Rhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Since the enslavement of blacks, the church has stood as a pillar of hope and a center of refuge for African Americans during times of racial and social oppression. The church has been able to serve as this foundation for the African American community because of the rhetoric used in the sermons of African American preachers. The topics and formatting of these sermons are not random, but rather systematic to ensure that the sermon influences the congregation to the pastors’ discretion. Sermons that cater to the needs of the congregation must provide intellectual stimulation, emotional gratification, and spiritual uplift. If a sermon provides these three things and is accompanied by a passionate articulation during the pastors’ delivery, the sermon, through the pastor, influences the opinion …show more content…
In one of his most famous sermons, A Thanksgiving Sermon (1808), he urges his congregation to act upon their prayers by stating “…the pomp of public worship, the ceremonies of a festive day, and the prayers of the righteous for slavery to end, will find no acceptance with him, unless acts are accompanied with these prayers.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., widely known for his leadership during the Civil Rights Movement, is another notable religious leader whose sermons are worthy of examining. In one of his most famous sermons, I’ve Been to The Mountaintop, King states “…now we’re going to march again, and we’ve got to march again, in order to put the issue where it is supposed to be. And force everybody to see that there are thirteen hundred of God’s children here suffering…” In stating this, King, too, implores his audience to continue to remain active in fighting against segregation and the right to

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