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Anthony Campolo, Ph.D.

Biography

Anthony Campolo, Ph.D.

For the past several decades, Dr. Tony Campolo has been a resounding voice of dissent in the evangelical culture, urging the church to transcend its myopic emphasis on moral correction and begin actively demonstrating the compassion of Christ to those in need. “I think that Christianity has two emphases,” he states. “One is a social emphasis to impart the values of the kingdom of God in society --- to relieve the sufferings of the poor, to stand up for the oppressed, to be a voice for those who have no voice. The other emphasis is to bring people into a personal, transforming relationship with Christ, where they feel the joy and the love of God in their lives.”

As founder and president of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE), he has worked to create, nurture, and support programs for “at-risk” children in cities across North America and has helped establish schools and universities in several developing countries. More recently, he collaborated with other progressive thinkers in the evangelical community to promote the Red Letter Christian movement, an alternative to the stereotypical alliance of evangelical Christianity and right-wing politics.

Dr. Campolo is a regular media commentator on religious, social, and political matters, having guested on television programs like "The Colbert Report", "Nightline", "Crossfire", "Politically Incorrect", "The Charlie Rose Show", "Larry King Live", "CNN Dayside", "CNN News", and "MSNBC News". He co-hosted his own television series, "Hashing It Out", on the Odyssey Network, and presently hosts "Across the Pond", a weekly program on the Premier Christian Radio Network in England. He is also a highly respected and sought after guest on radio stations across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dr. Campolo is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania. He previously served for ten years on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Eastern College and earned a Ph.D. from Temple University.

He is the author of 34 books, with the latest releases in July 2007, THE GOD OF INTIMACY AND ACTION, and November 2006, LETTERS TO A YOUNG EVANGELICAL (Basic Books). His other recent titles are SPEAKING MY MIND, WHICH JESUS (W Publishing Group), EVERYBODY WANTS TO CHANGE THE WORLD: Practical Ideas for Social Justice (Co-authored by Gordon Aeschliman, Regal), ADVENTURES IN MISSING THE POINT (Co-authored by Brian McLaren, Zondervan), THE CHURCH ENSLAVED (Co-authored by Michael Battle, Fortress Press), LET ME TELL YOU A STORY: Life Lessons from Unexpected Places and Unlikely People (W Publishing Group), THE SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS (Co-authored by Will Willimon, Howard), REVOLUTIONS AND RENEWAL (Westminster John Knox Press), FOLLOWING JESUS WITHOUT EMBARRASSING GOD (W Publishing Group), just to name a few.

Dr. Campolo is an ordained minister, has served American Baptist Churches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and is presently recognized as an associate pastor of the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia. He and his wife, Peggy, live in the Philadelphia area and have two grown children and four grandchildren.

Anthony Campolo, Ph.D.