The Collected Sermons of William Sloane Coffin, Volume Two

Book excerpt: Rev. William Sloane Coffin (19242006) for half a century stood as a force for progressive religion in America and in the world. He became famous in the 1960s, when he was chaplain at Yale University, for his very public opposition to the Vietnam War. He was indicted by the government in the Benjamin Spock conspiracy trial, marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr., was jailed as a Freedom Rider, and became one of the most forceful Christian voices in the Civil Rights movement. He then served as Senior Minister of the prestigious Riverside Church in New York City, where he inspired thousands and continued to be a powerful voice for conscience and change. He was the first president of SANE/FREEZE: Campaign for Global Security and lobbied for nuclear disarmament.