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The Measure of a Man
Two brief yet powerful meditations from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. defining humanity's worth and completion relate to strides toward social justice. Eloquent and passionate, reasoned and sensitive, this pair of meditations by the revered civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. contains the theological roots of his political and social philosophy of nonviolent activism. In supporting reconciliation, Dr. King outlines human worth based on Scripture, encouraging the reader to know each person has worth, rational ability, and an invitation to fellowship with the Creator. In addition, Dr. King explains the three dimensions of length, breadth, and height; they must all be present and working harmoniously in order for life to be complete as an individual and as a community. Black and white photos from Dr. King's life along with simple prayers from the reverend round out this short but poignant offering.
56 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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About the author
Martin Luther King Jr.
412 books3,455 followersMartin Luther King, Jr. was one of the pivotal leaders of the American civil rights movement. King was a Baptist minister, one of the few leadership roles available to black men at the time. He became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–1956) and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), serving as its first president. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Here he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.
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January 20, 2025
Measuring the contributions that Martin Luther King Jr. made to causes like civil rights, human rights, and international peace might be difficult. But it seems to me that a good way to start getting to know Dr. King and his contributions is reading what Dr. King actually said and wrote – without the filtering provided by second-hand commentators, some of whom might actually be hostile to Dr. King’s ideas. Reading Dr. King’s work has always been helpful and educational to me, and I found that to be the case again while reading Dr. King’s 1959 book The Measure of a Man.
A first-time reader of this book might be surprised to find that its focus is, in the main, on religion and spirituality – in contrast with later books by Dr. King, such as Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958), or Why We Can’t Wait (1963). The reason for that focus has to do with the circumstances under which the two essays that make up this book were written.
More specifically, these essays were written as devotionals that were addressed to participants in the United Church of Christ’s inaugural National Conference on Christian Education, at Purdue University in 1958. By the time he wrote The Measure of a Man, Dr. King was already well along in his career as a civil-rights leader; but like any good rhetor, he knew how to make sure that what he said matched audience and occasion – he could read the room, in other words. Giving a strictly civil rights-focused speech to the UCC leaders at Purdue in 1958 would have been as inappropriate as, say, giving a solely religious address at the height of the March on Washington in 1963.
The first of the two addresses that make up this slender volume, “What Is Man?”, shows Dr. King’s interest in correcting what he sees as misinterpretations of Christian doctrine. He rejects, unsurprisingly, the materialism of the Marxists, but he also rejects Platonist or Neoplatonist doctrines holding that the body is an evil and wicked prison for the potentially pure soul, writing that “This is not Christian doctrine, for Christianity does not see the body as the principle of evil; it says the will is the principle of evil” (p. 7).
Much of “What Is Man?” presents doctrinal ideas that will be familiar to any adherent and/or student of Christianity, such as Dr. King’s statement that a “principle that must go in any doctrine of man that is realistic” is “the recognition that man is a sinner. Man is a free being made in the image of God. He is different from lower animals. He is not merely guided by instinct. He has the ability to choose between alternatives, so he can choose the good or the evil, the high or the low” (p. 10). Similarly, Dr. King writes elsewhere in the address that “This is the glory of our religion: that when man decides to rise up from his mistakes, from his sin, from his evil, there is a loving God saying, ‘Come home, I still love you’” (p. 11).
At the same time, “What Is Man?” shows how Dr. King’s deep religious faith was one of the formative factors that influenced his commitment to social justice, as when Dr. King focuses on the word “alone” in Jesus of Nazareth’s well-known statement that “Man cannot live by bread alone” to show that human beings have needs that are temporal as well as spiritual, and then expands upon that idea to say that
Religion must never overlook this, and any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the economic conditions that damn the soul, the social conditions that corrupt men, and the city governments that cripple them, is a dry, dead, do-nothing religion in need of new blood. For it overlooks the basic fact that man is a biological being with a physical body, This must stand as a principle in any doctrine of man. (p. 7)
It is in this regard that I found The Measure of a Man particularly helpful in expanding my understanding of Dr. King’s work and ideas. Now that Dr. King is an all-but-universally recognized hero of the civil-rights movement, with a national day of service in his honor and an impressive monument on the Mall in Washington, D.C., many are anxious to associate his good name with their own causes; and in this era when church attendance is declining, and when a number of politically active conservative Christians seem to believe that they can reverse that trend by forcing their religion-based values upon all of U.S. society, some contemporary admirers of Dr. King’s civil-rights work might be uncomfortable with his open religiosity. Yet Dr. King’s deep faith and his devotion to civil rights went hand in hand.
