The Rhetorical Field Of Religion In Martin Luther King's Letter

In this letter, Martin Luther King utilizes both the rhetorical field of religion, and the rhetorical element of audience as a combination to support his arguments against the clergymen and the white moderate's view of the civil rights movement as a whole. \

By using religion in various points of the text, King uses the clergymen's own knowledge against them to prove his cause just. He provides examples of lesser known stories to place a metaphorical spotlight on the clergymen in particular. The passages might not be recognizable to the standard American, but clergymen bound to serving the church understand these resources. An example of this is found when King goes into why he is in Birmingham in the first place. He cleverly uses stories
He quotes directly from the bible "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you" (273). This quote emphasizes the feelings King has for not just the clergymen, but for all that appose civil rights. Another quote- "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream" puts Kings pursuit of justice in a just fashion. Subsequently, he goes into less religious territory by naming other extremists like Martin Luther and Abraham Lincoln, but notice how he puts all the more reverent examples first. This is no mistake on King's behalf. He wants the clergymen to see those examples first because he know they will strike a chord in their religious beliefs. Those first listed seem more important, and they are to prove King's appeal of religion. Sticking with the rhetorical question he asks, King is comparing the peril his fellow blacks are experiencing to scripture in the Bible. Another clear appeal to religion is found when King is expressing his disappointment in the church. He reveals that "I had hoped that each of
The very beginning of the letter addresses it to his "dear Fellow Clergymen" (263). This sets the tone for the passage, and King knows that if it's too brash and ugly, the letter wont be spared a second glance. Instead, he makes the salutation calm and welcoming. This way, the clergymen are more likely to read ahead than throw it in the trash. Further through the text, King manages to spin a strong argument while keeping in mind that his target audience might not be as simple as the clergymen. He is the leader of a revolution and knows it, so he keeps in mind that his letter might reach out to not only the other people in the nineteen fifties, but people throughout time. He presents this by using terms and circumstances that would be relatable in his time and any future audiences. One paragraph in particular utilizes empathy by painting a gruesome picture, telling tales of how blacks were subjected to "mobs lynch your mothers and fathers...policemen curse, kick, brutalize and even kill your black brothers and sisters" (267). Any person at any given time would openly cringe at the images that are imagined upon reading his examples, and King uses that to his advantage. In the same paragraph, King uses another universal understanding to his aid. Children are a sweet innocent figure that everyone in the world recognizes and cherishes. King begs the audience to see how corrupted the society he's living