Contains two essays by Dr. King: What is Man? and The Dimensions of a Complete Life.

A collection of the written manuscripts of two of MLK's sermons/exhortations on the measure and nature of a man.

In the first King explores what makes humanity human. It is profoundly shaped by Niebhur, but is not wrong. He explores man's animal nature, but also his impulse toward something higher, and grounds the discussion in Psalm 8. He effectively communicates that man ought to strive for a life with meaning.

In the second King explores what makes for a well lived life. He speaks of three axes - the internal life, the life lived among others, and life before God. All three are necessary. One must learn to love oneself; but to only love oneself is selfishness and greed. One must learn to live with others and share in community as well. But to love only oneself and one's fellow man is humanism, and insufficient. One must also learn to love God and be devoted to His cause. Such is the well lived life: to love oneself, to love one's neighbor as oneself, and to love the LORD our God with all our strength, soul, and might.

A short work, but compelling, and well demonstrates MLK's mastery of the craft of preaching, and the solid depth of his theology and anthropology. ( )

A quick re-read for MLK day. King begins with reflections on Psalm 8 and human dignity. Before talking about the dimensions of the complete life (reflecting on the New Jerusalem in Revelation). The complete life, according to King, includes our personal calling, our love for humanity, and our love for God. Most of us settle for the first two, but life is incomplete without the third.
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Two sermons together on what it is to be a man. Simple and straightforward. Truth that we need reminded of on a daily basis. ( )

I just can't enough of the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. These two meditations read like eloquent dvar torahs. Mind-prying stuff. His moral clarity is profound. Now that I've gotten a taste of many of his speeches and small books, it's on to the big ones for full absorption. ( )