WilliamSloaneCoffin
BiographyTimeline:June1,1924,born,NewYork,NewYork,sonofWilliam,Sr.,furniturestore executiveandCatherine(Butterfield); 1933,fatherdies; 1934,mothermovesfamilytoCarmel,California; familyisassistedfinanciallybyhisuncleHenrySloaneCoffin(whowilleventuallybepresidentofUnion TheologicalSeminary); 1938,practicespianoforhoursadayinParisandstudieswithMlle.Nadia Boulangerwithaviewtobecomingaconcertpianist; 1942,graduatesfromPhillipsAcademy; 1943, studiesforoneyearatYaleUniversityMusicSchool; 1943-1947,servesinU.S.Army; 1949,BA,Yale University; 1949-1950,attendsUnionTheologicalSeminary; 1950-1953,worksforCentralIntelligence AgencyonRussianaffairs; 1956,BD,YaleDivinitySchool;ordainedasPresbyterianminister;marries balletdancerandactressEvaRubenstein,daughterofpianistArthurRubenstein;withEva,hasthree children,Amy,Alexander,andDavid; 1956-1957,actingchaplain,PhillipsAcademy; 1957-1958, chaplain,WilliamsCollege,Williamstown,Massachusetts; 1958,becomeschaplain,YaleUniversity; 1961, helpsestablishfirsttrainingprogramsforthePeaceCorps;oneofelevenFreedomRiderswhoventuresto Montgomery,Alabamatointegratebustransportationandrestaurants; 1965,withJohnBennett(ofUnion TheologicalSeminary)andRabbiAbrahamJoshuaHeschel(ofJewishTheologicalSeminary)formsClergy andLaityConcernedaboutVietnam; 1968,divorcedfromEva; 1969,marriesHarrietHarveyGibney; 1975, resignsYalechaplaincy;spendsyeartraveling,restingandwritingmemoir; 1977,becomesseniorminister, RiversideChurch,NewYorkCity, 1978,establishesRiversideChurchDisarmamentProgram; Christmas, 1979,amongdelegationtoTehrantovisithostages; 1980;divorcedfromHarriet; December10,1982, mother,CatherineButterfieldCoffin,dies; January17,1983,sonAlexanderdies; 1984,marriesVirginia Randolph(ARandy@)Wilson; 1987,retiresfromRiverside; 1988-1993, headofNuclearFreeze;inretirement lectureswidelyonthemesofsocialjusticeandtransformationofthechurch; 1999,suffersstroke;continues tolecture,preach,andwrite,publishingtwoofhismostwidelyreadbooks; April12,2006,diespeacefully athome,Strafford,Vermont; April20,2006,funeralheldatRiversideChurch,withDr.JamesForbes presiding,reflectionsbyCoraWeiss,BillMoyers,andMarianWrightEdelman,andeulogybyJames Carroll; April22,2006,memorialserviceheldattheUnitedChurchofStrafford,Strafford,Vermont; creaminsburiedintheStraffordCemetery,withhisheadstoneengravedwithoneofhissignaturemaxims: “AmoErgoSum” (ILoveThereforeIAm); May27,2006,publicmemorialserviceheldatYaleUniversity’s BettellChapel.
WilliamSloaneCoffin,Jr.was Atothemanorborn@ inNewYorkCity,yetthearc ofhislifewouldleadhim,willinglyandgladly,toencounterallmannerofhuman existenceinalifeofenthrallingcontrasts.Hetrainedasaconcertpianist,andhe
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volunteeredforserviceasasoldierintwowars.HeworkedfortheCentralIntelligence AgencyonRussianaffairs,andhesatatthefeetoftheworld=sgreatesttheologiansashe preparedforalifeofministry.HebecamechaplainatYaleUniversity,andheexpressed theheightofhishomileticalpowersaspastorofRiversideChurch.Hehelpedto galvanizeawarenessofthecivilrightsstruggleasoneofelevenFreedomRiderswho venturedtoMontgomery,Alabama,andhewrote,mused,andprayedinhisfinalhome inruralVermont.
Intheexpressionofhisopinionsandinhispublicministries,hewasnostranger tocontroversy.Andyethiswarmth,charmandbasicpositiveregardforallpersons wouldeventuallyearnhimrespectevenfromthosewhodidn=tshareoneiotaofhis positions.
