Why is the
publication of A Nation with the Soul of a Church important at this moment in history—that is, how does it
relate to today's news headlines or connect to contemporary questions or
issues?
I think the publication of A Nation with the Soul of a Church is
important at this time both for its vivid reminder of the strong influence of
religion on the public life of the United States
What drew you to the
topic of A Nation with the Soul of a Church? How does the topic relate to you
personally?
I was drawn to the topic of how Christian proclamation
had shaped American history by Praeger's commission to write a book on it. After
completing my long history of preaching I had not known I wanted to write
another book, but when I heard the topic I started salivating. It gave me a
motive for relating my interest in the wider topic to life in my own
society.
What did you learn in
the course of your research; what discovery surprised you the
most?
Writing the book certainly refreshed and improved my
knowledge of American history in general and taught me a lot about a number of
interesting clergy. I believe Bill Coffin was the only one discussed whom I had
ever met personally, but I had heard Billy Graham when he was just becoming well
known and, since I live near him, had even seen him in a local restaurant,
although I did not impose myself on him. I suppose the biggest surprise to me
was to see how the stories of the individual preachers had connections with one
another and together created an impressionistic history of American
Christianity.
What challenges did
you face in your research or writing?
The biggest challenge to me in writing was in living
some distance from a major theological library. I was fortunate in being able to
persuade the theological librarian at Sewanee, Jim Dunkly, to both tell me what
I ought to read and provide me with it.
What do you want
readers to learn from your book?
I think I would like secularists to be reminded of what
a force religion still is in our society and for Christians to see that not all
religious influences are for the good of society. I would also like folks to
know how much good really good people can do.
If your book inspired
one change in the world, what would you want it to be?
My book concludes with "an extra sermon at no extra
charge" in which I warn fellow Americans of the dangers of believing in American
exceptionalism. While I believe that our standards are some of the highest ever
incorporated in government documents, I am afraid that all to often we have
failed to live up to them, partly because too many of us assume we can do no
evil. Pride always goes before a fall.
Where might others
focus their energies in following on your work in this
area?
Because my book covers so
much territory, a great deal more could be discovered about each of its subjects
and the influence of their preaching in their
society.
What are you working
on now?
Right now I am revising a mystery novel I wrote in 1980.
It is set in a fictitious Episcopal seminary during the Vietnam War and one
seminarian who was a Medal of Honor winner in the war is suspected of murdering
a fellow student who was a flower child.
O.C. Edwards Jr., PhD, is a retired Episcopal priest. He is a former president and professor emeritus of preaching at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary at Evanston, IL, has cochaired the Faith and Order Commission, and served on the executive committee of the National Council of Churches. His books include A History of Preaching and How Holy Writ Was Written. With John Westerhoff he edited A Faithful Church: Issues in the History of Catechesis.
