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D. James Kennedy

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D. James Kennedy
D. James Kennedy, at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
Born(1930-11-03)November 3, 1930
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 5, 2007(2007-09-05) (aged 76)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
EducationPh.D.
SpouseAnne Lewis
ChildrenJennifer Kennedy Cassidy
ChurchPresbyterian Church in America
Congregations servedCoral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Dennis James Kennedy, (November 3 1930-September 5 2007), better known as D. James Kennedy, was an American televangelist and founder of the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was senior pastor from 1960 until his death in 2007. He began Coral Ridge Ministries in 1974, which produces the weekly television program, The Coral Ridge Hour, carried on various networks and syndicated on numerous other stations, and a daily radio program, Truths That Transform, heard on radio stations in the United States and also available as a podcast on the program's website. During his lifetime, Coral Ridge Ministries grew to a US$37-million-a-year non-profit corporation with an audience of 3.5 million.

As a result of a heart attack from which he never fully recovered, Kennedy last preached at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church on December 24, 2006. His retirement was officially announced at the church on August 26, 2007, and he died in his home ten days later.

Biography

Early years and family life

D. James Kennedy was born in Augusta, Georgia but moved to Chicago, Illinois, and later Tampa, Florida, in his youth, where he studied at the University of Tampa. On August 25, 1956, he married Anne Lewis, whom he met while working as an instructor at an Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Tampa. They had one daughter, Jennifer.

Education

Kennedy received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tampa and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary. After his ordination in 1959 he became the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, where he remained until his death. In the 1970s he earned a Master of Theology from the Chicago Graduate School of Theology, and in 1979 a doctorate in religious education from New York University. His doctoral dissertation was on the history of an evangelism program he founded.

Ministry and theology

Kennedy was an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, having transferred his membership there in the late 1970s from the Presbyterian Church in the United States. He was considered a conservative evangelical minister who was often involved in political activities within the Christian right and has been identified as a leader of the Dominionism movement. He wrote and coauthored several political works such as What if America Were a Christian Nation Again? and The Rewriting of America's History, arguing that the United States was founded as a Christian nation. Critics contend that he was excessively conservative on certain politically charged topics such as abortion and homosexuality. Kennedy started the Center for Christian Statesmanship, an evangelical ministry on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The Center awards a "Distinguished Christian Statesman Award" annually to high profile Christian political leaders. Past recipients include Tom DeLay, Sam Brownback and John Ashcroft. In April 2007, the Center shut down and was reopened two weeks later as "Evangelism Explosion International."

He espoused a traditional Calvinist theology. His theological works include Why I Believe, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born, Skeptics Answered, and Truths That Transform.

Kennedy developed the "Evangelism Explosion" ("EE") method of evangelism in the 1960s, which emphasizes the training of church laypeople to share their faith.

In 1971, he founded the Westminster Academy in Ft. Lauderdale and, in 1989, Knox Theological Seminary.

In 2006, the National Religious Broadcasters association inducted Kennedy into its Hall of Fame.

Founding of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

Kennedy founded the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1960. Its membership has since grown to almost 10,000. In February 1974, the church's present sanctuary was dedicated by Billy Graham. The large Fratelli Rufatti pipe organ has 117 ranks of pipes and is regularly featured on the television programs of Diane Bish.

In 1974, the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church began its radio and television ministry, which now has a weekly audience of 3.5 million people. The Coral Ridge Hour airs on more than 400 stations and four cable networks, including the Trinity Broadcasting Network, The Inspiration Network (INSP) and the NRB Network, and is broadcast to more than 150 countries on the Armed Forces Network.

The church is located at 5555 N. Federal Highway in Ft. Lauderdale.

Retirement and death

On the evening of December 28, 2006, Kennedy experienced prolonged ventricular tachycardia at his Ft. Lauderdale home, leading to cardiac arrest which deprived his brain of adequate oxygen for six to eight minutes. As a result, he sustained a loss of short-term memory and speech impairment. Despite several months of rehabilitation and convalescence, he was unable to resume preaching and his retirement was announced on Sunday, August 26, 2007, at the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church by his daughter, Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy.

