Echoes of a “Simple Faith”: The Present Resonance of the Past Proclamation of the Reverend Edler Garnet Hawkins

Abstract

Though the Reverend Edler Garnet Hawkins was the first black professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, a critical figure within American Presbyterianism and the ecumenical movement of the church, little is written about him. This article attempts to change that by giving voice to his public proclamation as expressed through some of his sermons, lectures, and addresses. It highlights four major motifs embedded in his proclamation and concludes with some reflections on the relevance of his thought for contemporary times.