The second of these addresses, “The Dimensions of a Complete Life,” starts with a picture of Saint John writing the Book of Revelations on the Greek isle of Patmos. Dr. King cites Saint John’s depiction of the heavenly New Jerusalem in Chapter 21 of Revelations – “The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal” – and goes on to suggest that the length and the breadth and the height of a complete human life likewise need to be equal, stating that “The length of life” is “the inward concern for one’s own welfare. The breadth of life is the outward concern for the welfare of others. The height of life is the upward reach for God” (p. 15).
Subsequently, Dr. King goes into greater detail regarding each of these concepts. Regarding the length of life, meaning not duration or longevity but rather “the push of a life forward to achieve its personal ends and ambitions”, Dr. King encourages his listeners and readers to find their calling, whatever it might be, and pursue it with passion. Doing so, he suggests, is not selfish ambition, but rather is utilizing one’s God-given talents as one was meant to do: “No matter how small one thinks his life is in terms of the norms of the world and the so-called big jobs, he must realize that it has cosmic significance if he is serving humanity and doing the will of God” (p. 16).
Dr. King then defines “The breadth of a life” as “that dimension of life in which we are concerned about others. An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity” (p. 18). His words resonate in modern U.S. culture, a culture that often emphasizes “rugged individualism” to the point where any sense of obligation to others is seen as infringing on that precious individuality.
And the “height of life,” Dr. King states, involves the search for God. He takes issue with humanists who “seek to live life without a sky” and “find themselves bogged down on the horizontal plane without being integrated on the vertical plane”, and asserts that “if we are to live the complete life we must reach up and discover God” (p. 19).
As Dr. King moves into the peroration of this address, his voice takes on that inspirational quality that listeners have long found inspirational. His use of anaphora and periodic sentences here may sound familiar to readers who have appreciated those same qualities in other Dr. King works like the “I Have a Dream” speech:
I say to you, seek God and discover him and make him a power in your life. Without him, all of our efforts turn to ashes and our sunrises into darkest nights. Without him, life is a meaningless drama with the decisive scenes missing. But with him, we are able to rise from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope. With him, we are able to rise from the midnight of desperation to the daybreak of joy. Saint Augustine was right – we were made for God, and we will be restless until we find rest in him. (p. 21)
And Dr. King returns, one last time, to his idea of the complete human life, like Saint John’s New Jerusalem, having a length and a breadth and a height that are equal:
Love yourself, if that means rational, healthy, and moral self-interest. You are commanded to do that. That is the length of life. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. You are commanded to do that. That is the breadth of life. But never forget that there is a first and even greater commandment: “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind.” This is the height of life. And when you do this, you live the complete life. (p. 21)
These ideas no doubt found a sympathetic and appreciative hearing among the audience of United Church of Christ leaders at Purdue University in 1958. In our time, when religion has become enmeshed in U.S. politics to an extent that I find unhealthy, some admirers of Dr. King’s work might find his emphasis on the need for religious faith discomfiting or unhelpful. Yet, as stated above, Dr. King was a devout Christian who took his faith seriously – as surely as he was a patriotic American who wanted to see his country fulfill the ideals of equal rights and universal human dignity set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address.
I found The Measure of a Man to be a helpful opportunity to engage once again with Dr. King’s philosophy. Reading this book provides a salutary reminder that he was the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.
A first-time reader of this book might be surprised to find that its focus is, in the main, on religion and spirituality – in contrast with later books by Dr. King, such as Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958), or Why We Can’t Wait (1963). The reason for that focus has to do with the circumstances under which the two essays that make up this book were written.
