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Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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More than fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Much has transpired in the half-century since, and progress has been made in the issues that were close to Dr. King’s heart. Thankfully, the burning crosses, biting police dogs, and angry mobs of that day are long gone. But in their place, passivity has emerged. A passivity that must be addressed.

That’s the aim of Letters to a Birmingham Jail. A collection of essays written by men of various ethnicities and ages, this book encourages us to pursue Christ exalting diversity. Each contribution recognizes that only the cross and empty tomb of Christ can bring true unity, and each notes that the gospel demands justice in all its forms. This was a truth that Dr. King fought and gave his life for, and this is a truth that these modern day "drum majors for justice" continue to beat.

 

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2014

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Bryan Loritts

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5 stars
237 (51%)
4 stars
166 (36%)
3 stars
47 (10%)
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7 (1%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Allie Flora.
1 review1 follower
February 25, 2019
I don’t usually review things, but I feel like I need to with this book.

As I have learned to take ownership of my faith after graduating college, this book is packed with passages and ideas that challenge the reader to live according to Scripture. Racial reconciliation is not a preference, but a command by God to live in unity with one another as the members of one church, one body. Racial reconciliation should not only be talked about, but practiced daily.
Profile Image for Brice Karickhoff.
654 reviews54 followers
August 1, 2020
Amazing book with an amazing concept! This book begins with MLKs famous letter from a Birmingham jail, and then it contains 10 or so chapters, each of which is a modern day response from a Christian leader regarding racial justice and reconciliation in the Church today.

I loved how they chose the contributors, all of whom have shown their devotion to racial justice both theologically and in practice. Also, the contributors possessed a variety of perspectives in terms of age, race, denomination, etc.

The book held a great balance of calling the Church to do more and do better while also loving the church with patience and grace. You could tell every contributor has not seen the Church step toward racial justice in some ways that they would like, but they never used that fact to slander the Church. Also, every contributor included stories and statistics that attested to ways in which the Church has taken steps toward racial reconciliation. Though these steps don’t imply we’ve arrived, the acknowledgement of progress is encouraging and important to spur further progress.

All around great book! I only give it 4 stars because I’ll never just love a book that’s a compilation. The lack of continuity always makes it feel like a chore to read at some points.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
253 reviews11 followers
January 16, 2021
I really wanted to love this book but was disappointed with a lot of it. Each chapter is written by a different evangelical pastor. I loved the last chapter by Soong-Chan Rah, and a few others were moving.

I thought several of the white male contributors to this book were too quick to focus on critiquing King’s theology and made it seem like the work to be done is equal between the dominant and minority groups. Soong-Chan Rah does an excellent job of explaining why the reconciliation work to be done by the dominant group (i.e., there must be a humble laying down of power and privilege and an intentional elevation of minority voices) is different than that of minority groups, and to say otherwise (as implied by some of the other authors) is to ignore the historical injustices perpetuated by the dominant culture.

There were a lot of good points and some beautiful stories, but it seemed that the book was mostly trying to convince Christians of the value of diversity in the church without moving much beyond that (with the exception of Rah’s chapter). I wish there had been more discussion of how to go about accomplishing this, what roadblocks arise, etc.

None of the chapters are written by women, which I had hoped was just an oversight, but in several places, male pastors refer only to other males as pastors and leaders. One of the chapters has some explicitly homophobic statements about “the gay agenda,” which is puzzling to me when its coming from those who are justice-seekers promoting diversity in the church.

Perhaps this is a good conversation starter, but I think there are other books that do a better job of accomplishing a similar goal. In my opinion (as a white person), this one caters too much to the comfort of white folks.
Profile Image for Chad.
184 reviews
August 5, 2020
A collection of thoughtful essays. The greatest limitation of the collection is that none of the writers (due to the length restraints) have the space to develop their ideas in more detail. It feels like many of these things are easy to agree with in principle but are extremely difficult and complex to live out in practice. Also, because these writers come from similar perspectives as pastors, there doesn't seem to be much variety in their perspectives. Granted, their *backgrounds* and *experiences* are certainly different, but their suggestions and conclusions are almost identical. The effect of this pattern is feeling like you read the same essay six or seven times.
Profile Image for Sam Files.
237 reviews8 followers
December 22, 2020
"I would argue that we will never capture a truly diverse picture of God's kingdom at the eleven o'clock hour on Sunday morning, unless we win the six o'clock hour on Saturday night. We are called to break through these barriers, inviting people to share life with us who do no look like us, talk like us, think like us, or even vote like us. If we target our living rooms as the primary places that are in need of the transforming power of Christ, we will inevitably see our sanctuaries transformed."
"Reconciliation and bridge building is messy, be it organizationally, culturally, or relationally. It is not for the faint of heart. There are tough calls and it can often feel like three steps forward and two steps back. Perseverance is crucial."
"If you do not like the diverse church you are going to hate heaven."
"A diverse life precedes a diverse organization or church. You cannot reproduce what you are not. Don't just wish your organization was diverse, do something about it."
"The multiethnic church is a visible demonstration of the power of the gospel, a witness to a diverse society, and an instrument of healing."
"We hurt in isolation but he heal in community."


