Pilgrim: A Theological Memoir
By Tony Campolo
Eerdmans, 272 pages
Published February 25, 2025
Tony Campolo was a rock star in the evangelical world until, that is, his colleagues publicly tried him for heresy. In Pilgrim: A Theological Memoir, pastor and educator Campolo shares this fascinating theological journey from fundamentalist to social progressive … and possible apostate.
Campolo responded to altar calls in his family’s home Baptist Church, receiving Jesus into his heart and passionately participating in an evangelical para-church ministry. It all worked until he began to ask questions: were his Jewish friends from the basketball team really condemned to Hell? Did he have to reject the role of science in the evolution debate? Campolo emerged “with my very own theological conviction that God wants his children to cherish and use the amazing brain (God) gave us.”
This was just the beginning. Campolo rejected the racism of his family’s home church, and he discarded the evangelical world-denying eschatology in favor of an activism that embodied God’s kingdom in this world. He cast off a hardline anti-abortion stance in favor of a modified pro-choice position. He protested against the Vietnam War, welcomed women into ministry, and he followed the lead of his wife, Peggy, in advocating for the equal rights of LGBTQ people.
A renowned professor, Baptist preacher and author of 50 books, Campolo became a celebrity in scholarly and church circles. He was most well known, however, as a captivating and compelling orator. Because of his celebrity, Campolo’s socially progressive positions got him into trouble with evangelical colleagues. In 1985, prominent evangelical leaders charged Campolo with universalism, organizing a public trial for heresy. A three-judge panel (unaffiliated with any denomination or institution) concluded that he was not a heretic but insisted he clarify his positions in writing. The damage was done; several organizations dropped his speaking engagements and distanced themselves from him. Campolo was canceled. He continued in active ministry into his 80s, however, suffering a stroke in 2020 and completing this book just before he died in 2024 at age 89.
Campolo’s pilgrimage is fascinating, but Pilgrim is significantly wanting. Despite the subtitle, it lacks sustained theological reflection. Campolo reports his theological conclusions without fully explaining how he arrived at them. What was his process? What were his criteria for making judgments and drawing conclusions? What other voices did he listen to? How did God lead Campolo to take certain positions? At one point or another, did he resist God’s leading? Did he consider the costs of stepping outside the evangelical plausibility structure of his youth and career? We do not see in this book the struggle and suffering inherent in changing heart and mind. In this time of political upheaval and theological division, many people of faith are on similar journeys. A fuller explanation for Campolo’s move from fundamentalist to social progressive is needed.
Yet, there is much to be grateful for in Tony Campolo’s life. Dr. Campolo, thank you for sharing your pilgrimage. Thank you for the courageous changes of heart and mind in your life. Most importantly, thank you for your passionate and purposeful witness to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of your Master.”
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