More specifically, these essays were written as devotionals that were addressed to participants in the United Church of Christ’s inaugural National Conference on Christian Education, at Purdue University in 1958. By the time he wrote The Measure of a Man, Dr. King was already well along in his career as a civil-rights leader; but like any good rhetor, he knew how to make sure that what he said matched audience and occasion – he could read the room, in other words. Giving a strictly civil rights-focused speech to the UCC leaders at Purdue in 1958 would have been as inappropriate as, say, giving a solely religious address at the height of the March on Washington in 1963.
The first of the two addresses that make up this slender volume, “What Is Man?”, shows Dr. King’s interest in correcting what he sees as misinterpretations of Christian doctrine. He rejects, unsurprisingly, the materialism of the Marxists, but he also rejects Platonist or Neoplatonist doctrines holding that the body is an evil and wicked prison for the potentially pure soul, writing that “This is not Christian doctrine, for Christianity does not see the body as the principle of evil; it says the will is the principle of evil” (p. 7).
Much of “What Is Man?” presents doctrinal ideas that will be familiar to any adherent and/or student of Christianity, such as Dr. King’s statement that a “principle that must go in any doctrine of man that is realistic” is “the recognition that man is a sinner. Man is a free being made in the image of God. He is different from lower animals. He is not merely guided by instinct. He has the ability to choose between alternatives, so he can choose the good or the evil, the high or the low” (p. 10). Similarly, Dr. King writes elsewhere in the address that “This is the glory of our religion: that when man decides to rise up from his mistakes, from his sin, from his evil, there is a loving God saying, ‘Come home, I still love you’” (p. 11).
At the same time, “What Is Man?” shows how Dr. King’s deep religious faith was one of the formative factors that influenced his commitment to social justice, as when Dr. King focuses on the word “alone” in Jesus of Nazareth’s well-known statement that “Man cannot live by bread alone” to show that human beings have needs that are temporal as well as spiritual, and then expands upon that idea to say that
Religion must never overlook this, and any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the economic conditions that damn the soul, the social conditions that corrupt men, and the city governments that cripple them, is a dry, dead, do-nothing religion in need of new blood. For it overlooks the basic fact that man is a biological being with a physical body, This must stand as a principle in any doctrine of man. (p. 7)
It is in this regard that I found The Measure of a Man particularly helpful in expanding my understanding of Dr. King’s work and ideas. Now that Dr. King is an all-but-universally recognized hero of the civil-rights movement, with a national day of service in his honor and an impressive monument on the Mall in Washington, D.C., many are anxious to associate his good name with their own causes; and in this era when church attendance is declining, and when a number of politically active conservative Christians seem to believe that they can reverse that trend by forcing their religion-based values upon all of U.S. society, some contemporary admirers of Dr. King’s civil-rights work might be uncomfortable with his open religiosity. Yet Dr. King’s deep faith and his devotion to civil rights went hand in hand.
The second of these addresses, “The Dimensions of a Complete Life,” starts with a picture of Saint John writing the Book of Revelations on the Greek isle of Patmos. Dr. King cites Saint John’s depiction of the heavenly New Jerusalem in Chapter 21 of Revelations – “The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal” – and goes on to suggest that the length and the breadth and the height of a complete human life likewise need to be equal, stating that “The length of life” is “the inward concern for one’s own welfare. The breadth of life is the outward concern for the welfare of others. The height of life is the upward reach for God” (p. 15).
Subsequently, Dr. King goes into greater detail regarding each of these concepts. Regarding the length of life, meaning not duration or longevity but rather “the push of a life forward to achieve its personal ends and ambitions”, Dr. King encourages his listeners and readers to find their calling, whatever it might be, and pursue it with passion. Doing so, he suggests, is not selfish ambition, but rather is utilizing one’s God-given talents as one was meant to do: “No matter how small one thinks his life is in terms of the norms of the world and the so-called big jobs, he must realize that it has cosmic significance if he is serving humanity and doing the will of God” (p. 16).
Dr. King then defines “The breadth of a life” as “that dimension of life in which we are concerned about others. An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity” (p. 18). His words resonate in modern U.S. culture, a culture that often emphasizes “rugged individualism” to the point where any sense of obligation to others is seen as infringing on that precious individuality.
