Martin Luther King and the Trumpet of Conscience Today - by Régine Michelle Jean-Charles (Paperback)

About the Book

"Examines Martin Luther King's series of speeches, "The Trumpet of Conscience," as a point of departure for discussing contemporary issues facing us in the 21st century that demand a faith-based perspective with justice at the center"--

Book Synopsis

Martin Luther King and The Trumpet of Conscience Today wrestles with the parts of King's vision that have historically been the most uncomfortable for white Americans. The lectures that comprise "The Trumpet of Conscience" are a powerful critique of the triple American evils of racism, the scourge of poverty, and the horrors of war. In light of today's urgent social issues, Régine Michelle Jean-Charles offers a faith-based, justice-centered response to economic inequality, the refugee crisis, Black Lives Matter, and #MeToo, while asking questions similar to those King posed in his speeches: "If I do not stop to help families separated at the border what will happen to them?"; "If I do not stop to help those suffering as a result of income inequality, what will happen to them?" "If I do not stop to help survivors of rape and sexual abuse what will happen to them?"

From the Back Cover

RELIGION / Christianity / General RELIGION / Christianity / History RELIGION / Christian Living / Social Issues Explores Martin Luther King's series of speeches, "The Trumpet of Con¬science," on the intertwined issues of racism, militarism, and materialism, in light of today's urgent social movements, including the movement for Black lives, #MeToo, and prison abolition, each of which benefits from a faith-based, justice-centered response. ISBN 978-1-62698-443-1 Cover design: Ponie Sheehan Cover art: "Martin Luther King" by Thomas Evans

Review Quotes

"Through interrogating current manifestations of racism, sexual violence, and mass incarceration in our soul-sick society, Jean-Charles's critique . . . re-symbolizes and reinvigorates the book's enduring purpose--to expose suffering and to urge humanity to answer the sound of conscience."--From the Foreword by M. Shawn Copeland "Régine Jean-Charles has written a glorious book that offers a deeply moral vision of how to recover a society sick with racism, sexual violence, and mass incarceration. Jean-Charles weaves together a moving conversation with Martin Luther King that provides a blueprint for how we can deepen our commitment to justice and create a better world."--Soyica Diggs Colbert, PhD, Interim Dean of Georgetown College "In this captivating work, Régine Michelle Jean-Charles takes the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 'out of the box' and reads justly his trenchant later writings. A feminist, social justice warrior, Jean-Charles has her Isaiah moment here, asking unhesitatingly hard questions about racism, sexual assault, mass incarceration, and the lifetime commitment for justice. An uncompromising work."--James F. Keenan, SJ, Canisius Professor, Boston College " Dr. Jean-Charles has breathed new, magnificent, divine feminine ruah into the ministry of one of the Christian faith's most examined and celebrated men. With the eye of an academic and the heart of a believer, she invites a fresh and holistic approach to Dr. King, so that the reader can receive his gifts anew while worshiping God, not Dr. King. She walks us down a fine line and brings us to the other side, ready to listen afresh to this prophet in our time. What a gift!--Kaji Dousa, Senior Pastor, Park Avenue Christian Church, NYC

About the Author

Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, a Black feminist scholar and activist, is the author of Conflict Bodies: The Politics of Rape Representation in the Francophone Imaginary. She is the Dean's Professor of Culture and Social Justice and Director of Africana Studies at Northeastern University, Boston, MA. She holds a masters and doctorate from Harvard University.