Tony Campolo cannot be identified in a word. He describes himself as a conservative Baptist minister, sociologist, professor, social activist, and writer. One of the most significant identities he has would be a social activist as well as other academic and social functions he takes. I have not read his books and heard his sermons from beginning to end yet, but while searching for his achievements and personal history as a social activist, I have realized that he has literally played an outstanding role as a public scholar in every community he belongs. As he belongs to school, church, and political issues, we notice that his voices to every home community of his will listen to what he is saying. His voice does not simply takes a chance to speak out to the public more than ordinary people just because he is a preacher in front of congregation or a lecturer in front of students. What he says has power to inspire people to think differently and newly. There are numerous preachers who preach regularly every Sunday in the church and countless lecturers who give a lecture to students countless times. However, people are willing to hear what Tony Campolo is saying and his voice is influential to infuse courage, hope, and insight into people. As a preacher and a Christian activist, what he says and does contain the …show more content…
meanings of social, theological, and political recent issues. He writes what Christians are anxious to know about and criticizes in the public media what ordinary people in modern society really concern. His issues attract our attention. As a preacher he approaches to the issues that most people are ignoring but something really matters. In his Facebook he posted that “When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy.
The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?” He also says that “I contend that Bush would be a lot more moderate if there weren't some fundamentalists breathing down his neck every time he wants to establish the state of Israel, every time he wants to do justice for the Palestinian people.” His political and religious opinions tell us that why he deserves to be called a public activist. He does not seem to be hiding behind comfortable social position but working himself up to the risk of the
opponents. Debate on the Issue of Homosexuality One of the most serious and argumentative issues in our society and the church should be the same sex marriage. I regard that this should be a reasonable example to look at how Tony Campolo infuses his beliefs to the public and applies leverage in socially noticeable issues through the debate on the same sex marriage issue. Homosexuality is a kind of minor issue in my culture in Korea because a majority of people in Korea simply judge homosexuality abnormal, period. But in the States, elective politicians and religious leaders especially Christian ministers are required to indicate their stance over the homosexuality issue. Therefore, I would like to observe how he deals with that issue as a famous public activist and attempt to assess his limitation and prominence as a Christian scholar. On June 8, 2015, Tony Campolo publicly stated that he has changed his position on the issue of gay relationships. As a conservative Baptist minister he said he supported Christian gay couples into the Church. He cited several reasons including the institution of marriage primarily being about spiritual growth instead of procreation, what he had learned through his friendships with gay Christian couples, and past examples of exclusionary church traditions practiced “by sincere believers, but most of us now agree that they were wrong.” He said that the reason he changed his position on the issue of the gay relationship was because of his wife Peggy. Campolo says that “I think it's up to a local congregation to determine whether or not a marriage should be blessed of God. And it shouldn't be up to the government.” He goes on to say that “I propose that the government should get out of the business of marrying people and, instead, only give legal status to civil unions. The government should do this for both gay couples and straight couples and, leave marriage in the hands of the Church and other religious entities.” According to what he states about the issue, he emphasizes that the gay relationship and their marriage are not political matter but religious. I agree with him. However, I feel something lacking on his stance because he did not give us the biblical and theological evidences that guided him to change the position. He confesses that one of the reasons he had changed his position over the issue of gay relationship is because of his wife who fully supports gay and transgender relationship. His statements of changing his position seem to be lacking to persuade people who have admired him as a public scholar. I am not trying to say whether it is right or wrong to support the gay relationship and their religious rationality. I just wonder why this man of conviction was not able to give us powerful evidences from the bible and from his experience to support his conviction. To Live as a Christian Activist How can we identify who a social activist is? Can it be possible that a person declare him/herself to become a public activist as s/he starts helping others and developing or innovating the community? We have seen several public activists who have implemented in different areas and issues. One of the most prominent common grounds among social activists is that they lived for others rather than sought for their success or fame even though they were able to do that. Tony Campolo did not satisfy his life to become a famous professor or admirable minister in a local church, but wanted to stand with people who desire to make a voice through someone else’s voice. He was willing to be someone else’s voice to speak out to the society by embracing community’s silent voice. According to the interview between a freelance journalist John Oliver Mason and Tony Campolo, Mason illustrates that “Campolo's critique of U.S. policies and culture leads him to some stark positions. Campolo also objects strongly to churches becoming too patriotic. Campolo is used to creating controversy. In 1985, he was invited to speak in Washington, D.C., at a large youth event sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ and Youth for Christ. Campolo was then disinvited after some Illinois pastors objected. They took issue with something Campolo had written in A Reasonable Faith: his view that Christ lives in every human being, whether Christian or not.” We are not hesitant to identify Tony Campolo a public Christian activist because he does not want to settle down in his comfortable territory, but break into the social and theological hegemonies. Jim Wallis, the founder of Evangelicals for Social Action, describes that “Campolo is trying to counter the forces of the religious right from within a church-based tradition. Tony blends revival with social justice. In that way, he’s like one of the nineteenth century evangelists who fought for the abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage and social reform. His altar calls urge all of us to overcome poverty, end war, and stand up for human rights for everybody.” Mentioning at the beginning of this paper, what Campolo makes a statement has powerful influences on many people. It can be possible for him to infuse their mind with his spiritual messages because he acts as he speaks. He writes books to help Christians spiritual journey, criticizes religious hegemony, goes to the community for the marginalized with loving supports, and speaks for them. There are reasons we have to listen to him as a Christian and a member of each community. There is little voice to wake Christians up to live such a disciple of Jesus Christ. We must keep that in our mind that he blames today’s Christian; “They are spending huge amounts of money on cars that are basically status symbols, and it’s contrary to the teachings of Jesus. We are wasting so much money in catering to our pleasure, while we allow the basic needs of others to go unmet.”