And the “height of life,” Dr. King states, involves the search for God. He takes issue with humanists who “seek to live life without a sky” and “find themselves bogged down on the horizontal plane without being integrated on the vertical plane”, and asserts that “if we are to live the complete life we must reach up and discover God” (p. 19).
As Dr. King moves into the peroration of this address, his voice takes on that inspirational quality that listeners have long found inspirational. His use of anaphora and periodic sentences here may sound familiar to readers who have appreciated those same qualities in other Dr. King works like the “I Have a Dream” speech:
I say to you, seek God and discover him and make him a power in your life. Without him, all of our efforts turn to ashes and our sunrises into darkest nights. Without him, life is a meaningless drama with the decisive scenes missing. But with him, we are able to rise from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope. With him, we are able to rise from the midnight of desperation to the daybreak of joy. Saint Augustine was right – we were made for God, and we will be restless until we find rest in him. (p. 21)
And Dr. King returns, one last time, to his idea of the complete human life, like Saint John’s New Jerusalem, having a length and a breadth and a height that are equal:
Love yourself, if that means rational, healthy, and moral self-interest. You are commanded to do that. That is the length of life. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. You are commanded to do that. That is the breadth of life. But never forget that there is a first and even greater commandment: “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind.” This is the height of life. And when you do this, you live the complete life. (p. 21)
These ideas no doubt found a sympathetic and appreciative hearing among the audience of United Church of Christ leaders at Purdue University in 1958. In our time, when religion has become enmeshed in U.S. politics to an extent that I find unhealthy, some admirers of Dr. King’s work might find his emphasis on the need for religious faith discomfiting or unhelpful. Yet, as stated above, Dr. King was a devout Christian who took his faith seriously – as surely as he was a patriotic American who wanted to see his country fulfill the ideals of equal rights and universal human dignity set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address.
I found The Measure of a Man to be a helpful opportunity to engage once again with Dr. King’s philosophy. Reading this book provides a salutary reminder that he was the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.
February 17, 2010
I l-o-v-e Dr. King, don't get me wrong. This booklet was just kind of preachy. The irony. ^_^ I expected it to be more about civil liberties and human rights. It's more about religion.
June 22, 2008
This was a short read, taking me only an hour in the park one day. It is a spiritual essay discussing man’s place here on earth. I enjoyed it. One of my favorite parts of the book is when he talks about doing your best at all times:
“He should seek to do his job so well that the living, the dead, or the unborn could not do it better. No matter how small one thinks his life’s work is in terms of the norms of the world and the so-called big jobs, he must realize that it has cosmic significance if he is serving humanity and doing the will of God.”
He then inserted a poem by Douglas Mallock that I am loving:
“If you can’t be a highway, just be a trial;
If you can’t be the sun, be a star;
For it isn’t by size that you win or you fail-
Be the best of whatever you are.”
Sometimes we get so caught up in where we see ourselves, where we want to be, that we forget to be our best where we presently are. Just because every situation may not reflect our ambitious dreams, it is important to remember that the climb gives purpose to reaching the top.
“He should seek to do his job so well that the living, the dead, or the unborn could not do it better. No matter how small one thinks his life’s work is in terms of the norms of the world and the so-called big jobs, he must realize that it has cosmic significance if he is serving humanity and doing the will of God.”
He then inserted a poem by Douglas Mallock that I am loving:
“If you can’t be a highway, just be a trial;
If you can’t be the sun, be a star;
For it isn’t by size that you win or you fail-
Be the best of whatever you are.”
Sometimes we get so caught up in where we see ourselves, where we want to be, that we forget to be our best where we presently are. Just because every situation may not reflect our ambitious dreams, it is important to remember that the climb gives purpose to reaching the top.
July 13, 2025
3 stars (= good)
This MLK sermon is basically standard Christian teaching on the doctrine of man. It’s good, but nothing groundbreaking, and I’m glad it was only 99 cents on Kindle.
On the B-side of this Kindle single is another sermon, The Dimensions of a Complete Life. I enjoyed this one a little more than the title cut, but hey, sometimes you like the flip-side better than the hit song.
