Peter J. Gomes
Encyclopedia
Peter John Gomes was an American preacher and theologian,
the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School
and Pusey Minister at Harvard's Memorial Church
—in the words of Harvard's president "one of the great preachers of our generation, and a living symbol of courage and conviction."
ni, Tikar
, and Hausa
peoples of West Africa
, as well as from Portuguese Jews through his Cape Verdean paternal grandfather. He was baptized as a Roman Catholic, but later became an American Baptist
.
After earning his AB from Bates College
in 1965 and STB
from Harvard Divinity School in 1968, Gomes was ordained by the First Baptist
Church of Plymouth, Massachusetts (where he occasionally preached throughout his life).
After a short tenure at Tuskeegee, he returned
to Harvard, where in 1970 he became Pusey Minister in Harvard's nondenominational Memorial Church, and in 1974 was made Plummer Professor of Christian Morals.
Gomes was a leading expert on early American religiosity.
On faculty at both at Harvard's Divinity School and its Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Gomes taught graduate and undergraduate courses—his History of Harvard and Its Presidents explored the interplay between shifting religious attitudes and changes in national (and educational) politics in America
—and served as faculty adviser of the Harvard Ichthus
.
In 2000, he delivered The University Sermon before The University of Cambridge, England, and The Millennial Sermon in Canterbury Cathedral
, England; and he presented The Beecher Lectures on Preaching, in Yale Divinity School
.
Gomes was also a visiting professor at Duke University
and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Profiled by Robert Boynton in The New Yorker, and interviewed by Morley Safer on 60 Minutes, Gomes was included in the premiere issue of Talk magazine as part of its feature article, "The Best Talkers in America: Fifty Big Mouths We Hope Will Never Shut Up."
Hospitalized after a stroke in December, 2010
Gomes hoped to return to Memorial Church in time for the following Easter
.
He died on February 28, 2011.
Speakers at his memorial service at the Memorial Church on April 6, 2011 included Derek C. Bok, a former president of Harvard University, Drew Gilpin Faust
, president of the University, and Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts.
In 2009, he represented Harvard University as lecturer to The University of Cambridge
, England, on the occasion of its 800th anniversary.
Gomes published a total of ten volumes of sermons, as well as numerous articles and papers. He was well-known for his sermons, particularly for one he delivered in the immediate wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a sermon poignantly referenced by Governor Deval Patrick at Gomes's memorial service on April 6, 2011.
He was author of two bestselling books, The Good Book: Reading the Bible
with Mind and Heart and Sermons, the Book of Wisdom for Daily Living.
The Right Reverend Lord Robert Runcie
, 102nd Archbishop of Canterbury
, England, ecclesiastical head of the Anglican Communion
said of Gomes's The Good Book that it "offers a crash course in biblical literacy in a nuanced but easy-to-understand style", which is also "lively"; Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
called it "Easily the best contemporary book on the Bible for thoughtful people".
His last work, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, included extensive commentary and observation on the interrelations of Church and State throughout history and particularly in recent US history.
In 1991 Gomes identified himself publicly as gay
though adding that he remained celibate,
and became an advocate of acceptance of homosexuality in American society and particularly in religion:
He maintained that "one can read into the Bible
almost any interpretation of morality ... for its passages had been used to defend slavery and the liberation of slaves, to support racism, anti-Semitism and patriotism, to enshrine a dominance of men over women, and to condemn homosexuality as immoral" as paraphrased by Robert D. McFadden in the New York Times (March 2, 2011).
Gomes was a registered Republican
for most of his life, and offered prayers at the inaugurals of United States Presidents Ronald Reagan
and George H. W. Bush
.
In August 2006 he changed his registration to the Democratic Party (United States)
, supporting the candidacy of Deval Patrick
, who was that year elected the first African-American governor of Massachusetts. (Gomes and Partick had become friends duriong Patrick's undergraduate days at Harvard.)
He was a former acting director of The W.E.B. DuBois Institute for Afro-American Research, Harvard University, he was past president of the Signet Society; and former trustee of Bates College, Wellesley College and the Public Broadcasting Service.
He was past president and trustee of the Pilgrim Society in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
and Pusey Minister at Harvard's Memorial Church
Memorial Church of Harvard University
The Memorial Church of Harvard University, more commonly known as the Harvard Memorial Church is a building on the campus of Harvard University.-Predecessors:...
