As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day here in the United States, we invite Dr. James Patterson, the 2014-15 Thomas W. Smith Postdoctoral Research Associate at the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, to discuss a book manuscript he is working on that involves an examination of MLK’s religious foundations and media strategy. Dr. Patterson puts this famous civil rights leader’s foundations and strategies in a comparative context with Bishop Fulton Sheen and Rev. Jerry Falwell.
Our discussion begins with an examination of how James came to this topic, why he chose the three religious figures that he did, and whether or not he received any pushback about making such radical comparisons of individuals who are seemingly so different. He reveals how he came about to study this topic in graduate school, introducing the concept of jeremiad into Tony’s vocabulary. We also cover why his manuscript is titled “Priest, Prophet, and King: Religious Foundations and Public Policy during the 20th Century.” James explains what he means by “religious foundations,” defining it as the underlying values that help inform political policy and discourse. He considers this in light of the importance that Christianity plays in a liberal democratic republic. While founded with an eye towards separating church and state, American history is still replete with Judeo-Christian ideas and ideals informing mass political appeals. Many times the appeals to Judeo-Christian ideals conflict with the notion of a liberal order and he is interested in exploring how this plays out in history.
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