This MLK sermon is basically standard Christian teaching on the doctrine of man. It’s good, but nothing groundbreaking, and I’m glad it was only 99 cents on Kindle.
On the B-side of this Kindle single is another sermon, The Dimensions of a Complete Life. I enjoyed this one a little more than the title cut, but hey, sometimes you like the flip-side better than the hit song.
February 12, 2019
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.
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.
April 5, 2024
Super quick read, repeated many of the themes found in Strength to Love. Another reader described this book as “preachy” which…yeah, it was still cool but not what I was expecting. I most enjoyed the second essay, the Dimensions of a Complete Life where he clearly outlines a triangle of concern for self, others, and God in order to live a fulfilling life.
I found the very last section eerie. To me it seemed like he was writing as if he knew he would die soon. He died the same year.
I found the very last section eerie. To me it seemed like he was writing as if he knew he would die soon. He died the same year.
November 4, 2013
It's not often a book of such compact size has the ability to deliver a tremendous impact. Martin Luther King writes in a potent and eloquent style infused with divine wisdom. The Measure of a Man focuses on two points: 1)What is the worth of a person? 2)The dimensions of a complete life.
His views are humbling, inspiring, empowering, and enlightening. The passing decades have strengthened the relevancy of his wisdom. This book is a shinning beacon offering guidance in a storm of materialism, spiritual depravity, global violence, and intolerance.
There is a strong Christian overtone (King was a reverend). Yet, non-Christian readers have much to profit from his deeply philosophical message of peace and human worth.
His views are humbling, inspiring, empowering, and enlightening. The passing decades have strengthened the relevancy of his wisdom. This book is a shinning beacon offering guidance in a storm of materialism, spiritual depravity, global violence, and intolerance.
There is a strong Christian overtone (King was a reverend). Yet, non-Christian readers have much to profit from his deeply philosophical message of peace and human worth.
January 15, 2017
This book is very inspiring. From the beginning, I felt curious by the question "what is man?" The question is very intellectual,However, Martin Luther King gives simple answers to the question. There are quotations by John Donne and Shakespeare. Especially meaningful are Martin Luther King's thoughts about the New Jerusalem. It doesn't take long to read the book. It's very short. In the end, it is again about love.
October 19, 2019
Two very short essays and a little text.
In 'What is a Man?', the first essay, the pastor tries and answer the question of what it is to be human. Religious, he obviously adopts the expected answer: a little less than divine, a little less than God, but crowned with glory and honour that is, a biological being yet endowed with reason. From then on he warns: let's not reduce him to a mere animal like any others (an error made, according to him, by materialists) or, on the contrary, elevate him to a state of demi-God (an error made by, according to him, Humanists). It then all turns into preaching, a call to find again the link unifying us with God so as to be fully human....
Mmmh? Well: yawn. It's not convincing. His views of materialism are simplistic to the point of being annoying, and the worse remains his reject of Humanism, which, if expected from a pastor, contradicts all his speeches about being human! Indeed, if our ability to reason is what makes us such 'wonderful creations', then shouldn't we submit to reason instead of blindly to a given faith? His thinking is not very clear.
'The Dimension of a Complete Life' is the second essay, where he carries on with his view. What is a fulfilling life? To him, it can be narrowed down to three conditions: to love oneself, to love each others, and to love God. He sees it all like a triangle: stability through three angles, with God being the top one.
Well... Again: yawn. I am too much of an atheist to be taken in by such simplicity! I mean, are people fulfilling the two first conditions really less happy than whose adding a third one (faith)? I don't think so. He sounds here very prejudiced, if not a tat holier-than-thou.
'Parting', the last text, is ten lines long but very powerful. Showing a man having faith as sole motor, there's not much in here either; but this is the text that became famous since he always ended his speeches by it, until that fateful day in 1968 when he was assassinated.
'So I'm happy tonight. I am not worried about anything. Im not fearing any man. "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord".'
Isn't that a beautiful optimism tossed to the future? It is, in any case, a very appropriate way to end this very little book.
So what about it all? Religious readers will keep it at hand; it's simple and straightforward enough. Others... Well, personally, his misunderstanding of materialism annoyed me; as a humanist he completely missed his target; and as a strong atheist his preach about God fell into 'mine' deaf hears!
