Title

Interview #04 – Edward Robinson

Authors

Edward Robinson
James Gorman

Document Type

Video

Publication Date

7-18-2022

Abstract

Prolific historian of African American Churches of Christ Dr. Edward Robinson shares his life story in Churches of Christ, from Texas to Tennessee to Mississippi to Illinois. His journey began in the pulpit from a very early age. He moved to various places for education and then for teaching positions, but he always found a congregation to preach for on weekly basis. Robinson discusses continued racism within Churches of Christ and American society, especially as backlash against Obama, the first black president in 2008. He notes that 90+% of African American Churches of Christ he has known align with the Democrat Party in politics. He also explains that the gospel is not only about saving souls but also about social justice. He explains that Fred Gray sees many of the same issues he fought against in the 1950s arising again today. He criticizes the obsession with Critical Race Theory and the efforts to stamp out the full and truthful historical account of the nation. He notes that some among African American Churches of Christ have softened the traditional exclusivist stance in relation to the denominations, noting that this might have some influence on the overall decline in adherents.

Comments

This interview of Edward Robinson (Tyler, Texas ) conducted by James Gorman (Knoxville, Tennessee) took place on July 18, 2022.

Length: 1 hour

Additional files include an mp3 audio file.

Recommended Citation

Robinson, Edward and Gorman, James, "Interview #04 – Edward Robinson" (2022). Churches of Christ in the 21st Century Oral History Project. 4.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/coc_21stc_oralhistory/4

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.