Tony Campolo, a progressive Christian leader and founder of the “Red Letter Christian” movement, passed away at 89. Known for his provocative style, Campolo often challenged audiences by highlighting their misplaced priorities, famously beginning speeches by juxtaposing global hunger with their reactions to his use of profanity.
Campolo, born in 1935 to Italian immigrants in Philadelphia, was exposed to prejudice and social struggle at a young age, which shaped his lifelong activism for the poor and disenfranchised.
As a Baptist pastor and sociologist, he began his ministry advocating for equitable housing and later founded the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education, which established schools and missions in underserved places such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Campolo coined the term “Red Letter Christians” to emphasize living out the teachings of Jesus, often printed in red in the New Testament. He criticized evangelicals for prioritizing conservative politics over social justice, urging them to embrace Christ’s message to serve “the least of these” as outlined in Matthew 25.
Despite his religious background, Campolo regularly disagreed with conservative Christians, pushing for progressive issues such as economic alleviation, racial fairness, and, later in life. He also served as President Bill Clinton’s spiritual advisor during the Monica Lewinsky incident and helped shape Democratic Party ideas targeted at reducing abortions through social programs.
Campolo’s bold theology occasionally led to accusations of heresy, though a 1985 panel of theologians, including J.I. Packer, cleared him of doctrinal error. This experience deepened his commitment to critique the church while calling Christians to uphold social activism alongside personal faith.
In 2007, he co-founded the Red Letter Christians network with Shane Claiborne to promote social justice and community engagement. Campolo encouraged young believers to remain devoted to the church despite its imperfections in his lectures and writings, especially the widely read Letters to a Young Evangelical.
Campolo is survived by his wife, Peggy, and their children, Lisa and Bart. He hoped his legacy would be the thousands of individuals inspired to pursue ministry and social action.