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You never know the day your life will change—or the person who will change it. For me, her name was Om Hassan. I was 23, an American soldier…
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What Would Jesus Cut? Bread vs. Bombs
Growing up in the Bible belt in East Tennessee, I can remember an entire campaign built around – “What Would Jesus Do?” There were WWJD bracelets, stickers, and t-shirts. Today…
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Deeper Meanings for Sabbath Keeping
By Tony CampoloI grew up in a Jewish neighborhood and I knew that Orthodox Jews make a big thing out of observing the Sabbath. Having a day off from the hectic activities…
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What You and Frodo Might Just Have in Common
I can’t be trusted with Christian fiction. It’s not that can’t be trusted to write it. I can’t even be trusted to read it. When my fifth grade teacher, Mrs.…
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Destructive Donations?
By Tony CampoloHenry Thoreau once said, “When people come and say, ‘I want to help you’, I flee.” I think that what Thoreau was trying to tell us is that sometimes those…
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The Myopic Nature of Greed
We have all heard before that money can’t buy happiness. We have all heard before that it doesn’t matter how much money we attain we will always want more. We…
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National Debt as a Biblical Issue
By Tony CampoloTwo days ago I was interviewed by abcnews.com for a piece the journalist was writing entitled, “National Debt as a Biblical Issue: Did Selfishness Lead to Giant Deficit?” In preparation…
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Tired Exhausted Ministry
By Tony CampoloJesus said, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” All around me, I see people who are weary. They are…
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Let Us Pray. . .Together
A few years ago, a bunch of activist-types and a bunch of prayer-warriors got together to create a prayer book with the goal of bringing together the bible and the…
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Should Churches Hire Youth or Elderly Care Pastors?
By Tony CampoloIt seems strange to me that churches should show such favoritism to the youth and do little, if anything, for the elderly. When a church adds a new staff member,…
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Adopted Girl Found Dead in Truck, I May Be at Fault
As an adopted person and adoptive mother, I pay attention when adoption hits the news. Early this week authorities in West Palm Beach Florida found Jorge Barahona and his adopted…
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The Egyptian Revolution and Theological Reformation
It’s risky to make historical comparisons. If we say, “This event is exactly the same as that event, ” our comparison blinds us to the uniqueness of a historical moment.…
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When Goodness and Evil Grow Together
By Tony CampoloThose who would discourage us in our attempts to work for social justice and end poverty and oppression claim that “the world is getting worse and worse every day, and…
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Chocolate Lovers: Help Stop the Bloodshed in the Ivory Coast
By Tony CampoloCould Valentine’s Day chocolates seriously be contributing to the Ivory Coast’s potentiality of entering a Civil War? Many activist organizations believe so. Most recently I was reading my friend Ron…
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Daydreamers
All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men, that they may act their dreams…
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Leaving Auschwitz with Love
By Tony Campolo“Where there is hatred, let me sow love” This line from the famous prayer by St. Francis has permeated my thoughts for years. Upon it rest many decisions I have…
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Q Ideas: A Hidden Mural, A Reminder of God's Resources
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) is a trend that doesn’t seem to fading in the United States or overseas thanks to the economy, but one couple from across the pond is upping the…
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Staying Alive to do Justice
By Tony CampoloI try to start each day by setting aside about twenty minutes for centering prayer. I empty my mind of the hundred-and-one things that are apt to start spinning in…
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Entrepreneurs for Biblical Justice
By Tony CampoloIn a garage turned into a mini-factory located in a slum on the edge of Santo Domingo, a half-dozen women are singing hymns as they work alongside each other. These…
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Confusing Our Kids
I catch up on my news in the airport. Yesterday I watched this obscure story about a second grader in Rhode Island who wore a baseball cap to school with…
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Excuse #947 To Not Live Out God’s Love For a World in Need: “I’m Not That Bad”
When it comes to making excuses for why I am not living out God’s love the way I really want to be, I’m a real genius. One of my favorites…
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Can Civil Disobedience be Christian?
By Tony CampoloThe time may be at hand when we will see an outbreak of civil disobedience being practiced by Christians on a scale that has not been witnessed for decades. Already…
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Commercialization of Ministry
By Tony Campolobuy cialis online uk.jpg” alt=”” width=”250″ height=”250″ />This blog post is in response to a tweet comment based on Margot Starbuck’s recent post, “” The tweet went something like this:…
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Defending 'Red Letter Christians': Answers to the Most Common Critiques
By Tony CampoloToday’s blog post is in response to a comment I received from my post “Why the Religious Right Will Dominate”: “How sad that the depth of the ‘new and improved…
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Post-Colonial Theology
Call me cynical, but here’s my suspicion: Adjectives in front of theology are deceptive. Yes, they’re needed; no, I’m not against them, but still, they’re deceptive. Here’s how. By distinguishing…
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Why the Religious Right Will Dominate
By Tony CampoloThere are reasons why Religious Right Evangelicals will continue to dominate religious discourse, not only in their own sector of the Christian community, but also in what transpires in mainline…
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A Senior Devil’s Strategy to Disable Red Letter Christians
A very high-ranking devil is training his minions to thwart Red Letter Christians… “If we’re going to effectively persuade him of his impotency at impacting a world in need, be…
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Today's Matchup: Family vs. Judgment Day Preaching (It's a Toss Up)
By Tony CampoloMay 21, 2011 — Judgment Day! Does wrongly predicting the end of the world ever get old? Seriously. The latest prediction, which has been swirling around for a bit now,…
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VIDEO: It's Friday but Sunday's Coming
By Tony CampoloYears ago I was at one of those preach offs that are held in mainly African American churches. Of course it is labeled as a time for pastors to preach…
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Embrace Your Crisis of Faith
By Kent AnnanA crisis of faith — when you seriously question whether what you believe/how you see/what you’re committed to is actually true — is a good thing. It’s not pleasant. It…
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That Car is Going to Hit Us!