In 'What is a Man?', the first essay, the pastor tries and answer the question of what it is to be human. Religious, he obviously adopts the expected answer: a little less than divine, a little less than God, but crowned with glory and honour that is, a biological being yet endowed with reason. From then on he warns: let's not reduce him to a mere animal like any others (an error made, according to him, by materialists) or, on the contrary, elevate him to a state of demi-God (an error made by, according to him, Humanists). It then all turns into preaching, a call to find again the link unifying us with God so as to be fully human....
Mmmh? Well: yawn. It's not convincing. His views of materialism are simplistic to the point of being annoying, and the worse remains his reject of Humanism, which, if expected from a pastor, contradicts all his speeches about being human! Indeed, if our ability to reason is what makes us such 'wonderful creations', then shouldn't we submit to reason instead of blindly to a given faith? His thinking is not very clear.
'The Dimension of a Complete Life' is the second essay, where he carries on with his view. What is a fulfilling life? To him, it can be narrowed down to three conditions: to love oneself, to love each others, and to love God. He sees it all like a triangle: stability through three angles, with God being the top one.
Well... Again: yawn. I am too much of an atheist to be taken in by such simplicity! I mean, are people fulfilling the two first conditions really less happy than whose adding a third one (faith)? I don't think so. He sounds here very prejudiced, if not a tat holier-than-thou.
'Parting', the last text, is ten lines long but very powerful. Showing a man having faith as sole motor, there's not much in here either; but this is the text that became famous since he always ended his speeches by it, until that fateful day in 1968 when he was assassinated.
'So I'm happy tonight. I am not worried about anything. Im not fearing any man. "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord".'
Isn't that a beautiful optimism tossed to the future? It is, in any case, a very appropriate way to end this very little book.
So what about it all? Religious readers will keep it at hand; it's simple and straightforward enough. Others... Well, personally, his misunderstanding of materialism annoyed me; as a humanist he completely missed his target; and as a strong atheist his preach about God fell into 'mine' deaf hears!
March 12, 2018
With all my current Reconstruction and Civil Rights reading you cannot help dipping into Dr. King for further perspective.
This was part of a recent speech that I listened to from 1962 that MLK would dust off now and again. Well worth your time to get a sense of what was important to him, his race, and America.
Meditation, action, non-violence, justice, and brotherhood. What more can be asked of us?
Amazing that so many have ignored and turned away from their fellow man regardless of skin color, but based solely on that is such a tragedy.
This was part of a recent speech that I listened to from 1962 that MLK would dust off now and again. Well worth your time to get a sense of what was important to him, his race, and America.
Meditation, action, non-violence, justice, and brotherhood. What more can be asked of us?
Amazing that so many have ignored and turned away from their fellow man regardless of skin color, but based solely on that is such a tragedy.
January 23, 2020
I gave this to my best friend a year ago, because he's the best man I know in terms of his commitment to doing good in the world. The blurb states that these two brief essays show 'the theological roots of his political and social philosophy of nonviolent activism', but I found it a bit hard to tease that out. However, I did find more to grasp onto in the second essay, 'The dimensions of a complete life': our life is incomplete unless we embody love of self, love of others and love of God. Good stuff.
January 30, 2022
Greatly enjoyed this book that breaks down the worth of a man physically (98cents), mentally, and spiritually. Made me think and reflect on the USA Declaration and the doctrine of mankind, as Dr. King says we started out right with the declaration, but strayed away with segregation..."we know how to love, but we hate". Enjoyed the quote "If cannot be a highway, be a trail; if cannot be the sun, be a star for it is not the size or if you win or fail, be the best at whatever you are." Incredible messages within.
May 27, 2024
Rediscovered a mentor
I will study him in length, breadth and height. I been in my life for 45 years and have not heard of this work. Will most look for more and the books he quoted, Thank you Dr. King
I will study him in length, breadth and height. I been in my life for 45 years and have not heard of this work. Will most look for more and the books he quoted, Thank you Dr. King
April 17, 2018
Absolutely essential reading.
