Ervin Smith

Extremist for Love

History & Biography

“Rufus Burrow Jr. offers the most comprehensive and detailed account to date of formal and informal influences on the ethical thought and social actions of Martin Luther King Jr. Excellent treatment of the contributions of his family, the black church, the black community, Rauschenbusch, Niebuhr, Personalism, Gandhi and other philosophical and theological resources to King’s abundant repertoire of ideas and ideals for liberation work. A detailed account of King’s pilgrimage to nonviolence, nonviolence training, and a conclusive description of ways his nonviolence may be effective in the work of liberation today. There is research par excellence in primary resources with substantial footnotes as Dr. Burrow clears up many misconceptions of Dr. King’s thought and meticulously sets forth his own conclusions. I would highly recommend this book for any course on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”