ABSTRACT
I explore the relation of nonviolence and love, and its social face as compassion, through reconstructing the views of Martin Luther King, Jr., the leading pacifist of 20th-century America. His views are ill understood and little studied, so my discussion identifies themes needing further explanation. I relate King to his two main inspirations: prophetic Christianity and the dialogic tradition of philosophy identified with Martin Buber. The places of conscience and conviction in nonviolence are discussed; I sketch an approach to understanding nonviolence’s convictions as a response to the sacredness of life. I conclude with some remarks on hope, grieving, and the reception of nonviolence/King.
