by Doyle Boggs ’70
Willimon speaks to Wofford community on Christians, religion and politics
“ John Lane ’77. “My Paddle to the Sea: Eleven Days on the River of the Carolinas.” University of (Above) Dr. Talmage Skinner ’56, chaplain emeritus of Wofford, signs copies of his new book, “A Simple Meal: Messages from a Ministry of PresGeorgia Press, 2011.
ence,” during the Homecoming faculty booksigning event. Other current From John Lane’s backyard on the and retired Wofford faculty and staff, such as Dr. Vivian Fisher, professor Lawson’s Fork Creek upstream from emeritus of English (below), also signed books and greeted alumni and their Glendale, the water flows down to the families at the event. sea — from the Goodall Environmental Studies Center to the Pacolet River; from the Pacolet to the Broad; from the Broad to the Congaree; from the Congaree to the Santee and then into the Atlantic. Written in the spirit of W.J. Cash, Archibald Rutledge and Henry Savage, this stylish essay of a journey along the river reminds readers that life, time and running water always seem welded together. “My Paddle to the Sea” seems certain to occupy an important place in South Carolina nature writing.
Charlie Burnette ’76. “Broken Town.” Morris Publishing Co., 2011 A practicing attorney in Rock Hill, S.C., Charlie Burnette writes entertaining thrillers. He recently has published his second novel, “Broken Town.” As suggested Robert Fields ’75. “November by the title, the setting is a small Southern city whose population includes a Fields” (CD) www.robertsarts.net calculating police chief and a fair number of disquieting characters. “Broken Town” is a suspenseful story that includes many twists and turns before the courtroom Robert Fields wrote us a nice note in climax. October, inviting Wofford friends to check out his first CD, “November Fields.” It’s the culmination of an interesting life that Stephen Stinson and Edward Emory. “Artists Among Us: 100 included four years service in the Army, Faces of Art in Spartanburg.” Hub City Press, November 2011. time as a musician in the Boston area, and Stephen Stinson teamed with Edward Emory, who owns and operates then work as an independent craftsman in Spartanburg’s Carolina Gallery, to produce this Eliot, Maine. The CD features an appealing anthology celebration and tribute to the people who have of music in the folk tradition, with Nichols shaped, and are continuing to shape, a remarkably playing acoustic guitar and performing lead robust art community. The artists, who include Mark Olencki ’75, Kris and harmony vocals in a gentle, distinctive Neely ’02, Mike Corbin, Isabel Forbes and Dorothy style. The musicians who accompany Josey, have remarkably widespread backgrounds. Nichols do accomplished work on the piano, They have settled here from the Kentucky coal fiddle and banjo. With one exception, the songs are original compositions and several country, the Illinois prairie, rural Ireland, the of them, such as “I Wish I Had a Band,” will countryside of France, the industrial Midwest, the wild swamps of Louisiana, and all points in become instant favorites. between. Others are homegrown, blossoming as master teachers at the local schools and colleges. 22 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011
There are only three people mentioned by name in the Apostles’ Creed,” Bishop William “Will” Willimon ’68 told his audience. “They are Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and a hack provincial administrator named Pontius Pilate. That serves to remind us that God often works politically. Christians should feel called upon to engage in politics and government — albeit very carefully. “Public policy issues are rarely theological,” he went on to explain. “Jesus and his church transcend the petty concerns of day-to-day legislation. We can do better for ourselves if we try to discern what makes life worth living, and allow the church to provide intellectual resources to distinguish between the cross and the flag.” Willimon spoke Nov. 2 at Wofford on the subject, “Christians, Religion and Politics.” A large and enthusiastic crowd in Leonard Auditorium greeted him. Willimon is often referred to as contemporary America’s outstanding Protestant voice, and the story about the Apostles’ Creed provides something of an explanation. Willimon is a prolific writer, with more than 60 books to his credit. Altogether, more than 1 million copies of them have been sold. He will retire later this year as a pastoral leader for 150,000 United Methodists in the North Alabama Conference. But first and foremost, Willimon sees himself as a preacher. In 1996, in fact, an international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world. “When I first left the congregational ministry to go to Duke University, I received a great compliment from an editor at The Christian Century,” Willimon said. “She told me that I wrote good sermons — straight to the point with a message like a punch to the stomach. She said that she hoped that I would not drift into an academic style, that is, writing cautiously with lots of footnotes. I’ve always tried to keep that in mind.” Willimon recommends, “Why Jesus? ” (Abington Press, October 2010) for an insight into his own outlook. His latest book is “A Will to Lead and the Grace to Follow.” Despite the whimsical title, it isn’t based on the popular NBC sitcom, but on “letters on leadership from a peculiar prophet.” It includes some reflections on the issues that he has confronted as a bishop. Coming soon is another important book, “Bishop: The Art of Questioning Authority by an Authority in Question.” “It will be my retrospective on those eight years as a bishop — I loved the job, but I have a few suggestions,” Willimon says with a smile. “The church where I grew up has become a mature institution, and it faces many challenges. A great concern is that we struggle to reach out and meet the needs of young adults. However, there never has been a human culture that didn’t see a need for religion, and I’m hopeful. Living and working in Alabama, I’ve observed many examples of positive evolution.” This summer, Willimon returns to Duke as a faculty member. He and his wife, Patsy, will relocate from Birmingham to Durham. Wofford alumni and friends can expect to hear and read much from him in the coming years. “Wofford gave me my first experience in writing and publishing,” Willimon says. “I always will be grateful for that.”