Would HIGHLY recommend this book. It is a collection of "letters" (response essays/sermons) in response to MLK's writing 50 years ago. The collection of Authors reflect on MLK's writing and 'update him" on where the church is now. How sad it is to sit and realize that not much has changed since his writing, but also gives an urgency for the church members and leaders who have the power to help make steps towards change. I wish that each contributor was able to dive more deeply but with their limited pages in each chapter I think they did an excellent high level job. They each show the problem, what the gospel has to say about the issue, and the ways they have experienced healing or seen steps towards healing be made. Each chapter shows different experiences, different upbringings, different church settings, and the same truth of the importance of the gospel being central to all.
7 reviews
May 3, 2020
This book begins with MLKs Letter from a Birmingham Jail and is followed by a series of responses from today's evangelical leaders. The essay's reflect on the progress we have made as a nation in the last 50 years, as well as address the work that still needs to be done in pursuing a diversified Church. I appreciate the way the book featured a series of evangelical leaders from varying racial backgrounds in the response.

This book was sobering as I came to terms with my own prejudices and failure to see others the way that Christ does. It was disheartening to recall the injustice and prejudice of the past and that which is still happening today. I believe, however, that it is in this awareness of our own prejudice that we learn to fight for justice rather than turn our cheek. It is in this place where we come to terms with our brokenness and invite Christ to teach us to love others as He does.

This book challenged me to speak up and stand up against injustice. As MLK says, "Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work, time becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation." May we be found to be a people actively fighting for reconciliation and a diversified Church, in which Christ is most glorified.

Profile Image for Tyler Burton.
77 reviews9 followers
February 8, 2022
The strength of this book lies in its exposition of the core argument of Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”. As Dr. Charlie Dates said in his contribution: “Dr. King was right. The struggle for racial equality and societal diversity is a church problem.”

The contributors don’t make the mistake some have with this letter and misconstrue King’s words to say what they want. Instead, the ideas of the Birmingham Letter are fleshed out and applied freshly in the present American church context.

Here are my three favorite essays from the book
Dr. Charlie Dates, “Why We Can’t Wait for Christ Exalting Diversity”
Soong-Chan Rah, “A More Biblical Sunday Morning”
Crawford Loritts, “A Painful Joyful Journey”

Only reason it isn’t 5/5 is the essays were repetitive at times.
Profile Image for Ruth Ellen.
28 reviews4 followers
February 27, 2018
Only one author explicitly named that "diversity" doesn't include queer people, but that message was implicit in other chapters as well.

I read this as a devotional book for Lent and I think reading outside of my theological comfort zone is important, but I can't in good faith recommend this to my lgbtq sibs, so, caveat lector.

On the other hand, all these authors are deeply, passionately committed to racial justice and to growing a truly multicultural church, and I can get behind that 100%. Not exactly a handbook, but an inspirational text for church leaders.
6 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2019
Interesting concept for a book. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” should definitely be read by all Americans, especially Christians. And it does demand a response. The diversity of Christians featured in this book was refreshing. I love John Piper and Matt Chandler, but was only vaguely familiar with the Loritts family. I took a closer look into the ministries of some of the pastors featured, which was another bonus (some great, & some ugly ministry stuff).
I loved hearing personal experiences with race, the bad, but also some beauty of diversity at its best. It’s inspired me in my personal life to live out diversity-not just for the sake of diversity but for the sake of the Gospel.
Honestly, I didn’t agree with everything written in this book. I thought some of the sentiments expressed were misleading, and falsely claiming to be inspired by Christ. But even for what I found false or brash, it helped me to have a humble attitude towards the conversation on racial equality. And humility is always a blessing in this day and age of fractured communities and loud opinions.
Profile Image for Nathan Farley.
108 reviews11 followers
March 9, 2017
Every single Christian NEEDS to read this book. I learned how to feel empathy for the African American community and appreciate those who sacrificed their day to ensure a better tomorrow. Please read this.
Profile Image for Chris Wilson.
102 reviews1 follower
July 4, 2017
I'm grateful to God for the ministry of Bryan Loritts and that gratefulness has only increased after this book. I always appreciate when men and women leverage their friendships for the sake of ministry and that is what this book demonstrates. Loritts and his friends all contribute essays in response to Dr. King's "Letter From A Birmingham Jail." Each essay interacts with King's concern during the 60's, highlights progress made, and ultimately points towards ways we still must engage racial tensions and prejudices with the gospel of Christ no matter how costly.