January 4, 2020
This story really Make me think how can I better myself as a man and i recommend this book to anyone that trust MLK words on how to be a better man.
September 1, 2025
Very good advice in this short work.
January 18, 2012
I enjoyed picking this VERY short book up on the day we remember this brave man. It is divided into three sections: What is Man?, The Dimensions of Man, and Parting. The last section is a few paragraphs- it is the touching and ironic speech he gave the night before he was murdered. The middle section was my favorite. To have a complete life we need length, breadth, and height. Length is defined by us, specifically, our dreams, our journey. But hopefully, we have breadth: the ability to reach out to others that surround us in life. It's not just about us, after all. And most importantly, hopefully we have height: a relationship with the Almighty. Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for continuing to teach others, including myself, after you have passed.
August 25, 2012
This book is so short, but it questions the physical and spiritual worth of a person.
April 17, 2022
A Good Short Discussion of Man’s relationship to God
This is not a book but instead a collection of two speeches given by Dr. King that discuss Man’s place in the world. For Dr. King it is very obvious man did not truly live unless he both loved himself, by which he attempted to achieve self-actuation, loved his fellow men, and loved God. While you may agree or disagree with his conclusion he was a brilliant writer and made his points well. My one complaint with this book is it doesn’t give us much in the way of context of when he gave this speech or why other then saying it was at a religious conference. The context of when and why someone is writing is an important part of understanding their ideas especially when it has been over fifty years since the speech was given. Still it remains a timeless quality that allows you to understand his main points even then due to his sheer skill as a speechwriter and author.
This is not a book but instead a collection of two speeches given by Dr. King that discuss Man’s place in the world. For Dr. King it is very obvious man did not truly live unless he both loved himself, by which he attempted to achieve self-actuation, loved his fellow men, and loved God. While you may agree or disagree with his conclusion he was a brilliant writer and made his points well. My one complaint with this book is it doesn’t give us much in the way of context of when he gave this speech or why other then saying it was at a religious conference. The context of when and why someone is writing is an important part of understanding their ideas especially when it has been over fifty years since the speech was given. Still it remains a timeless quality that allows you to understand his main points even then due to his sheer skill as a speechwriter and author.
July 30, 2020
A great leader whose life was cut short, but whose wisdom and love and spectacular dream still lives on today in the hearts and minds of so many people. At this critical time of frustration at lingering racism, his voice still calls to us to find our way forward through the path of non-violence. Other persons in high places of authority will call upon the forces of military power, guns, and weapons to squash any resistance to their grip on the reigns of wealth and power. But MLK and Gandhi point us to the path of non-violent resistance in response to injustice, racism, sexism, hatred and all forms of evil. Nonviolent resistance is not inaction. On the contrary, it's getting into "good trouble" (rest in peace John Lewis) by actively refusing to cooperate with unjust laws and governance.
February 6, 2025
This book had some truly inspirational takeaways, even as someone who isn’t religious. While not everything resonated with me, the conviction and passion behind King’s words made it impossible not to appreciate the message. His ability to speak with such power and sincerity makes you want to embrace his ideas, even if you don’t agree with every aspect.
Though I didn’t always connect with the religious elements, I respect the writing and the deep sense of purpose behind it. King’s voice is one of unwavering belief and moral clarity, and that alone makes this book worth reading.
A worthwhile read for anyone interested in his philosophy, leadership, and moral vision.
Though I didn’t always connect with the religious elements, I respect the writing and the deep sense of purpose behind it. King’s voice is one of unwavering belief and moral clarity, and that alone makes this book worth reading.
A worthwhile read for anyone interested in his philosophy, leadership, and moral vision.
August 12, 2017
there is a list somewhere, of books that people have read that they say changed their lives; I'm placing this book on my list, Dr. King managed to put in 56 pages the essence of a full life- love of self, God, and others; what it takes volumes for some to convey, it is concise yet as full as the life he wants all of us to live.
In the turbulence and violence he endured during the 1960's he still preached love and non-violence to his followers and all of mankind, he truly practiced what he preached.
I wish I could tell him in person how valuable the knowledge contained in his book and mind.
In the turbulence and violence he endured during the 1960's he still preached love and non-violence to his followers and all of mankind, he truly practiced what he preached.