—in the words of Harvard's president "one of the great preachers of our generation, and a living symbol of courage and conviction."
Biography
Gomes was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, descended from the FulaFula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
ni, Tikar
Tikar
The Tikar are a group of related ethnic groups in Cameroon. They live primarily in the northwestern part of the country, in the Northwest Province near the Nigerian border. They speak Bantoid language, also called Tikar. Their population is approximately 25,000.The Tikar have elements of...
, and Hausa
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
peoples of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, as well as from Portuguese Jews through his Cape Verdean paternal grandfather. He was baptized as a Roman Catholic, but later became an American Baptist
American Baptist Churches USA
The American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainline, although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its...
.
After earning his AB from Bates College
Bates College
Bates College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. and was most recently ranked 21st in the nation in the 2011 US News Best Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists...
in 1965 and STB
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is a graduate-level academic degree in theology.The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is offered by a number of Pontifical Universities. It is sometimes offered as a graduate degree, for students who have already completed a B.A. or other first degree...
from Harvard Divinity School in 1968, Gomes was ordained by the First Baptist
American Baptist Churches USA
The American Baptist Churches USA is a Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The organization is usually considered mainline, although varying theological and mission emphases may be found among its...
Church of Plymouth, Massachusetts (where he occasionally preached throughout his life).
After a short tenure at Tuskeegee, he returned
to Harvard, where in 1970 he became Pusey Minister in Harvard's nondenominational Memorial Church, and in 1974 was made Plummer Professor of Christian Morals.
Gomes was a leading expert on early American religiosity.
On faculty at both at Harvard's Divinity School and its Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Gomes taught graduate and undergraduate courses—his History of Harvard and Its Presidents explored the interplay between shifting religious attitudes and changes in national (and educational) politics in America
—and served as faculty adviser of the Harvard Ichthus
The Harvard Ichthus
The Harvard Ichthus is a journal of Christian thought and expression published at Harvard University. It was founded in 2004. It has featured contributions by notable thinkers such as Jim Wallis, James Schall, Stanley Hauerwas and Peter Van Inwagen....
.
In 2000, he delivered The University Sermon before The University of Cambridge, England, and The Millennial Sermon in Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, England; and he presented The Beecher Lectures on Preaching, in Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
.
Gomes was also a visiting professor at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Profiled by Robert Boynton in The New Yorker, and interviewed by Morley Safer on 60 Minutes, Gomes was included in the premiere issue of Talk magazine as part of its feature article, "The Best Talkers in America: Fifty Big Mouths We Hope Will Never Shut Up."
Hospitalized after a stroke in December, 2010
Gomes hoped to return to Memorial Church in time for the following Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
.
He died on February 28, 2011.
Speakers at his memorial service at the Memorial Church on April 6, 2011 included Derek C. Bok, a former president of Harvard University, Drew Gilpin Faust
Drew Gilpin Faust
Catherine Drew Gilpin Faust is an American historian, college administrator, and the president of Harvard University. Faust is the first woman to serve as Harvard's president and the university's 28th president overall. Faust is the fifth woman to serve as president of an Ivy League university, and...
, president of the University, and Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts.
Theology, theography, social advocacy and politics
Listed by Time Magazine in 1979 as one of "seven stars of the pulpit" Gomes fulfilled preaching and lecturing engagements throughout the United States and Great Britain,In 2009, he represented Harvard University as lecturer to The University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, England, on the occasion of its 800th anniversary.
Gomes published a total of ten volumes of sermons, as well as numerous articles and papers. He was well-known for his sermons, particularly for one he delivered in the immediate wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a sermon poignantly referenced by Governor Deval Patrick at Gomes's memorial service on April 6, 2011.
He was author of two bestselling books, The Good Book: Reading the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
with Mind and Heart and Sermons, the Book of Wisdom for Daily Living.
The Right Reverend Lord Robert Runcie
Robert Runcie
Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie, PC, MC was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991.-Early life:...
, 102nd Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, England, ecclesiastical head of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
said of Gomes's The Good Book that it "offers a crash course in biblical literacy in a nuanced but easy-to-understand style", which is also "lively"; Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching, research, and...
called it "Easily the best contemporary book on the Bible for thoughtful people".