Of all the contributions I most appreciated the essays from Dr. John Perkins, Albert Tate, and Charlie Dates. Tate's essay proved the most beneficial for me personally as it made me reevaluate how I spend my Saturday nights. Am I around people of different ethnicities, cultures, etc.? The living room of the pastor is where the church truly begins to become multicultural and multiethnic.

I cannot recommend this book enough as each contributor picks up the prophetic call of Dr. King to bring the gospel to bear on racial equality, justice, and tension. Only Jesus and the gospel can bring true diversity. May we continue to labor towards that end until He returns or calls us home!
Profile Image for Annah.
502 reviews35 followers
August 11, 2018
Prominent Christian clergymen “reply” to Dr. King’s words, decades later. Only one of these is a real letter of response; they are mostly contemporary addenda to the original. Of course female voices are missing, but that part is expected. I think I was most put off by the relatively common tendency to first emphasize how far we’ve come in overt ways— suffrage, drinking fountains, etc.—over a truer acknowledgement of how we’ve transmuted acceptable racism into subtler and more insidious forms. I wonder if the church’s response here is loftier and vaguer than Dr. King demanded.
Profile Image for Terrence.
7 reviews
October 1, 2020
I was excited when I saw the list of diverse pastors that Bryan Loritts assembled to respond to MLK’s famous letter written from a Birmingham jail in 1963. King’s letter was a powerful and timeless response to a letter from 8 white clergy that was published in the Birmingham newspaper on Good Friday 1963, the same day that MLK was arrested.

I was encouraged and blessed by the responses to MLK’s letter contained in the book. Bryan Loritts did a great job assembling diverse viewpoints who all throughly addressed the issues raised in MLK’s letter from their unique vantage point. I found all of the responses to be very insightful. They come from different perspectives but each one is thought-provoking for anyone seeking to apply their Christian beliefs to the causes of freedom and justice.

I highly recommend that everyone read this book.
Profile Image for Glory Okoli.
48 reviews
January 13, 2026
Beautiful book that reminds us of Dr. King's timeless words in his Letter From a Birmingham jail. King's main gripe was that white evangelical leaders at the time were comfortable with segregation. The book provides brief, but powerful insights from many evangelical leaders on the continued relevance and value of being a church that pursues racial justice and multiethnic communities. The biggest takeaway I received from the book is that a multiethnic church community is a powerful witness to the gospel. Unity is such a massive theme in the New Testament, yet separation and homogeneity is the practice of many of our churches. This doesn't mean every church must be multiethnic, but it does mean every leader should think about it. To ignore it is to ignore a key aspect of the good news of Jesus.
Profile Image for Justin McLarty.
67 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2025
I loved to read the letter that Dr. MLK Jr. wrote from Birmingham jail.

The reason I gave this book four stars is not because of MLK’s letter, but because the writers who contributed to this book were very repetitive and did not nuance the reality that there are plenty of places in this country where “Christ-exalting diversity” is not possible because the town has no diversity to it. Bryan Loritts’ was the only author out of the 10 contributors who recognized this reality.

I am thankful for Christian leaders in America who have been and continue to stand on Biblical truth that diversity is the eternal reality of the Church. And also the leaders who stand up today against oppression and hypocrisy.
Profile Image for Meagan.
531 reviews
January 21, 2026
I read Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in honor of MLK Jr. Day. Knowing the historical reasons for Dr. King’s imprisonment in the Birmingham Jail, the specific jail where he was held, and the circumstances surrounding his writing made this an interesting and informative read. The book offers responses and reflections on Letter from Birmingham Jail, focusing on justice, civil disobedience, and moral responsibility. Overall, it provided helpful context and insight into the letter and its historical setting.

