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A Passion for the Possible: A Message to U.S. Churches
A Passion for the Possible presents a vision for the future that challenges assumptions and deepens our understanding of the importance of social change. William Sloane Coffin deals with social issues that continue to face U.S. churches--war, the environment, racism, homophobia, abortion, and sexism. This second edition adds Coffin's powerful sermon preached after September 11, 2001 and a foreward by Martin Marty.
- GenresReligionNonfiction
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 28, 2024
A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THREE ETHICAL/POLITICAL/SPIRITUAL ISSUES
William Sloane Coffin Jr. (1924-2006) was a Presbyterian and (later) United Church of Christ minister and activist for many causes (peace, civil rights, LGBT rights, etc.). He was minister for Riverside Church in New York City from 1977-1987.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1993 book, “it is far from certain that we care enough for posterity to pay the price of its survival. It is that concern for our children and their children which prompts this message to the churches of America. I believe they could play a significant role in saving the planet… Although this message is addressed primarily to those whose loyalties and language I share, if non-Christians and nonbelievers find merit in it, I shall be gratified, for only together can we secure the safer, saner future our children at this moment seem unlikely to inherit… The issues I have chosen to discuss are among those which seem crucial to the nation’s well-being and to the planet’s survival. All are controversial and, for the most part, intensely political. But let no one say that for being more political an issue is less spiritual… The chapters that follow are… intended to provoke discussion, not to exhaust the subject matter… if, without defensiveness, people can face and discuss rather than avoid or deny controversial issues, good results are all but inevitable.” (Pg. 2-3)
He observes, “The great issues of our time are clearly ethical. That suggests that churches and seminaries would do well to stop separating theology from ethics---which is always bad theology. How, after all, can you be holy without being ethical? Isn’t justice the moral test of spirituality? Important as is the purity of dogma, it is never as significant as the integrity of love… To deny the ultimacy of love is not a distortion of the gospel, it’s desertion… Religious people need to ponder less their many and differing creeds, and more how they might develop a single ethic of global responsibility.” (Pg. 9-10) Later, he adds, “In subsequent chapters I shall try to show how the three great causes of disarmament, ecology, and social justice are inextricably linked, and that only by serving the first—disarmament---can sufficient funds be saved to serve the other two.” (Pg. 13)
He points out, “When God told Adam to ‘till the garden and keep it,’ God could hardly have had in mind the careless, unbridled subjugation and exploitation so clearly attributable to sinful greed… I am convinced that unless in our own minds we rewed nature to nature’s God, we are not going to save our environment. Caution lest we exhaust our natural resources and kill ourselves in the process---that kind of caution is not enough. What we need beyond caution is reverence.” (Pg. 28-29)
He argues, “An old saying holds that religion and politics don’t mix. Probably it was first said by Pharaoh when he turned down Moses’ plea to ‘let my people go.’ Generally what it means is, ‘Your religion doesn’t mix with my politics.’ … If religion is where it all comes together… if Christians are called to so live ‘that in everything God may be glorified,’ then religion and politics do mix and to claim otherwise is really to understand neither. But to claim they mix is not to say that they are identical. It is one thing to say with the prophet, ‘Let justice roll down like mighty waters,’ and quite another to work out the irrigation system. The former is a religious concern, the latter a political task. While Christians certainly don’t have to take positions on every issue, on matters of justice they have no choice.” (Pg. 35-36)
He admits, “At Riverside Church in New York City, I objected to singing new but clearly inferior hymns simply because their language was inclusive. Or if we sang better older hymns, I would object to our committee on inclusive language’s altering verses at the expense of their poetry. When speaking to the committed chairperson, I said, ‘Your committed may have some major philosophers, but it also has some minor poets,’ his smiling response was, ‘Lots of idols, Bill.’ Yes, the chairperson was a ‘he’ and he was right to see that putting taste before truth and clinging go tradition for tradition’s sake were forms of idolatry. I am reminded of T.S. Eliot’s comment: ‘Those… who call the King James version of the Bible a monument to English prose generally mean a monument over the grave of Christianity.’” (Pg. 60)
He acknowledges, “In a culture as prejudiced as ours is still, it is doubtful that many of us, gay or straight, will completely overcome our homophobia. What did most to help me battle mine, more than the accumulation and analysis of the evidence available, was to spend time with gay people. Familiarity bred only respect, never contempt.” (Pg. 68)
In the last chapter, he argues, “It may be impossible for the Taliban and hard for some Americans to believe, but there is no special providence for any nation at the expense of any others. To ‘lobby in the courts of the Almighty for special favors’ is a waste of time. Moreover there is no simple correlation of reward for good people and nations and punishment for evil people and nations. That’s the point of the book of Job, isn’t it?... That’s life. God provides minimal protection but maximum support. But God’s love doesn’t necessarily mean approval. Far from it. God hates hateful things. God doesn’t love carnage. In the wake of the attacks on September 11, a host of Muslim, Shiite and Sunni, condemned the terrorism as strictly forbidden in Islamic law… But if God is love, then human freedom is for real… When in anguish over any human violence done to any innocent people, we ask of God, ‘How could you let that happen?’ let’s remind ourselves that God is asking the same question of us.” (Pg. 92-93)
This short book is a fine “introduction” to Coffin for those unfamiliar with him, or will be welcomed by those who already enjoy his other books.