I wish I could tell him in person how valuable the knowledge contained in his book and mind.
August 26, 2019
Excellent Book about Ourselves and Humanity
I have finished reading this book from Dr. King that is a follow-up to his first book Strength To Love. Dr. King's words are timeless and still relevant today 60 years later when this book was originally published.
Dr. King says a lot about not just about Racism, mentions how we as human beings should treat each other and ourselves in a positive manner as opposed to being caught up in Tribalism, Materialism, and Selfishness.
This book is definitely a must read for men and women to learn how to be better human beings.
I have finished reading this book from Dr. King that is a follow-up to his first book Strength To Love. Dr. King's words are timeless and still relevant today 60 years later when this book was originally published.
Dr. King says a lot about not just about Racism, mentions how we as human beings should treat each other and ourselves in a positive manner as opposed to being caught up in Tribalism, Materialism, and Selfishness.
This book is definitely a must read for men and women to learn how to be better human beings.
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February 14, 2020When Poitier is ten years old, his family relocates to Nassau, where he finally experiences a number of modern conveniences and pleasures, including electricity, indoor plumbing, refrigeration, and movies. He attends a Roman Catholic Church, though he would later give up discreet ties to any one religion, later identifying himself as agnostic. Even as life becomes easier, Poitier ‘s parents continue to teach him valuable lessons about right and wrong, commitment, and self-worth that would stay with him throughout his entire life.
August 18, 2017
Great book, eloquently written! Example of one of the great quotes is, "any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the economic conditions that damn the soul, the social conditions that corrupt men, and the city governments that cripple them, is a dry, dead, do-nothing religion in need of new blood." King Jr., Martin Luther. The Measure of a Man (Kindle Locations 49-51). Pathfinder Books. Kindle Edition.
February 12, 2019
He Could Preach!
I set a goal last year to observe Black History Month each February by reading books by or about African Americans , to get out of my more limited life experience to see through others' eyes. After reading these two short lectures by Dr. King, I must say the man could preach! Made me think. His observation on the City of God in Revelation will stick with me forever.
I set a goal last year to observe Black History Month each February by reading books by or about African Americans , to get out of my more limited life experience to see through others' eyes. After reading these two short lectures by Dr. King, I must say the man could preach! Made me think. His observation on the City of God in Revelation will stick with me forever.
January 18, 2022
This is a very short book (more like booklet) that includes 2 essays which lay out some of the most important tenants of King’s spiritual and political philosophies. He was a preacher, so no surprise that these essays are rooted in Christian theology. A good starting point if you’re interested in reading MLK, or that’s what my partner says, and he’s read a lot of MLK. I’m looking forward to reading more.
July 12, 2025
In this short book, MLK's mastery over words gets across, in only a few pages, what Gandhi, despite help from Tolstoy, struggled to get across in tomes of writing: human worth is measured by dignity, civility, modesty, and not by money, power, or glory. In our world of social media today, where we're shouting ceaselessly for attention, admiration, appreciation, this book is relevant and meaningful.
June 10, 2018
Everything I expected
These read like sermons, but are informative, enlightening, and inspiring. It's also another perspective of Dr. King, showing his commitment and the depth of his knowledge. You f all pastors devoted this amount of study to their sermons, the churches wouldn't be able to hold the people.
These read like sermons, but are informative, enlightening, and inspiring. It's also another perspective of Dr. King, showing his commitment and the depth of his knowledge. You f all pastors devoted this amount of study to their sermons, the churches wouldn't be able to hold the people.
July 13, 2019
Dr. Parker
Deep and astounding. What a beautiful mind. I never knew Dr. King thought or spoke like this. This is the type of mind that transforms souls and nations. It would have been amazing to spend time in this man's presence, have a conversation or hear his thoughts and opinions expressed in an intimate setting. I have deeply moved.
Deep and astounding. What a beautiful mind. I never knew Dr. King thought or spoke like this. This is the type of mind that transforms souls and nations. It would have been amazing to spend time in this man's presence, have a conversation or hear his thoughts and opinions expressed in an intimate setting. I have deeply moved.
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