FORMAT
Audiobook 🎧
Profile Image for Kate McNeal.
18 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2020
super helpful perspectives and words on the church’s (specifically white evangelicals) history of segregation.
-grew my understanding of the church’s and my own need to repent and practical wisdom for moving forward in progress to “Christ-exalting diversity”
-focus throughout on how it is our actions, not time, that will break down barriers (“tragic misconception of time” “time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively”)
-the church is called to display unity and fight all societal injustice - economic, racial, educational
Profile Image for Jacob Yates.
84 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2020
Just a bunch of pastors unified on the importance of diversity! Also, this was sadly my first time reading the entirety of MLKs "Letters From a Birmingham Jail,"(which all of the pastors respond to) and it is gut wrenchingly beautiful. At times the thoughts and ideas seemed to get repetitive, but i think i realized that there is safety in an abundance of counselors and that it was refreshing to see respected leaders from different backgrounds all recognize the value in a diverse church, both for God's glory and the Church's testimony to the world.
Profile Image for Tim Duff.
175 reviews2 followers
December 26, 2020
Responses to Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" in which he was disappointed in the response from churches and Christians in America - especially the South - regarding his peaceful method to try to gain civil rights for African-Americans. Put together by Bryan Loritts, this book has ministers of the Gospel - mostly in churches that are diverse in culture and attendance - responding to the letter and relating how it still needs to be a priority today. The book was written in 2014, but is quite relevant to 2020.
Profile Image for Robin.
275 reviews2 followers
July 20, 2020
Different pastors from various racial backgrounds write back to and reflect on Dr. King's letter that he wrote in jail to passive church pastors. Some rabbit trails and I'm not sure if there is a real response here or just reflections. However, appreciated the content overall. Solid theology. Encouraging and hopeful. Praying for Christ-exalting diversity to be not just declared but displayed as Pastor Charlie Dates said.
15 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2020
I appreciated the premise of this book - updating Dr. King on progress of the role of the church in racial justice and reconciliation. Serious considerations by white and non-white pastors, the white pastors all tended to be involved in racial reconciliation and/or pastoring deliberately multicultural churches. This is definitely worth reading, but by the end I felt like it was getting a bit repetitive.
Profile Image for Michael Vincent.
Author 0 books7 followers
June 29, 2021
A thought provoking and challenging book with chapters from several men for whom I have great respect. Though I have read several works relating to race, and have had some interaction with racial injustice, I continue to feel sheltered and naive when it comes to race issues. I long for the day when race will not be an issue in our culture, but especially in the church. However because of the scars and pain of the past, this may be impossible until the return of our Reconciler and Peace.
Profile Image for Eric.
161 reviews
February 1, 2023
Dr. King's letter is truly magnificent and deserving of continued reflection. The responses given by these contributors vary in quality, but on the whole, I appreciate what each of these brothers had to say. As these contributors point out, the Christian has all the tools and necessary conviction available to them for racial/ethnic harmony, multicultural churches, and multiethnic churches. It is a hard and continual work but as each of the authors says, it is a necessary one.
Profile Image for Phil Shields.
39 reviews3 followers
September 4, 2018
Letters to a Birmingham Jail is one of the best books I've read this year. I'm so thankful for a look into Dr. King's letter and challenge to the church as a whole. It is incredibly inspirational and biblical to read and remember the gospel accomplishes so much including a beautiful, diverse church. This book is an excellent read for everyone, but especially church leaders.
Profile Image for Mary Reilly.
1,343 reviews9 followers
June 13, 2020
I bought this book on Kindle years ago and read part of it and was convicted to finish it based on all that is going on in our world. The pastor’s letters to a Birmingham jail were thoughtful and convicting but my favorite part was reading again MLK’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Although it was written well over 50 years ago it still has so much to say to the times we find ourselves in.
Profile Image for Tyler Williams.
74 reviews9 followers
November 11, 2020
Excellent! Love hearing perspectives from church leaders across a diverse population. This would make for excellent small group material, taking one chapter at a time to discuss. Not one you want to read quickly, take it a chapter a week and actually put into practice what God lays on your heart from each author. This is one I’ll likely read again in the future
209 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2020
This is aimed mostly at church leaders, but I found it a timely read as a layperson also. It was so encouraging to hear from men who are doing the hard work of racial reconciliation in their own hearts and own churches, instead of giving up on the church. So much truth spoken. Not all easy to hear, but necessary to ponder and act upon.
27 reviews
April 20, 2018
Thought provoking, challenging, helpful, hopeful. A lot of similar themes in each of the essays by different authors, but great to hear the many perspectives. Focuses a lot of combating passivity in the how the church approaches race.
Profile Image for Theresa Thomas.
40 reviews
June 7, 2020
Modern Day Apostle

Dr. Martin Luther King's ability to leave such a profound impact across our nation's diaspora that was during those times a very segregated nation. Rather with a march, speech or letter, could only be considered God inspired. Truly a "Modern day Apostle."
65 reviews
January 6, 2022
Read if for no other reason than to read MLK Jr's letter from Birmingham Jail. The remaining sections of 10 pastors' responses after 50 years have passed is ok. Didn't seem like there was any coordination b/t the pastors as much was repetitive but a couple good responses in the mix.
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