Credo

by William Sloane Coffin and William Sloane Coffin Jr.

Book Overview

William Sloane Coffin challenged the nation with his passionate calls for social justice. In this best-seller, Coffin gives a powerful record of his remarkable public life, offering his inspiring words on issues ranging from charity and justice to politics and the meaning of faith.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664229484
• ISBN13: 9780664229481
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 173 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A Genuine 20th Century Prophet

William Sloane Coffin is the real deal. He calls for social justice, not despite religious faith, but due to it. His message is rare because it has become fresher and more relvant as time goes on. He is warm, witty and insigtful and this is a good omnibus of his lifes thoughts. "Letters to a Young Doubter" is another fine book. And to those that accuse him of relativism; that is precisely false. He absolutely and with conviction speaks truth to power and represents the Lord with integrity.

This book indicts us to be compassionate and merciful

I am a Lutheran Church librarian who bought this book for our church library. The beauty of this book is that the reader can turn to any chapter or page and just begin reading. Many of my parishioners are not big readers and only have high school educations, so this book is more attractive to them than a tome with chapter after chapter of dry theology. This book stresses how to turn faith into activism to change the world for the better. It is inspirational and thought-provoking. Coffin is no light-weight as one hysterical right-wing reviewer suggests. He has been Yale University's chaplain, minister of Riverside church in Manhattan, and is now working for nuclear disarmament. I believe he was also active in the civil rights movement if I remember correctly. Yes, he is liberal and thank God for that! Once CAN be religious and liberal at the same time! The two go hand in hand. It is refreshing to hear a minister, a person of faith, INDICT us to truly love our neighbor even if we perceive him to be "different" from us; to remember the poor and work to help them; to protest when our nation goes in the wrong direction. This is an excellent book for those who are sick and tired of George Bush's brand of "compassionate conservatism" in which he tries to relegate gays to second-class citizenship, believes that wholesale murder of innocent Iraqis will lead to a democratic peace in that nation, and who puts our nation in jeopardy through corrupt and wasteful stewardship of our national finances and the environment, etc. There is a lot here to think about and work toward.

Words that will likely stay in one's mind & heart!

I noted that no reviews gave credit to the origin of these words as collected by Editor Stephanie Egnotovich and Publisher Davis Perkins of John Knox Press. When I began to meditate upon this neat outline, quotations, and thots, I was convinced it is a book I cannot be without! Emphasis upon Dr. Coffin's outline of Faith, Hope/Love; Social Justice; Patriotism, War/Peace; Plus Nature, All take me back to hear him one week of Montreat Music & Worship Conference. His preaching was complimented by his day by day-living. Mostly because I sat beside him in Bass Section of Prof Elaine Brown's fabulous Choir. Not only did he sing with great richness of tone but also in his profound statements. My memory will hold his deeply rich voice alongside his quotations of Walter Brueggemann: "Justice is to sort out what belongs to whom and return it to them!" Another quotation of Parker Palmer: "Relationships-not facts and reason-are the key to reality." Huston Smith: "The larger the island of knowledge--The greater the shoreline of wonder!" More than sufficient to see & hear him as the master of metaphor in writing, preaching, and conversation! Amen for this wondrously inspired collection from Bill Coffin's Wisdom treaure-chest! Retired Chap Fred W Hood

An Angel Amongst Men

Bill Moyers was absolutely correct in stating with regard to William Sloane Coffin: "The voice of a prophet and wisdom for the ages". If anything, reading Credo has inspired me to want to be a better human being and stand up for those things I know point to a higher purpose. Credo is a compilation of memorable excerpts from, I believe, sermons delivered by Mr. Coffin. Whether you are a Christian or a secular humanist, there is something here to inspire you to a higher standard of global ethics. Most importantly, Credo delivers a message that Love is supreme and without it we are doomed. If all of us thought like Mr. Coffin what a wonderful world it would be.

Wonderful collection of his contributions to us all

This is one of those books that you never want to be without. When life gets the best of you, you want to grab it and read Coffin's words of wisdom. His clarity of life and focus is so refreshing and inspiring. He truly is an american hero who has impacted my life by just learning about his book and enjoying every word. He is a remarkable man who put justice and humanity above everything else. James Carroll's foreword is like chocolate, it just melts in my mind and makes me want more.