WarrenGoldstein,authorofthemostthoroughbiographicalaccountandanalysis ofCoffin=slifetodate,putitwell: ACoffin=spreachingremainedrelevantandinspiring... forfortyyearsbecause,likethebiblicalprophets,heneverallowedhisenemies racism, war,nuclearweapons,hunger,homophobia asmuchpowerasheascribedtothelove ofGod.BytakinghisGodseriouslyandpreachingChristianityjoyously,WilliamSloane CoffinJr.helpedcreatea >holyimpatience= withinjusticeYthatwilllivelongbeyondhis ownlife."(1)
PoetEdwardArlingtonRobinsononcedescribedthehumanenterpriseas Aakind ofspiritualkindergarteninwhichmillionsofbefuddledinfantsaretryingthespellGod withthewrongblocks.@ (2)Forallofhispublicministry,WilliamSloaneCoffin,Jr., soughttoleadcountlesspersons,bothwillingandunwillinginfantsandoldsters,to
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learnlessonsthathavehelpedusallspell AGod@ withmoreoftherightblocks:atYale Universitywithhispropheticwitnesstostudents,faculty,administrators,alums,and thenationasawhole;atRiversideChurch,withhisdaringleadershipandpowerful preaching,beginninginthegorgeousGothamofNewYorkCity,butalwaysgoing beyondtoawidercongregation;inhischampioningofthecausesofthepoorandthe nuclearfreezemovement,withthelusterofleadershiphelentsogenerously.Always andeverCoffinwasprimingcountlessfolkstoparticipateinamorehumane,amore faithful Aspellingbee.@
Theauthorofsevenbooks,Coffincametoembodythenoblestelementsofthe Judeo-Christiantradition,consistentlybearinginhisdemeanoraneffusivegraciousness. Hepossessedaconsistentcapacitytosharehiscompassionate,caringheartwiththose helovedandwiththeworld,onrealtermsandinrealtime.
Coffin=sprayers,inSundaymorningworshipandincountlesspublicvenues, werecharacterizedbyasuregraspofthegrandnatureoffaithandfaith=sconnection withthegreatissuesoftheday.Inotherwords,hisprayershad Asize.@ Tingedwith greatoratory,Coffin=sprayersresortedtotheformalityof AThee=s@ andThou=s@ ofthe KingJamesBible.(3)
Coffin=sprayerswere,atonce,pastorallysensitiveandpropheticallypassionate. Whilehecouldsoarintopoeticheights,especiallyinhisgeniususeofparallelismsand powerfulimages,Coffin=sprayersalwaysincludedreferencestospecificeventsofthe day.
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Coffindescribedhimselfasa Amagpie,@ reframinginsightsfromothergreat souls.(4)Yet,hewasakeenandmasterwordsmithwhoworkedhardonallofhis spokenpresentations,whetheratasocialjusticerally,inapulpitsermon,orinhis prayers,therebycreatingonememorablequoteafteranother,throughouthislongand storiedcareer.
A...unlesswebecomemeek,therewillbenoonelefttoinherittheearth...@(5)
A....humanunityisbasednotonagreementbutonmutualconcern....@(6)
A...nevermindhowcrudeorhowtrivialyourprayersmaysoundtoyou.Thereare nounimportanttearstoGod.@(7)
AWearealwayscalledtolovethegoodmorethanwehatetheevil,lestweonly becomedamngoodhaters.@(8)
AThereistoomuchdignityintoomanyprayers dignityattheexpenseof specificity.@(9)
APrayerispraying >Ourfatherwhoartinheaven= wheneverythingwithinuslongsto cryout >Myfather,= because >our= includesthathorribledivorcedhusband,that waywardchild;itincludesmuggers,rapists,theIraniancaptors,allthepeoplewho jamthornsintoourflesh.@(10)
APrayerbyWilliamSloaneCoffin
AOGod,whohastcreatedaworldbeautifulbeyondanysingingofit,gratefullywe acknowledgethatofthyfullnesshavewereceived,graceupongrace.Grantnowthatwemaybe responsibleinthemeasurethatwehavereceived.
AKeepuseagertopursuetruthbeyondtheoutermostlimitsofhumanthought,scornfulof thecowardicethatdaresnotfacenewtruth,thelazinesscontentwithhalf-truth,andthearrogance thatthinksitknowsalltruth.
AStrengthenourresolvetoseefulfilled,theworldaroundandinourtime,allhopesfor justicesolongdeferred,andkeepusonthestony,long,andlonelyroadthatleadstopeace.May wethinkforpeace,struggleforpeace,sufferforpeace.Fillourheartswithcouragethatwenot giveintobitternessandself-pity,butlearnrathertocountpainanddisappointment,humiliation andset-back,asbutstrawsonthetideoflife.@(11)
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PrayingwithWilliamSloaneCoffin:SuggestionsforUse
Day1PraytodayaprayerofthanksgivingforthewitnessofWilliamSloaneCoffin,Jr., expressing,inwhateverwordsyouchoose,yourappreciationforhisconjoining ofthepastoralandprophetictasksoffaith.
Day2Prayaprayerofpetitiontodaythatyourwarmth,witandbasicpositiveregard forallothersmightsoincreasethateventhosewhodonoshareyouropinions willcometorespectyou.
Day3Praytodaywithanopennesstoanygrieforpainyoumaybecarryinginyour heart,knowingthat AtherearenounimportanttearstoGod.@
Day4Praytodaywitharequestforincreasedsensitivitytowardtheplightofallthe childrenwholiveinpovertyaroundtheworld.Prayforwisdomastowhatyour rolewillbeinalleviatingtheirsuffering.
Day5Praytodayaboutspecificpeopleinyourlifethatneedtobeblessedbyan awarenessofGod=spresenceintheirlivesandwhatthatcanmeanfortheir healingandwholeness.
Day6Praytodayforworldpeace,butprayerforitwithaneyetotheindigenous fulfillmentofpeacewhereyoulive,inyourplaceofworship,inyour neighborhood,inyourworkplace,inyourschool,inyourhome.
Day7Praytodayforagreatfidelitytotruth inyourpersonallife,inthelifeamong yourfriends,inthewidercommunity,inthenation,andaroundtheworld.
RecallCoffin=sprayer: AKeepuseagertopursuetruthbeyondtheoutermost limitsofhumanthought,scornfulofthecowardicethatdaresnotfacenewtruth, thelazinesscontentwithhalf-truth,andthearrogancethatthinksitknowsall truth.@(12)
NOTES
1WarrenGoldstein, WilliamSloaneCoffinJr.:AHolyImpatience (NewHaven:YaleUniversity Press,2004),p.333.
2QuotedinMarkVanDoren, EdwardArlingtonRobinson (NewYork:TheLiteraryGuildof America,1927),p.25.
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3See PrayersfromRiverside,editedbyLeoS.Thorne(NewYork:Pilgrimpress,1983),pp.26-27,36, 49-50,92-93,;seealso TheWilliamSloaneCoffinSermonArchiveProject at http://www.williamsloanecoffin.org/.
4The Amagpie@ descriptionisfromaphoneconversationwithBillCoffin,April2001.
5RememberedfromaspeechCoffinmadetoaDisciplesPeaceFellowshipgatheringatthetimeofthe GeneralAssemblyoftheChristianChurch(DisciplesofChrist)inLouisville,Kentucky,1973.
6WilliamSloaneCoffin, TheCollectedSermonsofWilliamSloaneCoffin:TheRiversideYears,Vol.I (Louisville:Westminster,2008),p.302.
7Ibid.,p.329.
8WilliamSloaneCoffin, Credo (Louisville:Westminster,2003),p.20.
9 TheCollectedSermonsofWilliamSloaneCoffin,Vol.I ,p.329.
10Ibid.ThereisalmostnoendtotheaphorismsandpoeticparallelismsthatCoffincoinedthroughout hisspeakinglife.Andthereisseeminglynoendinginsightregardingtheabsolutelyspecificsources orcontextsconcerningwhenorwhereCoffinsaidanyparticularstatement.Whathequippedtoa televisionreporterafteraprotestrallymightbeincludedinanewspapereditorial.Awitticismhe offeredasaraconteuratacocktailpartycouldbecometheintroductoryattentiongrabberina collegelecture.Whathadbeenpartofapastoralprayerveryoftenendeduponedayinasermon. TheseareameresmatteringofCoffin'sprodigiousoutputof"quotablequotes."
11WilliamSloaneCoffin, TheCouragetoLove (SanFrancisco:Harper&Row,Publishers,1982),p.90. 12Ibid.
FORFURTHERREADING,STUDY,ANDREFLECTION
WilliamSloaneCoffin, TheCollectedSermonsofWilliamSloaneCoffin:TheRiversideYears,Vols.I&II (Louisville:Westminster,2008)
WilliamSloaneCoffin, TheCouragetoLove (SanFrancisco:Harper&Row,Publishers,1982)
WilliamSloaneCoffin, TheHeartIsALittleToTheLeft:EssaysonPublicMorality (Hanover,New Hampshire:UniversityPressofNewEngland,1999)
WilliamSloaneCoffin, Credo (Louisville:WestminsterJohnKnoxPress,2004)
WilliamSloaneCoffin, LetterstoAYoungDoubter (Louisville:WestminsterJohnKnoxPress,2005)
WilliamSloaneCoffin, OncetoEveryMan:AMemoir (NewYork:Atheneum,1977)
WilliamSloaneCoffin, APassionforthePossible:AMessagetoU.S.Churches (Louisville: Westminster/JohnKnoxPress,1993)
WarrenGoldstein, WilliamSloaneCoffinJr.:AHolyImpatience (NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress, 2004)
LeoS.Thorne,ed., PrayersfromRiverside (NewYork:PilgrimPress,1983)
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