Wright, theologians in Barth and Calvin, and a practical theologian in Gustavo Gutierrez. I was first introduced to Gutierrez in my systematic theology course at Princeton Theological Seminary. Gutierrez primarily cares for God’s interaction with the poor and expresses how the Church needs give a preferential option for the least of society, just as Christ has given a preferential option for the world. I believe God spoke through Gutierrez’ writings to remind me that I am here on this earth to be light for the Gospel and to show the love of Jesus
...ifth of whom grow up in poverty?” (161). Questions like these make his argument very strong, and they are purposely added towards the end to make the reader consider their own thoughts about them after already having been given information on the topic. It is obvious that he is against the expansion of U.S. power, and he is very passionate in his writing about it.
“Longitudes and Attitudes” is a collection of his more recent columns and a diary of supporting incidents. It relates to the theme that has consumed him in his career. This theme is given point by Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the attack of 9/11.
Remarks by President Obama at the eulogy for the honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney; A man who was killed when an another man rushed into a church in South Carolina and killed 9 people while they were immersed in an afternoon mass. President Obama created different appeals and feelings through the use of different Rhetorical Devices such as Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. The use of logos ethos and pathos help the president convey his central idea which is to ensure the people of South Carolina and the people of the United States that not only are they safe, but they will unite to take this opportunity to create a more united U.S. This will happen through the establishment of new gun reforms.
Mr. Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the Word. The sermon which he now
He then goes on in an attempt to answer these questions, look at what the nature of government is, what demands can a particular government legitimately make of its citizens, and what duties do individuals/ citizens of that particular government have to support that governments policies and obey the laws that they create.
The definition of Persnickety, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, is placing too much emphasis on trivial or minor details. This is exactly what Miss Bambara did. She took writing to a whole new level. She was a true leader and a social activist. I intend to inform the reader about Toni Cade Bambara’s life, culture, and her exploration of an African American Experience. …if this is a MLA research paper, 1st person is not allowed. Therefore is this an accurate thesis statement?
Rusesabagina, Paul. An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography. (An Address Given to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council) March 12, 2007. Retrieved from, http://www.lawac.org/speech/2006-07/RUSESABAGINA,%20Paul%202007.pdf
What grabbed my attention was him calling the American government a tradition. I assume he’s speaking of the theological definition of tradition. He also says the government tries to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity. He’s trying to say that the government tries to carry on it’s ideas, unchanged, to future generations. As if there will always be, in reality, one ruler throughout time. He then says “losing some it’s integrity?”, so basically not being honest, and cheating the people. He however makes it clear on what his views towards the government are. As stated “But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government.”. This is what I would call the middle man, he wants the government to meet him halfway there. He doesn’t believe that the government should be completely out of the picture, but he does believe it’s laws and tactics towards the people are not efficient enough. He starts the sentence with “to speak practically”. Which means this could be not what he one hundred percent feels, but what he thinks is the most reasonable
Every page of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, Life Together, tested and equipped me. Dietrich’s core ministry philosophy caused me to be more introspective on what is truly important in Christian living. Ministry is more than a program, but a, “Christ-centered community…united in service to and for one another” (Bonhoeffer, 2015, p. 48).
simply believes in what he says. He is a limited man, who is shown to
In his blog he states “In this new nation, the new president saying people would have their identities respected, their freedom protected, and their safety secured.” This means that the nation’s only goal is to have a society that respects one another, and that is determined to protect each others natural rights . This matters since it shows how the government wants to work together with everyone to protect the natural rights of man (and women of course). He also brought up “ the man who welcomed Jews and Catholics into the nation, the man who spoke of a government that gave no bigotry…”.This meant that George Washington was a man who didn't care about religion to let you into a country of freedom and that protected your rights. This matters since it shows that in the past while some people judge you from religion ,others didn't care about what religion you believed in, for example while the union army burned the pope in effigy, George Washington however and this practice because he respected the catholics and it didn’t seem to be well for America's image since in the Bill of Rights it clearly talks about freedom of Religion as the first
In my own life I have been impacted by Billy Graham; several years ago I began to see how important integrity is – at that time I committed never to ride alone in a car with a girl. Although I was unaware of the “Modesto Manifesto” at the time, I knew that Graham refused to be alone with any woman other than his wife, and his vow helped to influence mine. Graham’s dedication to having all the world hearing the Gospel likewise influenced me to take the Gospel to the city of Rochester. Now, learning more about Graham and how he did ministry, I see where I could change in multiple ways: being more tolerant of all denominations,
For nearly half a century Arafat was the symbol of Palestinian nationalism. Though he was not a military man, he was rarely seen out of his uniform in an effort to project strength and his commitment to armed struggle. He wore his kaffiyeh in a unique fashion, draped over his shoulder in the shape of Palestine, that is, all of historic Palestine, including Israel. The high-profile terrorist attacks he directed helped gain international attention and sympathy for the Palestinian cause, but, ultimately, his unwillingness to make the psychological leap from terrorist mastermind to statesman prevented him from achieving independence for the Palestinian people, and brought them decades of suffering that could have been avoided had he abandoned his revolutionary zeal for liberating Palestine and agreed to live in peace with Israel.
“During his life time, he is always in the struggle to fight against white and black denomination. I fought for ideal democracy in which society is free and live together to share equally and to achieve this