By Tony Campolo“Tony, that car is getting closer, ” said my travel companion to me. “Tony, Tony, TONY!” I swerve to miss the cars bumper as it catapults off its owner and…
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Meet Me at Fred Phelps Funeral
I know I should not let this guy get to me. The first time I heard of Fred Phelps was during media coverage of the 1998 funeral for Matthew Shepard,…
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The Health Care Debate Once Again. . .
By Tony CampoloFew things generate more controversy among Christians than political differences (though doctrinal differences are a close second!). With last nights repeal of the “Job-Killing Health Care Law Act” by a…
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When Love Trumps Right Belief
Each of us has directives we live by. The directive to love is at the very heart of most faith traditions, along with being the first and foremost standard to…
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Responding to Gandhi
By Tony CampoloGandhi once told Rufus Jones, the Quaker theologian and missionary to India, that Christians were “so unlike” their Christ. The good news is that there is a growing movement emerging…
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What Would Martin Luther King Jr. Do? Christians and Climate Change
The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr and the reality of climate change are both victims of western culture’s remarkable capacity to accommodate and neutralize that which is most critical…
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We All Love Him Now: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
By Tony CampoloI remember the 1950s and 60s well. For me the Civil Rights era took place when I was in college and slightly after I graduated. In my small apartment I…
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Safety or Vulnerability? …and Strippers
By Kerry DixonSeveral years ago a man who lived nearby lost his son in a tragic car crash. Although he wasn’t a Christian he approached me, as the local minister, to take…
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Meeting Jesus in the Poor
By Tony CampoloIn Luke 16:19-31, we read the story that Jesus told about a certain rich man and a poor man named Lazarus who had lain suffering with hunger and a diseased…
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Christian Leaders Becoming Atheists
By Tony CampoloLately, I have been reading and hearing many stories of pastors and leaders of the faith going public about their doubts and unbelief with regards to the faith they have…
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Rays of Hope for the Valuing of Life
By Rich NathanHere is a quiz question: Regarding which social issue are young people decidedly more conservative than their parents and grandparents? The surprising answer, according to a magisterial new book titled…
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A Year Later – Haiti Earthquake
January 12 marks the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti that killed more than 230, 000 people. In addition to that initial loss of life, there has…
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One Year Later: A Prayer for Haiti
By Kent AnnanA Kindergarten Classroom Currently Being Rebuilt: Photo Courtesy of Haiti Partners Haiti Partners Prayer Loving God, We come to you, first, in silence. We mourn those who died one year…
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Making Matters Worse in Haiti
By Tony CampoloTomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the Haiti Earthquake. An event that brought devastation and chaos to a nation that seemingly cannon catch a break. At last count there…
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Stuck at the Airport. . .
By Tony CampoloSo. . .I’m currently stuck at the airport. It has been one of those mornings where you show up for the flight on time, you’re all ready to go and…
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What's Wrong with Darwinism
By Tony CampoloDarwin was a racist, and his racist theories have had an enormous impact on American thinking. In terms of science, Darwin’s account may be solid indeed. But value free? Nothing…
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Excuse #283 To Not Live Out God’s Love For a World in Need: “I’m Not That Good”
Those of us who purpose to act as agents of God’s love for a world in need aren’t saints. I would hope that that would go without saying, but I’m…
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Epiphany's Counter-cultural Breakthrough: From Wise Men to Prostitutes
By Tony CampoloJanuary 6 has long been celebrated as the traditional day of Epiphany, the day the wise men came to worship Jesus. Need I say more? We all know the story,…
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First Facebook, Now Twitter, What's Next?
By Tony CampoloOver the past couple years few questions have been asked of me more than, “Tony, do you have a Facebook?” To which I routinely answered, “my dear, these hands cannot…
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Kent Annan: Poverty Tourism Can Make Us So Thankful
By Tony Campolo“If we come back with a kind of souvenir that makes us feel more comfortable about our lives, then it’s likely been exploitation. If we come back and we’re more…
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What Does Violence in the Bible Tell Us About God?