William Sloane Coffin Jr. (1924-2006) was a Presbyterian and (later) United Church of Christ minister and activist for many causes (peace, civil rights, LGBT rights, etc.). He was minister for Riverside Church in New York City from 1977-1987.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1993 book, “it is far from certain that we care enough for posterity to pay the price of its survival. It is that concern for our children and their children which prompts this message to the churches of America. I believe they could play a significant role in saving the planet… Although this message is addressed primarily to those whose loyalties and language I share, if non-Christians and nonbelievers find merit in it, I shall be gratified, for only together can we secure the safer, saner future our children at this moment seem unlikely to inherit… The issues I have chosen to discuss are among those which seem crucial to the nation’s well-being and to the planet’s survival. All are controversial and, for the most part, intensely political. But let no one say that for being more political an issue is less spiritual… The chapters that follow are… intended to provoke discussion, not to exhaust the subject matter… if, without defensiveness, people can face and discuss rather than avoid or deny controversial issues, good results are all but inevitable.” (Pg. 2-3)
He observes, “The great issues of our time are clearly ethical. That suggests that churches and seminaries would do well to stop separating theology from ethics---which is always bad theology. How, after all, can you be holy without being ethical? Isn’t justice the moral test of spirituality? Important as is the purity of dogma, it is never as significant as the integrity of love… To deny the ultimacy of love is not a distortion of the gospel, it’s desertion… Religious people need to ponder less their many and differing creeds, and more how they might develop a single ethic of global responsibility.” (Pg. 9-10) Later, he adds, “In subsequent chapters I shall try to show how the three great causes of disarmament, ecology, and social justice are inextricably linked, and that only by serving the first—disarmament---can sufficient funds be saved to serve the other two.” (Pg. 13)
He points out, “When God told Adam to ‘till the garden and keep it,’ God could hardly have had in mind the careless, unbridled subjugation and exploitation so clearly attributable to sinful greed… I am convinced that unless in our own minds we rewed nature to nature’s God, we are not going to save our environment. Caution lest we exhaust our natural resources and kill ourselves in the process---that kind of caution is not enough. What we need beyond caution is reverence.” (Pg. 28-29)
He argues, “An old saying holds that religion and politics don’t mix. Probably it was first said by Pharaoh when he turned down Moses’ plea to ‘let my people go.’ Generally what it means is, ‘Your religion doesn’t mix with my politics.’ … If religion is where it all comes together… if Christians are called to so live ‘that in everything God may be glorified,’ then religion and politics do mix and to claim otherwise is really to understand neither. But to claim they mix is not to say that they are identical. It is one thing to say with the prophet, ‘Let justice roll down like mighty waters,’ and quite another to work out the irrigation system. The former is a religious concern, the latter a political task. While Christians certainly don’t have to take positions on every issue, on matters of justice they have no choice.” (Pg. 35-36)
He admits, “At Riverside Church in New York City, I objected to singing new but clearly inferior hymns simply because their language was inclusive. Or if we sang better older hymns, I would object to our committee on inclusive language’s altering verses at the expense of their poetry. When speaking to the committed chairperson, I said, ‘Your committed may have some major philosophers, but it also has some minor poets,’ his smiling response was, ‘Lots of idols, Bill.’ Yes, the chairperson was a ‘he’ and he was right to see that putting taste before truth and clinging go tradition for tradition’s sake were forms of idolatry. I am reminded of T.S. Eliot’s comment: ‘Those… who call the King James version of the Bible a monument to English prose generally mean a monument over the grave of Christianity.’” (Pg. 60)
He acknowledges, “In a culture as prejudiced as ours is still, it is doubtful that many of us, gay or straight, will completely overcome our homophobia. What did most to help me battle mine, more than the accumulation and analysis of the evidence available, was to spend time with gay people. Familiarity bred only respect, never contempt.” (Pg. 68)
In the last chapter, he argues, “It may be impossible for the Taliban and hard for some Americans to believe, but there is no special providence for any nation at the expense of any others. To ‘lobby in the courts of the Almighty for special favors’ is a waste of time. Moreover there is no simple correlation of reward for good people and nations and punishment for evil people and nations. That’s the point of the book of Job, isn’t it?... That’s life. God provides minimal protection but maximum support. But God’s love doesn’t necessarily mean approval. Far from it. God hates hateful things. God doesn’t love carnage. In the wake of the attacks on September 11, a host of Muslim, Shiite and Sunni, condemned the terrorism as strictly forbidden in Islamic law… But if God is love, then human freedom is for real… When in anguish over any human violence done to any innocent people, we ask of God, ‘How could you let that happen?’ let’s remind ourselves that God is asking the same question of us.” (Pg. 92-93)
This short book is a fine “introduction” to Coffin for those unfamiliar with him, or will be welcomed by those who already enjoy his other books.
January 19, 2020
Excellent book
July 12, 2015
I've read more of William Sloane Coffin quoted by others. This was the first of my first-hand reading of him. I like him. The title is so appropriately given. A hope for the reality of what we dream for ourselves, our nation, and the world most definitely comes through in these pages; even when it seems that the world will no longer hold together.
He takes on our most pressing issues: The Future, War, the Environment, Charity, Race and Class, Sexism, Homophobia, Abortion, and Career versus Calling. He takes these one while holding together what seems often oppositional: the roles of Prophet and Pastor.
I'm grateful for having read it. And will have it near as a resource and guide.
He takes on our most pressing issues: The Future, War, the Environment, Charity, Race and Class, Sexism, Homophobia, Abortion, and Career versus Calling. He takes these one while holding together what seems often oppositional: the roles of Prophet and Pastor.
I'm grateful for having read it. And will have it near as a resource and guide.
May 7, 2012
I highly recommend this book for clergy...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews