Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty Defends Rev. Wright

by oregonkcg, Wed Mar 26, 2008 at 11:50:35 AM EDT

This is simply must-reading for any fair-minded person interested in the full Jeremiah Wright story. There are very, very few people in American religious life as respected as Martin Marty, few scholars as learned, few Christians as sincere. He has been a professor of religious history at the University of Chicago for 35 years, one of the greatest universities in the world. If you do not know of him, here his is Wikipedia page and his own home-page. More here. I have never met the man but I have read a fraction of his over 5,000 articles, was deeply informed by his masterful Fundamentalism Project (co-edited with Scott Appleby) for The Conservative Soul, and know of few more distinguished, principled or decent public figures. Along with Barack Obama, he will not disown Jeremiah Wright, or Trinity United Church of Christ, where he attended services and listened to many Wright sermons.

Read his full defense of Wright in the Chronicle of Higher Education. You will learn this:

In the early 1960s, at a time when many young people were being radicalized by the Vietnam War, Wright left college and volunteered to join the United States Marine Corps. After three years as a marine, he chose to serve three more as a naval medical technician, during which time he received several White House commendations. He came to Chicago to study not long after Martin Luther King Jr.'s murder in 1968, the U.S. bombing campaign in Cambodia in 1969, and the shooting of students at Kent State University in 1970.

This is a man the Fox News right calls an anti-American, a former marine who volunteered to serve his country in a war he opposed. Marty does not excuse some of the indefensible comments of Wright that have now been bludgeoned into our consciousness to the exclusion of all else. And those comments should not be excused. And they have not been excused by Obama. But Marty does say this:

The four S's charged against Wright -- segregation, separatism, sectarianism, and superiority -- don't stand up, as countless visitors can attest. I wish those whose vision has been distorted by sermon clips could have experienced what we and our white guests did when we worshiped there: feeling instantly at home.

Yes, while Trinity is "unapologetically Christian," as the second clause in its motto affirms, it is also, as the other clause announces, "unashamedly black." From its beginning, the church has made strenuous efforts to help black Christians overcome the shame they had so long been conditioned to experience. That its members and pastor are, in their own term, "Africentric" should not be more offensive than that synagogues should be "Judeocentric" or that Chicago's Irish parishes be "Celtic-centric." Wright and colleagues insist that no hierarchy of races is involved. People do not leave Trinity ready to beat up on white people; they are charged to make peace.

Read the whole thing. It matters. Because the truth matters. Because in these matters, Martin Marty is a far more reliable guide to it than Sean Hannity.

Tags: Martin Marty, religion, Reverend Wright (all tags)

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24 Comments

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Martin Marty?

I bet he wears a fur coat!

by Bob Johnson 2008-03-26 11:51AM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty Defends Rev.

And hates Italians too!

by cmugirl90 2008-03-26 11:55AM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty makes excuses

This is just like the Catholic Bishops closing ranks and defending priests pedophiliacs because when they weren't molesting alter boys they were warm generous and loving christians.

Martin Marty should be ashamed of himself.

by Caliman 2008-03-26 12:01PM | 0 recs
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Yeah!

Martin Marty and Reverend Wright probably molest boys together!

(Is that your point?)

by Bob Johnson 2008-03-26 12:04PM | 0 recs
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the comment attacking Wright

was so wrong.

People can disagree over some of Wright's comments, but to compare him to a pedophile priest is obscene.  

The hate by some on both sides helps McCain.

by TomP 2008-03-26 12:06PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty makes excuses

Wright is bigot. Defending him as a warm and welcoming christian is no different than how the Catholic Bishops first defended pedophiliac priests.

Wright needs to be condemned, not condoned.

Martin Marty is just shameful in defending someone who needs to be condemned.

by Caliman 2008-03-26 12:10PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty makes excuses
Wow, your comment is wrong on so many levels. You should be ashamed.
by oregonkcg 2008-03-26 12:18PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty

Rev Wright is a thologian which means that he teaches thru the bible.  I believe that Rev Wright means well when he talks about how white people rule the US in his sermons, because he also talks about how the black people can overcome this by being good christians.  In other words he is saying to black people we shall overcome which means that no matter how bleak things seem, or however unempowered you may feel believing in Christ and following the lord, black people will overcome.  He rants and raves on social inequalities, but in the end he is saying trust in God.  I think that Rev Wright went overboard in his comments in some of his sermons, but this is how he and other AA pastors have preached for generations.  There is some truth to what he preaches.  We did bomb Japan when the war was already over.  We did not have to do it.  America did let the aids epidemic rage in Africa without sending any help for years.  The US did turn their back on thousands of AAs with aids.  We do not do enough to help poor AA communities who have high unemployment among AA males which leads to drug wars and violence.

by Spanky 2008-03-26 12:42PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian

Rev Wright is a thologian which means that he teaches thru the bible.  I believe that Rev Wright means well when he talks about how white people rule the US in his sermons, because he also talks about how the black people can overcome this by being good christians.  In other words he is saying to black people we shall overcome which means that no matter how bleak things seem, or however unempowered you may feel believing in Christ and following the lord, black people will overcome.  He rants and raves on social inequalities, but in the end he is saying trust in God.  I think that Rev Wright went overboard in his comments in some of his sermons, but this is how he and other AA pastors have preached for generations.  There is some truth to what he preaches.  We did bomb Japan when the war was already over.  We did not have to do it.  America did let the aids epidemic rage in Africa without sending any help for years.  The US did turn their back on thousands of AAs with aids.  We do not do enough to help poor AA communities who have high unemployment among AA males which leads to drug wars and violence.

by Spanky 2008-03-26 12:43PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty makes excuses

wow...that was just all kinds of wrong.

by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner 2008-03-26 12:14PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty makes excuses

Hate and despise Wright if you want to, and condemn Obama by association if you must.

But denouncing the US government, in however offensive of terms, is not even similar or in the same ball park, or the same stratosphere as raping children.

Give me a freaking break!

by vadasz 2008-03-26 12:53PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty makes excuses

So, now not only are Wright and Obama simply unacceptable, as well as every attendee of TUCC (especially those that cheered at the controversial remarks), but now any religious figure that defends Wright is also completely unacceptable??

by LandStander 2008-03-26 02:09PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty Defends Rev.

I am not familiar with Mr. Marty's work but this defense is very qualified. The bulk of it is a character witness, of the sort one would read from people defending Jerry Falwell or John Hagee. Each of these religious leaders has no doubt done good works, and their sermons are inspired by the bible, but they each present views that are condemnable.

Note Marty's closing line: "reserving the right to offer more criticisms".

by souvarine 2008-03-26 12:30PM | 0 recs
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Yeah, he's just like the Catholic bishops

... protecting the pedophile priests, as Caliman notes, above, and you recommended.

by Bob Johnson 2008-03-26 12:47PM | 0 recs
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Re: Yeah, he's just like the Catholic bishops

Catholic Bishops did close ranks, and that was a disgraceful if rational reaction. Caliman's parallel, while extreme, was neither lacking content nor trolling. It didn't deserve a 0 and I couldn't honestly rate it as "troll".

by souvarine 2008-03-26 01:18PM | 0 recs
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Re: Yeah, he's just like the Catholic bishops

What, like Hillary's campaign is closing ranks to defend her about her Tuzla story?  JUST LIKE RAPING KIDS!

See how retarded it sounds?

by furiousxgeorge 2008-03-26 01:26PM | 0 recs
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Re: Yeah, he's just like the Catholic bishops

Nice to see you do know that the Tuzla story is BS. The parallel is in the closing ranks around an offender, not in the offense. The parallel of Wright to pedophiles was Bob's contribution to the conversation.

But yeah, Obama's grandmother is like Rev. Wright, or Ferraro is like Rev. Wright does sound pretty retarded.

by souvarine 2008-03-26 01:33PM | 0 recs
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Listen up morons

Especially you knowvox, who 0 rated me while putting a 2 on the original comparison...

THERE IS NO COMPARISON BETWEEN DEFENDING CHILD RAPISTS AND DEFENDING ANYONE FOR SAYING SOMETHING MEAN, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU DISLIKE WHAT THEY SAY.

0 me again for pointing that out and I will take it to the admins.

by furiousxgeorge 2008-03-26 01:41PM | 0 recs
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Re: Listen up morons

Go for it, furiousxgeorge, you take knowvox's to the admins and I'll take your 0 rating.

by souvarine 2008-03-26 03:39PM | 0 recs
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Re: Listen up morons

And as I'm not equating people with a pedophile I think I'll come out on top.

by furiousxgeorge 2008-03-26 05:47PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin

Rev Wright is a thologian which means that he teaches thru the bible.  I believe that Rev Wright means well when he talks about how white people rule the US in his sermons, because he also talks about how the black people can overcome this by being good christians.  In other words he is saying to black people we shall overcome which means that no matter how bleak things seem, or however unempowered you may feel believing in Christ and following the lord, black people will overcome.  He rants and raves on social inequalities, but in the end he is saying trust in God.  I think that Rev Wright went overboard in his comments in some of his sermons, but this is how he and other AA pastors have preached for generations.  There is some truth to what he preaches.  We did bomb Japan when the war was already over.  We did not have to do it.  America did let the aids epidemic rage in Africa without sending any help for years.  The US did turn their back on thousands of AAs with aids.  We do not do enough to help poor AA communities who have high unemployment among AA males which leads to drug wars and violence.

by Spanky 2008-03-26 12:44PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin

I meant the US turned their backs on thousands of africans for years, not AAs.

by Spanky 2008-03-26 12:49PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty Defends Rev.

Yeah, Wright is an ideal role model. He isn't a racist. We all need hearing aids or something.

by Fleaflicker 2008-03-26 02:53PM | 0 recs
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Re: Esteemed Theologian Martin Marty Defends Rev.

Just a note, Martin Marty is not as much a theologian as an expert in religion

by CardBoard 2008-03-26 03:36PM | 0 recs

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