The Hamrick Lectures continue a 325-year-old "tradition of welcoming [outstanding Christian] speakers from varied viewpoints," according to Mitch Carnell, the chairman of the lecture committee. Campolo, the author of 33 books and frequent TV commentator, earned his Ph.D. from Temple University. Having taught at the Ivy League’s University of Pennsylvania for 10 years, he is now professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University in Pennsylvania and associate pastor of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Philadelphia.

Campolo is a proponent of "Red Letter Christianity" ("RLC"). The name comes from the fact that certain editions of the New Testament print in red the sayings attributed to Jesus. According to Campolo, "social responsibility" is at the core of RLC. More specifically, he told the audience at First Baptist that "[i]t is the eradication of poverty which is at the center of Red Letter Christianity."

Like Campolo, Flowers was alarmed by the identification in the public mind of evangelical Christianity with the anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality crusades advocated by Protestant TV evangelists during the last quarter century. Their apparent alliance with conservative political figures was antithetical to liberal Christian leaders such as Flowers and Campolo.

By contrast, RLC is "…a manifestation of a realization that Christianity cannot be boiled down to two or three hot-button political issues [such as abortion and homosexuality]", said Flowers. "We are called upon to take care of our world in all its ramifications," he added. As well as world poverty, the environment and health issues (such as the AIDS pandemic) should occupy the attention of Christians.

"Faith", said Flowers, "calls upon us to look at a wide range of issues to which there are no easy answers; there might even be different answers."

Flowers is also careful to note the irrelevance of national borders. It angers him when he hears American politicians close their speeches with the phrase "God bless America" because of the narrow focus of interest which that phrase signals to him. Typical of RLC is the notion that Christians’ responsibilities are global. For instance, Providence Baptist Church is highly active in a wide variety of ministries worldwide.

Founded in 1996 on Daniel Island, the church has never been a member of the huge Southern Baptist Convention; instead, it is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Flowers calls its membership "rather diverse theologically and politically". He enjoys the freedom to articulate from the pulpit his views on controversial subjects, such as his 2003 denunciation of the largely American offensive in Iraq.

Taking positions on political issues has been a tradition in American churches since colonial times.

In keeping with this long-standing practice, Flowers asks, "As a nation, where do we want our money to go?"

In his lecture, Campolo decried the fact that less than 0.4 percent of the U.S. federal budget is devoted to the relief of the poor worldwide. The generosity of American individuals and private institutions is not enough, he said, noting "…we had to respond to the poor not only as individuals but we had to respond…as a society."

For Campolo, "responding as a society" entails governmental spending. It is this last point, namely governmental participation in charitable giving, which provides a flash point of division among contemporary Christians.

In the audience during Campolo’s lecture was Robert J. Brinson of Mount. Pleasant, the leader of the Adult Sunday School Fellowship at the Huguenot Church on Queen Street in downtown’s French Quarter. Brinson, who is personally acquainted with Campolo, considers the professor to be a sincere Christian; but, he parts company with the professor on the governmental participation issue.

"Caring for the needy," said Mr. Brinson, "should be left to individuals, churches and charitable institutions who can do the job much more efficiently and effectively than government." The long and sad history of diversion of humanitarian aid to third world strongmen supports his view. Even domestically, the comparison between private and governmentally administered aid in connection with the recent hurricane disasters has highlighted again the risk of reliance on government.

Even Campolo has elsewhere expressed misgivings about governmental involvement in Christian social work. In Adventures in Missing the Point, co-authored with Brian D. McLaren (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2003), Campolo wrote, "Religiously sponsored endeavors…have become so successful, in fact---have done more good with less money than, say, similar government sponsored programs---that the federal government has… become very interested in such faith-based programs."

Campolo is convinced that it is the Christian component that energizes the program; however, he wrote that he is "worried that many Christian ministries to the needy will eventually take federal dollars and gradually become dependent upon the government funding. Then, if the courts eventually require it… these ministries will have to abandon their religious emphasis…."

However, governmental spending is an inescapable issue for RLC, according to Flowers. He assails payments to Halliburton while domestic immunization programs go under-funded. "Where we [individuals and private groups] choose to spend our money is a moral choice. How our government chooses to spend its money is also a moral choice." RLC calls upon Christians to influence that choice in favor of its objectives.

The Rev. Dr. Walter G. Cook of Mount Pleasant, the Presbyterian pastor who dedicated Smythe Park last October, warned that over-emphasis on social issues can obscure the true and enduring essence of Christianity, namely the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

"The issues of the church are not the essence of the church," he explained. "Every generation has an issue…but, that’s not the essence of the church. You can go ‘off the deep end’ with social action and thereby forget that the cross and Christ’s resurrection are at the center of Christianity."

Flowers acknowledges the primacy of the personal transformation resulting from the Christian experience; indeed, it is that transformation which empowers individuals to undertake effective social action. To Flowers, RLC is not merely social activism in a religious cloak; instead, it is a manifestation of Christ-inspired compassion.

As the Book of James says, faith without works is dead.