Will D. Campbell
Encyclopedia
Will Davis Campbell is a Baptist
minister, activist, author, and lecturer. Throughout his life, he has been a notable white supporter of civil rights
in the Southern United States
. In addition to his activism, Campbell also is a noted author, particularly with his autobiographical work Brother to a Dragonfly, a finalist for the National Book Award
in 1978. He was the late cartoonist Doug Marlette's inspiration for the character "Will B. Dunn" in his comic strip, Kudzu
.
, then enlisted in the Army during World War II
. After the war, he attended Wake Forest College, Tulane University
, and Yale Divinity School
. Though he held a pastorate in Louisiana
from 1952 to 1954, Campbell has spent most of his career in other settings. In 1954, he took a position as director of religious life at the University of Mississippi
, only to resign it in 1956, in part because of the hostility (including death threats) he received as a supporter of integration. He subsequently took a position as a field officer for the National Council of Churches
, where he had his closest contact with the Civil Rights Movement. In 1963, Campbell left the NCC to become director of the Committee of Southern Churchmen, which provided a home for his activism in the subsequent years.
This organization published a journal, Katallagete, the title of which is the New Testament Greek for the Pauline phrase "be reconciled," a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:20. The journal featured articles about politics and social change, as understood through the lens of the Christian faith, particularly the neo-orthodox movement, which Campbell became acquainted with at Yale. Edited by James Y. Holloway of Kentucky
's Berea College
, Katallagete was published from 1965 until the early 1990s; the CSC relinquished control of the journal to Campbell and Holloway in 1983.
By 2005, Campbell described this last organization in the past tense as “nothing ... a name and a tax exemption and whatever I and a few other people were doing on a given day," and he continued his work on a personal basis among his network of acquaintances. Although remaining a Baptist, he reputedly conducts house church
worship services in his home. His home is in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
, outside of Nashville
.
; and he was the only white person present at the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Despite these efforts, Campbell later claimed, "I never considered myself ... an activist in the civil rights movement, though a lot of other people considered me an activist." His uncompromising theology has led him to keep his distance from political movements. He has insisted that "anyone who is not as concerned with the immortal soul of the dispossessor as he is with the suffering of the dispossessed is being something less than Christian" and that "Mr. Jesus died for the bigots as well". These convictions sometimes caused friction between Campbell and other civil rights figures—for example, when Campbell ministered to members of the Ku Klux Klan
. He remarked in 1976, "It's been a long time since I got a hate letter from the right. Now they come from the left." In his book, "The Stem of Jesse', Will examines the experience of Sam Oni, the first black student to attend Mercer University in Macon Georgia as well as the moral courage of Dr. Joseph Hendricks, who shepherded Mercer through the process of desegregation. The book also profiles Samaria Mitcham Bailey
, a young American female of African descent, and her resolve in coping with the racial challenges she faced while matriculating at Mercer University.
and helped draft resisters find sanctuary in Canada. In the late 1970s he spoke out against the death penalty
, particularly after forming a relationship with John Spenkelink, whom the state of Florida
executed in 1979. Campbell has also expressed an opposition to abortion. Akin to the likes of William Stringfellow
and Jacques Ellul
(who were both contributors to Katallagete), Campbell espouses a fairly strong distrust of government and a belief that people must make their own history. Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey
is one of the subjects highlighted in his novel, The Stem of Jesse, for her resolve in coping with the hardships she experienced while matriculating at Mercer University. These last two stands sharply distinguish Campbell's thought from that of most religious liberal activists, bringing his views in line with those of more recent postliberal theologians, who denounce liberal (as well as conservative) esteem for civic society as a misplaced faith, an idolatry taking the place of God and Jesus Christ in the Christian life.
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister, activist, author, and lecturer. Throughout his life, he has been a notable white supporter of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. In addition to his activism, Campbell also is a noted author, particularly with his autobiographical work Brother to a Dragonfly, a finalist for the National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
in 1978. He was the late cartoonist Doug Marlette's inspiration for the character "Will B. Dunn" in his comic strip, Kudzu
Kudzu (comic strip)
Kudzu was a daily comic strip by Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Doug Marlette about rural Southerners. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, the strip ran from 1981 to 2007...
