Walter Brueggemann writes: "Prophecy is born precisely at the moment in which the emergence of political-social reality is so radical and inexplicable that it has nothing less than a theological cause", (B, 6). Not only do prophetic ministers grasp communities stuck in despair, but they also encourage communities to continue pursuing a better future. Jeremiah, a prophetic minister in the Old Testament, delivered a message from the Lord to the despair-stricken Jewish people after their community was divided and half destroyed. He wrote, “'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jeremiah 29:11). This is the true essence of a prophetic minister. I argue that Martin Luther King, in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” illustrates the prophetic ministry, as defined by Brueggemann, by criticizing the Christian community, attacking their real conscience, and bringing hope that a new conscience will emerge. I will support this by defining the prophetic ministry expressed by Brueggemann in his book, The Prophetic Imagination, analyzing King's letter in light of this definition, and finally comparing King's prophetic ministry with the Old Testament, the prophetic ministries of Jeremiah and Second Isaiah. Examining King's letter through these relationships, it is evident that King embraces the role of Brueggemann's prophetic ministry. According to Brueggemann, the goal of prophetic ministry is to encourage and stimulate an alternative consciousness to the governing culture. He argues that the main goals of this alternative consciousness are to provoke criticism of the community and to energize the community with...... middle of paper ...... can see that King illustrated similar acts of prophetic ministry in his “Letter from a prison in Birmingham." Describing prophetic ministry, Brueggemann wrote, “Change comes from being addressed, called, cared for, recognized, and assured” (B, 71). I think this quote sums up Martin Luther King's message in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” King uses such profound and imaginative language to embrace the hope of tomorrow. He writes: “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will disappear and that the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-filled communities…” (K, para. 39). Through his critique of the church community, his attacks on the real conscience of the South, and his ever-present hope for change to come, King displays the defining characteristics of Brueggemann's definition of prophetic ministry..