His last work, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, included extensive commentary and observation on the interrelations of Church and State throughout history and particularly in recent US history.
In 1991 Gomes identified himself publicly as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
though adding that he remained celibate,
and became an advocate of acceptance of homosexuality in American society and particularly in religion:
I now have an unambiguous vocation — a mission — to address the religious causes and roots of homophobia... I will devote the rest of my life to addressing the ‘religious case’ against gays. Same-sex marriage advocate Evan WolfsonEvan WolfsonEvan Wolfson is an American civil rights attorney and advocate. He is founder and executive director of Freedom to Marry, a group favoring same-sex marriage in the United States...
described Gomes as an integral contributor to the cause of marriage equality.
He maintained that "one can read into the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
almost any interpretation of morality ... for its passages had been used to defend slavery and the liberation of slaves, to support racism, anti-Semitism and patriotism, to enshrine a dominance of men over women, and to condemn homosexuality as immoral" as paraphrased by Robert D. McFadden in the New York Times (March 2, 2011).
Gomes was a registered Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
for most of his life, and offered prayers at the inaugurals of United States Presidents Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
.
In August 2006 he changed his registration to the Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, supporting the candidacy of Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
, who was that year elected the first African-American governor of Massachusetts. (Gomes and Partick had become friends duriong Patrick's undergraduate days at Harvard.)
Honors and tributes
- 1998: Clergy of the Year, by Religion and American Life.
- 2000: W. E. B. Du Bois Medal recipient at Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
- 2008: Gomes and his family were featured by Henry Louis Gates on the PBS documentary African American Lives 2.
- 2010: Gomes gave the Princeton Lectures on Youth, Church, and Culture; Harvard University elected him Honorary President of the Alpha-Iota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
- Gomes served as trustee of The National Cathedral School, Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, as Harvard University trustee of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and trustee of the Roxbury Latin School and of Bates College. He was a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, and a sometime Fellow of the Royal Society of ArtsRoyal Society of ArtsThe Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
.
He was a former acting director of The W.E.B. DuBois Institute for Afro-American Research, Harvard University, he was past president of the Signet Society; and former trustee of Bates College, Wellesley College and the Public Broadcasting Service.
He was past president and trustee of the Pilgrim Society in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
- In 2007 he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth to membership in The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem.
- Gomes received at least forty honorary degrees at various times, including degrees from:
-
- New England College, Waynesburg College, Gordon College, Knox College, University of the South, Duke University, The University of Nebraska, Wooster College, Bates College, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, Trinity College, Bowdoin College, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, Colby College, Olivet College, Mount Holyoke College, Furman University, Baker University, Mount Ida College, Willamette University, SUNY-Geneseo, Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Ursinus College, Wagner College, Lesley University, Williams College, Virginia Theological Seminary, Morris College, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hamilton College, Union College, Tuskegee University, Lasell College, General Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York, Lafayette College, Augustana College, Westfield College, Washington and Jefferson College, and St. Lawrence University.
- 2009: Gomes gave the Lowell Lectures of Massachusetts. Named an Honorary Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge University (England), where "The Gomes Lectureship" was established in his name.
- New England College, Waynesburg College, Gordon College, Knox College, University of the South, Duke University, The University of Nebraska, Wooster College, Bates College, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, Trinity College, Bowdoin College, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, Colby College, Olivet College, Mount Holyoke College, Furman University, Baker University, Mount Ida College, Willamette University, SUNY-Geneseo, Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Ursinus College, Wagner College, Lesley University, Williams College, Virginia Theological Seminary, Morris College, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hamilton College, Union College, Tuskegee University, Lasell College, General Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York, Lafayette College, Augustana College, Westfield College, Washington and Jefferson College, and St. Lawrence University.
Publications
Gomes published numerous articles and papers, as well as at least a dozen books (some of them best-sellers), including:- The Good Book: Reading the Bible with mind and heart (2002)
- Sermons: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living (2002)
- The Good Life: Truths that Last in Times of Need (2003)
- Strength for the Journey: Biblical wisdom for Daily Living (2004)
- The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What's so good about the Good News? (2007)
- A Word to the Wise, and Other Sermons Preached at Harvard (2008)