In-Text References

Literary and Philosophical References

Socrates (9, 17, 21)
Reinhold Niebuhr (10)
Unknown author, "Justice too long delayed is justice denied." (11)
St Augustine, On Free Choice of the Will, Book 1, § 5 (12)
Thomas Aquinas, (13)
Martin Buber (13)
Paul Tillich (13)
T.S. Eliot, Murder in the Cathedral (35)

Historical and Political References

Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth (7)
Eugene "Bull" Connor (8)
Albert Boutwell (10)
Early Christians/ Roman Empire (17)
Boston Tea Party (17)
Adolf Hitler (18)
Hungarian freedom fighters (18)
Soviet Communism (18)
White Citizens Councils/ KKK (19)
Black Nationalism/ Elijah Muhammad (22)
Martin Luther (24)
John Bunyan (24)
Abraham Lincoln (24)
Thomas Jefferson (24, 34)
Ralph McGill, Lillian Smither, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle (25)
Reverend Stallings (25)
Montgomery bus protest (27)
Governor Barnett (30)
Governor Wallace (30)
Early Christians (32)
Pilgrims (34)
James Meredith (36)
United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence (36)

Biblical References

Jesus (3, 21, 24)
Paul of Tarsus (3, 24)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—three Jews thrown into a furnace by a Babylonian king (17)
Nebuchadnezzar—that Babylonian King who threw them into the furnace (17)
"Love your enemies." (24)
Amos (24)
Calvary (24)

References to This Text

About That Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Counterpunch.com relates the politics of the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s with the politics of the 21st century, especially the Black Lives Matter Movement. 

The Day President Kennedy Embraced Civil Rights

This article from the Atlantic argues pretty convincingly that "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and the Birmingham Campaign were the catalysts for JFK's decision to make a public address calling for a Civil Rights Bill. 

Churches Respond

In 2013, a group of churches sat down to study the letter and draft their response. It's a point-by-point analysis, kind of like Shmoop's but from a religious perspective. It only took 50 years.