Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. Unit

Engaging King Studies in and for the Future  – Open Call (90 minutes)

The Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. Unit invites proposals for an open call for papers and panels focused on engaging new possibilities and identifying needed directions in King scholarship. We are interested in compelling papers or panels that draw upon sources in religion and theological studies, as well as those beyond religion and theology to identify the potential significance of Kingian theology and broader King studies for the near and longer-term future. We are open to papers from a broad range of foci, disciplines, and methodologies. Below are some questions that display potential directions, but this call is not limited to the questions listed here. It is an open call.

• How can engagement with Kingian theology help name what it means to be and remain human amidst the growing realities of artificial intelligence and other technological developments (humanoid bots, privatized space travel, etc.)?
• Considering current trajectories in global politics, what notions of leadership will be needed, and what can be gained by engaging Martin Luther King, Jr. and his interlocutors as a critical resource in discerning new models of leadership?
• How might current scholarly giants and newer scholars in King studies come together to chart new paths together?
• How might religious communities lean on King as a critical resource for constructing theologies and practices of freedom?
• How might the theological insights, practices, and commitments of figures who influenced King, the SCLC, and the broader civil rights movement point to new and necessary directions in Kingian theological discourse? Some examples could be Ella Baker, Septima Clark, Dorothy Cotton, Bayard Rustin, and Thich Nhat Han.
• What is the significance of King's notion of nonviolence in light of current shifts in technology, human relationships, and/or global politics.

• How might discourse in Black studies identify important interlocutors, generate helpful language, and chart new directions in Kingian theology? How might Kingian theological discourse contribute to Black studies?

   

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Public Pedagogy  (90 minutes)

While Martin Luther King, Jr. was an academic theologian, his primary environment for teaching was not the classroom. Rather, his students were demonstration participants and resisters, event attendees, TV viewers, U.S. Government officials, American voters, and citizens and leaders of nations across the globe. As the world continues to grapple with what King taught in his shortened life, it is important to consider the legacies of King and the Civil Rights Movement as they relate to pedagogy. In light of this, the Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. Unit invites proposals for papers and panels focused on the work of public pedagogy. We are especially interested in the following topics:

• Martin Luther King, Jr's use of legal documents as sacred and secular texts to frame his sermons and political philosophy
• Identifiable philosophies, theological nuances, and practices in King's public pedagogy
• Creative pedagogies embodied by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders
• Critical analysis of the Civil Rights Movement's impactful teaching moments through the lens of pedagogy
• What political leaders have learned from King and what aspects of King's pedagogy generated the learning
• The possibilities and limits of King's public pedagogy today