Background
Willimon was born on May 15, 1946 in Greenville, South Carolina, United States; the son of Robert Charles and Ruby (Steer) Willimon.
(In seven chapters, Willimon examines United Methodism and...)
In seven chapters, Willimon examines United Methodism and the ways it has made and continues to make a difference in his life. In an inspiring and enlightening way, he writes of his pride in being part of a church that has grown from one man's experience to a worldwide movement covering the globe with its message. A learning guide for groups and individuals is included. Chapter titles: Because Religion Is of the Heart Because the Bible Is Our Book Because Religion Is Practical Because Christians Are to Witness Because Christians Are to Grow Because Religion Is Not a Private Affair
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0687453569/?tag=2022091-20
1990
(This is a book for those who want to explore the meaning ...)
This is a book for those who want to explore the meaning of the gift of the Lord's Supper and its significance for their daily lives as Christians. Traditional concepts of the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion) are shared, revealing new dimensions. Reading this book may change your views about Communion. Written for laypersons, clergy, and seminary students, this book also includes a group study guide for each chapter.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0835804291/?tag=2022091-20
1998
(In Calling & Character, Willimon lays out a clear and com...)
In Calling & Character, Willimon lays out a clear and compelling picture of the pastoral life, one that will inform both those embarking on ordained ministry and those who have been in it for many years. He lays out specific habits such as study, collegiality, and humor as the day-by-day means of following the difficult and dangerous, yet deeply rewarding, calling of a pastor.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0687090334/?tag=2022091-20
2000
(One of today’s greatest preacher-theologians engages one ...)
One of today’s greatest preacher-theologians engages one of the twentieth century's greatest teacher-theologians on the meaning of preaching. Readers of William H. Willimon’s many books have long found there the influence of Karl Barth, probably the most significant theologian of the twentieth century. In this new book Willimon explores that relationship explicitly by engaging Barth’s work on the pitfalls and problems, glories and grandeur of preaching the Word of God. The Swiss theologian, says the author, expressed one of the highest theologies of preaching of any of the great theologians of the church. Yet too much of Barth’s understanding of preaching lies buried in the Church Dogmatics and other, sometimes obscure, sources. Willimon brings this material to light, introducing the reader to Barth’s thought, not just on the meaning, but the practice of preaching as well.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0687341612/?tag=2022091-20
2006
(Christ's seven last words from the cross have long been a...)
Christ's seven last words from the cross have long been a source of reflection, challenge, and soul-searching. These simple statements contain the full range of human emotions and divine self-revelation: grief, compassion, despair, forgiveness, physical need, the promise of redemption. In many ways they embody the core of the gospel. In this brief book one of today's most noted church persons and preachers confronts the reader with the seven last word's claim on her or his life. Written with the clarity, depth, and insight that are Will Willimon's trademark, this book offers afresh the challenge and grace of the message of the Crucified One.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0687464900/?tag=2022091-20
2006
(Love God with a warmed heart. Serve God with active hands...)
Love God with a warmed heart. Serve God with active hands. Lead an abundant life, grow as a faithful disciple, and find new avenues to serve. By studying the Wesley Study Bible you will share God s grace and find the good gifts God has for you. As God transforms you through study, you will be inspired to transform the world. Contributors from across the Wesleyan family join together to help you experience God in fresh ways. Special Features: Comprehensive study notes on NRSV text by over 50 biblical scholars Accessibly written life application and inspiration by over 50 key pastors Easy-to-understand explanations of core terms by over 60 Wesley experts, including: eternal life, forgiveness, grace, heaven, holiness, justice, and mission Extended reference to works by John Wesley 19 pages of full-color maps; cross references; and summary of each biblical book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0687645034/?tag=2022091-20
2009
(For John Wesley, the Bible is the joyfully consistent tes...)
For John Wesley, the Bible is the joyfully consistent testimony of God’s never-ending grace and ever-seeking love. Likewise, studying the Bible is more than merely knowing what Scripture says; it is also about living every day as a child of God. Beginning with the Core Terms found in the NRSV version of The Wesley Study Bible, Bishop Willimon systematically lays out key Wesleyan tenets of faith so that you will have a fresh way to hear God’s voice, share in God’s grace, and become more like Jesus Christ. This book can be used as an eight-week, small-group study. A Leader Guide is also available order #9781426708237 Let this book be your trusted companion to the NRSV version of The Wesley Study Bible as you grow to love God with a warmed heart and serve God with active hands.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426706898/?tag=2022091-20
2010
(No figure in history has received more attention, and bee...)
No figure in history has received more attention, and been less understood, than Jesus of Nazareth. Much of what has been written recently portrays Jesus as a vaguely kind and friendly person whose message sometimes pleases but never challenges believers. People might even be tempted to ask "Why all the fuss? What here is worth devoting my life to?" Very little about that Jesus is worth it, says Will Willimon. Yet there is another Jesus, the mysterious preacher from Nazareth who continues to invite men and women to claim the true meaning of their lives by giving their lives away in service to God and others. This Jesus continues to fascinate and compel us, in spite of all the attempts to domesticate his message and put distance between us and the call to follow. In his radical teachings, his self-sacrificial death, and his liberating life beyond death, this Jesus teaches and shows us the true meaning and purpose of our own lives.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426700288/?tag=2022091-20
2010
(Jesus defies simplistic, effortless, undemanding explicat...)