.
Career
Campbell, the son of a farmer, was ordained as a minister by his local Baptist congregation at age 17. He attended Louisiana CollegeLouisiana College
Louisiana College is a private institution of higher education located in Pineville, Louisiana, affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention, serving a student body of approximately 1,300 students. The college operates on a semester system, with two shorter summer terms...
, then enlisted in the Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, he attended Wake Forest College, Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
, and Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
. Though he held a pastorate in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
from 1952 to 1954, Campbell has spent most of his career in other settings. In 1954, he took a position as director of religious life at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, only to resign it in 1956, in part because of the hostility (including death threats) he received as a supporter of integration. He subsequently took a position as a field officer for the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
, where he had his closest contact with the Civil Rights Movement. In 1963, Campbell left the NCC to become director of the Committee of Southern Churchmen, which provided a home for his activism in the subsequent years.
This organization published a journal, Katallagete, the title of which is the New Testament Greek for the Pauline phrase "be reconciled," a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:20. The journal featured articles about politics and social change, as understood through the lens of the Christian faith, particularly the neo-orthodox movement, which Campbell became acquainted with at Yale. Edited by James Y. Holloway of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
's Berea College
Berea College
Berea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...
, Katallagete was published from 1965 until the early 1990s; the CSC relinquished control of the journal to Campbell and Holloway in 1983.
By 2005, Campbell described this last organization in the past tense as “nothing ... a name and a tax exemption and whatever I and a few other people were doing on a given day," and he continued his work on a personal basis among his network of acquaintances. Although remaining a Baptist, he reputedly conducts house church
House church
House church, or "home church", is used to describe an independent assembly of Christians who gather in a home. Sometimes this occurs because the group is small, and a home is the most appropriate place to gather, as in the beginning phase of the British New Church Movement...
worship services in his home. His home is in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mt. Juliet is a city located in the western portion of Wilson County, Tennessee, U.S.A. It is a suburb of Nashville, and is approximately east of downtown. It is located roughly between two major national east-west routes, Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70. As of the 2010 census, the city had a...
, outside of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
Civil rights
In 1957, while working for the National Council of Churches, Campbell participated in two notable events of the Civil Rights Movement: he was one of four people who escorted the black students who integrated the Little Rock, Arkansas, public schoolsLittle Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine was a group of African-American students who were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The ensuing Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, and then...
; and he was the only white person present at the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
Despite these efforts, Campbell later claimed, "I never considered myself ... an activist in the civil rights movement, though a lot of other people considered me an activist." His uncompromising theology has led him to keep his distance from political movements. He has insisted that "anyone who is not as concerned with the immortal soul of the dispossessor as he is with the suffering of the dispossessed is being something less than Christian" and that "Mr. Jesus died for the bigots as well". These convictions sometimes caused friction between Campbell and other civil rights figures—for example, when Campbell ministered to members of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. He remarked in 1976, "It's been a long time since I got a hate letter from the right. Now they come from the left." In his book, "The Stem of Jesse', Will examines the experience of Sam Oni, the first black student to attend Mercer University in Macon Georgia as well as the moral courage of Dr. Joseph Hendricks, who shepherded Mercer through the process of desegregation. The book also profiles Samaria Mitcham Bailey
Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey
Samaria Bailey in Macon, Georgia was an instrumental figure in the civil rights movement. She was one of the first American females of African descent to be accepted into Mercer University and the first American female of African descent to integrate A. L. Miller Senior High School, an all...
, a young American female of African descent, and her resolve in coping with the racial challenges she faced while matriculating at Mercer University.
