Posted on 11/25/2024 7:09:47 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Tony Campolo, a bestselling author, teacher and evangelist preacher known for championing a movement called “Red Letter Christianity,” has died. He was 89.
Campolo’s death was announced on his Facebook page on Tuesday evening. The message to his friends and followers said the notable preacher “died at his home in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania,” where he was “surrounded by his family and loved ones.”
“His life was a testament to faith, love, and the transformative power of relationships, and his influence will be felt for generations to come,” the announcement added.
“For more than six decades, as a pastor, distinguished professor, mesmerizing public speaker, and prolific author, Tony touched countless lives around the world with his hopeful message of social justice, love, and reconciliation.”
Shane Claiborne, a progressive Christian activist and author, conveyed his condolences on his X account, describing Campolo as “a dear friend and brother.”
“Tony Campolo has been my partner in ministry for the past 20+ years at [Red Letter Christians]. I will miss him something fierce, but I know there’s a party on the other side,” tweeted Claiborne.
“I don’t have much more to say right now. But I will soon. Thanks for all the love and condolences being poured out from around the world. Grateful for all the lives he touched over the years.”
Born on Feb. 25, 1935, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Campolo was known for his charismatic preaching, years of work as a professor, and social activism, especially among the needy.
For nearly 40 years, Campolo led a group known as the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, which he launched to help serve communities in need. He retired from his position in the organization in 2014.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
In 2007, Campolo helped to found a group called Red Letter Christians, named such because in some published versions of the Bible, Jesus’ words are printed in red rather than black ink.
Campolo garnered controversy for some of the ideological stances he took over the past few years, including his belief that churches should fully accept same-sex romantic relationships.
In addition to his activism and preaching, Campolo was a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, a professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University and the author of over 30 books.
a progressive Christian....an oxymoron
Campolo was the spiritual advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton and counseled him through the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
[including his belief that churches should fully accept same-sex romantic relationships.]
And because of that, I avoided anything he said after that.
It’s always a non-starter to try to drag the Church into Genesis chapter 19. Romans 1:24-28 couldn’t be any clearer.
A heretic.
I seem to recall Jesse Jackson was also counselling old Bill too.
I was in the room with Tony on a number of occasions in the 1980s before his fame as the Clinton ‘spiritual advisor’ in relation to Monica Lewinsky and his ‘cameo appearance’ in the Ron Brown funeral video.
He led the altar calls at those youth festivals I attended and reported on.
Tony used the word “Progressive” to describe himself on more than one occasion.
But heck I think politics has often distracted me from what really counts Christ and Christ crucified.
RIP Tony Campolo.
This creature was the main “spiritual advisor” to Bill “The Sink Emperor” Clinton back in the day. Dude promoted sodomy and abortion on demand by default, both Christian virtues in some circles.
Naturally. 🙄
He preached in favor of gay marriage and against “homophobia” in latter years that is a certainty I saw it.
Even I got ensnared in preaching about racism when I was given a pulpit for one evening in my youth.
Won’t judge if you will but yes I saw someone getting distracted.
Inside his Baptist denomination there underground Communists in his youth like Herbert Philbrick who ultimately informed for the FBI.
They tried to steer Baptists towards serving Communist interests like the “racism” issue.
I wonder if Tony got caught in that.
Btw, Rush Limbaugh’s TV show got a lot of copy when he blasted Clinton’s crocodile tears after laughing his face off during Ron Brown’s memorial service. Who was Clinton joking with at that time? Campolo, who was just a fraud.
Campolo a very well educated man who got an audience with his style which heck he was sort of a preaching Don Rickles if you ever encountered him like I did.
Sounds like he was a good entertainer i guess.
The Evangelical Christian subculture of my youth was filled with quite a bit of it IMHO but to dwell on that and be critical not my gig right now.
Exactly.
I first saw him in the late 70s/early 80s when I was a teenager, and even at that age I could tell he was a master at emotional manipulation. He could spin a great story, with a believable (though extremely over the top) look of anguish and beads of sweat across his brow. But he was a fraud, and as demonstrated in later years, a textbook heretic.
If I had to choose one word to describe him it would be “manipulator.”
A charge also leveled against Bill Gothard who many of us experienced back then.
So many personalities but where was Jesus in all this IMHO.
>> It’s always a non-starter to try to drag the Church into Genesis chapter 19. Romans 1:24-28 couldn’t be any clearer.
Egg-zackly!
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