Jesus defies simplistic, effortless, undemanding explications. To be sure, Jesus often communicated his truth in simple, homely, direct ways, but his truth was anything but apparent and undemanding in the living. Common people heard Jesus gladly, not all, but enough to keep the government nervous, only to find that the simple truth Jesus taught, the life he lived, and the death he died complicated their settled and secure ideas about reality. The gospels are full of folk who confidently knew what was what—until they met Jesus. Jesus provoked an intellectual crisis in just about everybody. Their response was not, "Wow, I've just seen the Son of God," but rather, "Who is this?" -from the Introduction The church uses the concept of “Incarnation,” (from the Latin word for “in the flesh”) to help us understand that Jesus Christ is both divine and human. The Incarnation is the grand crescendo of our reflection upon the mystery that Christ is the full revelation of God; not only one who talks about God but the one who speaks for and acts as God, one who is God. About the Series: Belief Matters is a series of easy-to-understand books designed to show that by thinking more clearly about faith, persons can love God more fully, live with confidence, and change the world. Conversational in tone, these books are reflections on major theological topics and are suitable for individual or group study.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426757549/?tag=2022091-20
2013
(Pastors and leaders long to speak an effective biblical w...)
Pastors and leaders long to speak an effective biblical word into the contemporary social crisis of racial violence and black pain. They need a no-nonsense strategy rooted in actual ecclesial life, illuminated in this fine book by a trustworthy guide, Will Willimon, who uses the true story of pastor Hawley Lynn’s March of 1947 sermon, “Who Lynched Willie Earle?” as an opportunity to respond to the last lynching in Greenville, South Carolina and its implications for a more faithful proclamation of the Gospel today. By hearing black pain, naming white complicity, critiquing American exceptionalism/civil religion, inviting/challenging the church to respond, and attending to the voices of African American pastors and leaders, this book helps pastors of white, mainline Protestant churches preach effectively in situations of racial violence and dis-ease.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1501832514/?tag=2022091-20
2017
Willimon was born on May 15, 1946 in Greenville, South Carolina, United States; the son of Robert Charles and Ruby (Steer) Willimon.
Willimon received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wofford College in 1968. Three years later he was given a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School. William also earned his Doctor of Sacred Theology from Emory University in 1973.
He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Campbell University, Lafeyette College, Colgate University, Centre College, Albright College.
Willimon began his career as a pastor at Level Creek United Methodist Churches in Buford, Georgia and held the position from 1970 to 1971. In 1971, he served as an associate pastor at Broad Street United Methodist Church in Clinton, South Carolina.
Two years later, William became a pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and served until 1976 and also at Northside United Methodist Church in Greenville, South Carolina in 1980-1984. In 1984, William was appointed an associate professor at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina and held the position for twenty years. He held the position of the dean at Duke University Chapel in Durham, North Carolina in 1989-2004.
In 2004, he became a Bishop in North Alabama and held it for 8 years. Since 2012, William is a professor of the practice of Christian Ministry at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Willimon is the author of 70 books. His book "Worship as Pastoral Care" was selected as one of the 10 most useful books for pastors in 1979 by the Academy of Parish Clergy. Willimon`s books have sold over a million copies. His articles have appeared in many publications including Theology Today, Interpretation, Liturgy, and Christianity Today.
(In Calling & Character, Willimon lays out a clear and com...)
2000(This is a book for those who want to explore the meaning ...)
1998(One of today’s greatest preacher-theologians engages one ...)
2006(Pastors and leaders long to speak an effective biblical w...)
2017(In seven chapters, Willimon examines United Methodism and...)
1990(For John Wesley, the Bible is the joyfully consistent tes...)
2010(Christ's seven last words from the cross have long been a...)
2006(No figure in history has received more attention, and bee...)
2010(Jesus defies simplistic, effortless, undemanding explicat...)
2013(Love God with a warmed heart. Serve God with active hands...)
2009
Quotations:
"Preaching that is boring is preaching that talks first about us and then only tangentially about God. Preaching that is faithful is preaching that talks first about God and then only secondarily and derivatively talks about us. The God of Scripture is so much more interestingly than we are".
"To speak the gospel skillfully without attempting to perform the gospel is a false proclamation of the gospel".
"We are better givers than getters, not because we are generous people, but because we are proud, arrogant people. The Christmas story-the one according to Luke, not Dickens-is not about how blessed it is to be givers but about how essential it is to see ourselves as receivers".
Willimon is a member of North America Academy of Liturgy and Phi Beta Kappa Society.
On June 7, 1969 William Willimon married Patricia Parker. They have 2 children.