I recently received a note from a pastor and missionary we’ll call Pete. It went like this: “I have read most of what you have written, including A New Kind of…
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Common Prayer for Communities
By Tony CampoloAfter several years of working with scores of communities, liturgy experts, artists, and musicians, my brothers Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro are excited to announce that Common Prayer has…
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Never Ending New Years Questions
By Tony CampoloI have a good friend who, every New Year, likes to ask me, “What was your favorite part about this past year?” and “what are you most looking forward to…
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A New Year’s Invitation: Bring in 2011 with the Youth of Afghanistan
There’s a part of the Christmas story we don’t always tell the kids or teach in Sunday school. All the Christmas cheer was rudely and abruptly interrupted. According to the…
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Why the Gospel That's Good News for the Poor is now Good News for the Rich (and by "rich", I mean me)
I was at the grocery store, minding my own business, looking for pie crusts in the frozen food section. Harmless, right? Before I found crusts, though, I accidentally stumbled upon…
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New Plan for Israeli/Palestinian Peace?
By Tony CampoloThe Red Letter Christian answer to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict addresses the basic problems that people say are irresolvable and will necessitate an ongoing war between the Israelis and the Palestinians.…
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Brian McLaren: What's Wrong With Our Message?
By Tony Campolo“It’s been fashionable for some time to admit problems in our methodology, but our message was unquestionable. I think the Pope is right: there comes a time when the symptoms…
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It's Not Just a FREE Book. . .It's a Gift!
Over the past 2 years I have been writing a book called Love Without Agenda: My Journey Out of Consumer Christianity. Last June when my team and I decided that…
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Merry Christmas!
By Tony CampoloThe moment I awoke this morning marked my 75th Christmas. Sometimes it’s hard to believe there have been so many. Recalling memories of my childhood mixed with memories of my…
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Is Stephen Colbert a Red Letter Christian?
By Tony CampoloIf you didn’t get a chance to see Stephen Colbert talk about Christmas on Comedy Central you missed something special. It’s a bit edgy and has somewhat of a political…
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Shane Claiborne: The Christian Industrial Complex
I went into a Christian bookstore the other day and was surprised to see some of the most prominent display space given over to military flags for the U.S. Army,…
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Conspire Magazine
By Tony CampoloWe Red Letter Christians have found a magazine that aligns with the teachings and beliefs of Red Letter Christianity, “Conspire Magazine”. It was created by Shane Claiborne and those who…
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Stop "Prostituting" Needs
By Tony CampoloWithin our world no form of modern slavery may be greater than that of human sex trafficking. A good friend of mine, and fellow Red Letter Christian, Chris Heuertz, international…
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Wild Goose Festival!
By Tony CampoloThe Wild Goose Festival is in the spirit of Red Letter Christianity. As a matter of fact it is being coordinated by one of the Red Letter Christians speakers —…
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Whose Side Are You On?
By Lisa ReaThis blog post was first published on rjonline.org Many thoughts run through my mind when I consider the work I have done over many years in the restorative justice field. I often…
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Let's BE the Love of Christ
By Tony CampoloEvery day I receive letters from individuals all around the world. Some of these letters speak of an individuals work for the kingdom while others highlight different missionary work. The…
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'Tis the Season for Giving. . .Fairly!
By Tony CampoloAs I was driving home the other night I began to realize just what time of year it is: Christmas time. For many of you this sentence makes you want…
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FOCUS Conferences 2011: Answering the Call
By Tony CampoloTo all my Catholic Friends and Followers: It is not often that I find an opportunity to speak to you directly and independently. However, an upcoming series of conferences provides…
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Who Dreamed Up The Red Letters?
By Tony CampoloWe Red Letter Christians may sometimes wonder who thought up highlighting the words of Jesus recorded in the Bible in red letters, in the first place. Well, his name is…
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Eat, Pray, Run. . .
By Tony CampoloAll to often the attention of our audience is placed on Red Letter Christian speakers and authors rather than the average person. While I am out traveling from city to city…
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Global Warming? Yes or No Let's Cut Back on Fossil Fuels
By Tony CampoloMany of us have been well aware that environmental responsibility goes with being a Red Letter Christian. There is a proposition from those who say that there is no such…
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Out of All the Study Bibles. . .
By Tony CampoloThere have been a lot of study bibles printed as of late but there are two that I think are especially important: The first one is called the Poverty and…
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Red Letter Movement
By Tony CampoloRed Letter Christianity is a way of the future. The 20th century was marked by expounding the theology of the Apostle Paul as found in the Epistles. Such theology’s primary…
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Shane Claiborne: What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff?
By Tony Campolo“Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.” These are the words of my friend, brother, and former student, Shane Claiborne. In…
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Was Jesus a Communist or a Capitalist?
By Tony CampoloPerhaps a greater question than whether Jesus was a Communist or a Capitalist would be, was Jesus concerned with fitting into an economic system during first Century Roman Empirical Rule?…
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New York Magazine: God Loves Jay Bakker
By Tony CampoloThis post is in response to an article by New York Magazine entitled: “God Loves Jay Bakker” by Alex Morris. “Jay Bakker is certain that if Christianity actually modeled itself…