues to be seen here. He used the black church and the black social gospel to combat white supremacy and call attention to the social injustices of the day (Baldwin, 173). Baldwin situates King in history and, most importantly, the legacy of racism, to shed light on the implications of his sense of place on his investment with the black church. King’s sense of place and hatred of white supremacy brought him closer to the institution of the black church, which made it possible for him to establish his claims for radical social change (Baldwin 182).
Baldwin argues that one cannot fully understand the development of Martin Luther King, Jr. without realizing that he was heavily influenced by southern culture, black religious life, and the legacy of racism and white supremacy. All three of these lead to Dr. King’s sense of place which in turn directly influenced his social, religious, and political thought. King’s sense of place as a black Christian southerner influenced his social emphasis on community and redeeming the South as well as his religious thought in regards to his preaching of Christian optimism. King’s sense of place also had a direct influence on his political thoughts, which emphasize committing to take action in order to make change. Although much of King’s critiques of the black church could have pushed him farther away, the legacy of racism and white supremacy forced him closer to the institution of the black church, allowing him a springboard for social change.