Last week, the great historian of American religion (and especially Unitarianism), Conrad Wright, died at 94.
Conrad Wright was a distant hero to me, although a steady presence during my years at Harvard. We met in person twice and actually had lunch together once, but I was far too intimidated by him to seek his direct mentorship.
My doctoral dissertation on the covenant tradition is dedicated to him.
And just today, another extraordinary man and mentor, the Rev. Peter Gomes, has died. Peter, the pastoral heart of Harvard University, was one of America’s best preachers and one of the first people to give me the idea that ministers could — and should — pay close attention to the crafting of their persona. Peter was a character: I described him once as a cross between James Earl Jones and Bette Davis. I used to love seeing him walk down to the Divinity School with his walking stick, hat and cloak. The man CUT A FIGURE. But he was no mere dramatic presence, he was a brilliant scholar and fantastic professor. There will be none like him to take his place.
I owe so much of who I am to these two giants.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
And may flights of angels sing them to their rest.
Thanks for letting us know about their deaths. Conrad Wright was elderly and his death comes as no surprise. He is of that generation that is passing. Peter Gomes’ death is shocking though. I have used his published sermons for inspiration for years. He seemed from a distance to be in the prime of his life. I knew neither Wright nor Gomes but drew inspiration and knowledge from their works, which have been on the shelf in the minister’s office everywhere I have served.
Reverend Gomes was the person who first helped me to love the Bible, and taught me that it was possible to take scripture seriously without taking it literally. He gave every lecture in a three-piece suit and always carried a pocket watch. It was such a gift to have studied with him.