Other issues
While Campbell is best known in connection with civil rights activism, he also has taken an interest in other political issues. He participated in protests against the Vietnam WarProtests against the Vietnam War
Protests against the Vietnam War took place in the 1960s and 1970s. The protests were part of a movement in opposition to the Vietnam War and took place mainly in the United States-Protests:...
and helped draft resisters find sanctuary in Canada. In the late 1970s he spoke out against the death penalty
Capital punishment in the United States
Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
, particularly after forming a relationship with John Spenkelink, whom the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
executed in 1979. Campbell has also expressed an opposition to abortion. Akin to the likes of William Stringfellow
William Stringfellow
Frank William Stringfellow was an American lay theologian during the 1960s and 1970s.-Life and career:...
and Jacques Ellul
Jacques Ellul
Jacques Ellul was a French philosopher, law professor, sociologist, lay theologian, and Christian anarchist. He wrote several books about the "technological society" and the interaction between Christianity and politics....
(who were both contributors to Katallagete), Campbell espouses a fairly strong distrust of government and a belief that people must make their own history. Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey
Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey
Samaria Bailey in Macon, Georgia was an instrumental figure in the civil rights movement. She was one of the first American females of African descent to be accepted into Mercer University and the first American female of African descent to integrate A. L. Miller Senior High School, an all...
is one of the subjects highlighted in his novel, The Stem of Jesse, for her resolve in coping with the hardships she experienced while matriculating at Mercer University. These last two stands sharply distinguish Campbell's thought from that of most religious liberal activists, bringing his views in line with those of more recent postliberal theologians, who denounce liberal (as well as conservative) esteem for civic society as a misplaced faith, an idolatry taking the place of God and Jesus Christ in the Christian life.
Writings
This list contains every, or nearly every, book-length work authored primarily by Campbell, but it makes no attempt to list shorter works.- Race and the Renewal of the Church (1962)
- Up to Our Steeples in Politics (1970, reprint 2005) (with James Y. Holloway)
- The Failure and the Hope: Essays of Southern Churchmen (1972, reprint 2005) (edited with James Y. Holloway)
- ... and the criminals with him ..." Lk 23:33: A first-person book about prisons (1972)
- Brother to a Dragonfly (1977): part autobiography, part elegy for Campbell's brother, part oral history of the Civil Rights Movement
- The Glad River (1982): novel
- Cecelia's Sin (1983): historical novel set among the early Baptists
- The Lord's Prayer for Our Time (1983) (with Will McBride and Bonnie Campbell)
- Forty Acres and a Goat (1986): autobiography (40 acres is about 16 hectares)
- The Convention: A Parable (1988): allegory based on the conflict between moderates and fundamentalists within the Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist ConventionThe Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
- Covenant: Faces, Voices, Places (1989) (with photographs by Al Clayton)
- Chester and Chun Ling (1989): children's book, illustrated by Jim Hsieh
- Providence (1992, reprint 2002)
- The Stem of Jesse: The Costs of Community at a 1960's Southern School (1995, reprint 2002): account of racial integration at Mercer UniversityMercer UniversityMercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
- "Little Red Riding: The Babtist Red-headed Girl" (1996, reprinted 2001): children's book, illustrated by Picasso
- "Elvis Presley as Redneck" (1995): address delivered at First Elvis Presley Symposium, University of Mississippi
- The Pear Tree That Bloomed in the Fall (1996): children's book, illustrated by Elaine Kernea
- And Also With You: Duncan Gray and the American Dilemma (1997): a tribute to the Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray, whom Campbell calls one of his heroes
- Bluebirds Always Come on Sunday (1997)
- Shugah and Doops (1997)
- Soul Among Lions: Musings of a Bootleg Preacher (1999)
- Robert G. Clark's Journey to the House (2003): a biography of the man who, in 1967, was elected MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
's first black state legislator since Reconstruction - "Writings on Reconciliation and Resistance" (2010)
- "Crashing the Idols: The Vocation of Will D. Campbell" (2010)
External links
- Will Davis Campbell Collection (MUM00062) owned by the University of Mississippi Department of Archives and Special Collections.
- Will D. Campbell: A Man of the Word (multimedia exhibits at University of Southern Mississippi library)