In a statement following news of Kennedy's retirement, the church announced the development of the D. James Kennedy Legacy website in tribute to the life of the Christian evangelist.

Kennedy died in his sleep at home in the early morning hours of September 5, 2007. The White House issued a statement the following day, saying that U.S. President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were "deeply saddened" by Kennedy's death, calling the Florida-based televangelist and author "a man of great vision, faith, and integrity ... Dr. Kennedy's message of love and hope inspired millions through the institutions he founded...".

Kennedy is buried at Lauderdale Memorial Park Cemetery in Ft. Lauderdale

Notable issues and views

  • Same-sex marriage: Kennedy was strongly opposed to same-sex marriage and called for a constitutional "Firewall" to protect the nation from "counterfeit marriage."
  • Apologetics: Kennedy frequently claimed that if Christianity is not true then it is a massive fraud and hoax perpetrated by evil men bent on making the world a place where Christ's commandment to 'Love thy neighbor' reigns supreme, which is the antithesis of the criminal mind, and hence the theory that Christianity is a fraud is entirely incompatible with logic and human nature.
  • Constitution Restoration Act: a bill promoted during the 2005 Confronting the Judicial War on Faith conference that sought to authorize Congress to impeach judges who fail to acknowledge "God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government" and to limit the power of the federal judiciary to rule in religious liberty cases.
  • Creation-evolution controversy: Kennedy was a Young Earth Creationist and supporter of intelligent design who rejected the theory of evolution and believed that it "led to the death of nine million people in Nazi Germany.... The greatest mass murderers of all time all compliments of evolution," an idea reflected in Coral Ridge's controversial documentary Darwin's Deadly Legacy in 2006. Darwin's Deadly Legacy is based on the 2004 book From Darwin to Hitler, Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics and Racism in Germany by Discovery Institute Fellow Richard Weikart. The Discovery Institute is the hub of the intelligent design movement, and the Institute's Fellows are frequent Coral Ridge Ministries guest speakers. Phillip E. Johnson, considered the father of the movement, was a featured speaker at Coral Ridge Ministries' 1999 Reclaiming America for Christ Conference. There he gave a speech called How the Evolution Debate Can Be Won which was widely promoted by the Ministries' Truths that Transform.
  • Kennedy was a co-signer of the "Land Letter" sent to President George W. Bush in October 2002 which outlined a "just war" rationale for the military invasion of Iraq.
  • Kennedy sought to "reclaim America for Christ" in which government policies and laws would be consistent with evangelical Christianity. Many of his public messages on this topic focused on his assertion that the Founding Fathers of the United States were Christian and had intended to establish a Christian constitution.
  • Kennedy was a notable member of the Moral Majority political movement in the 1970s and 1980s.

Criticism and controversy

Template:Dominionism Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AUSCS, "Americans United" or simply AU), a religious freedom advocacy group, has criticized Kennedy's founding of Center for Reclaiming America for being "just another Religious Right outfit obsessed with opposing legal abortion and gay rights and bashing public education." AUSCS also says that "Kennedy's ministry has always promoted right-wing politics," and "it isn't uncommon to tune in to "The Coral Ridge Hour" and hear him preach against legal abortion, anti-discrimination protections for gays or the teaching of evolution in public schools." AUSCS also criticized Kennedy and his ministry for that it "frequently sends out fund-raising appeals." such as, "One recent letter asked for funds to stop PBS stations from airing a 'homosexual-propaganda program' called It's Elementary."

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has strongly criticized the neo-creationist documentary produced by the Coral Ridge Ministries Darwin's Deadly Legacy, which attempts to link evolution to Hitler: "This is an outrageous and shoddy attempt by D. James Kennedy to trivialize the horrors of the Holocaust. Hitler did not need Darwin to devise his heinous plan to exterminate the Jewish people. Trivializing the Holocaust comes from either ignorance at best or, at worst, a mendacious attempt to score political points in the culture war on the backs of six million Jewish victims and others who died at the hands of the Nazis." The ADL further denounced Kennedy as "a leader among the distinct group of 'Christian Supremacists' who seek to 'reclaim America for Christ' and turn the U.S. into a Christian nation guided by their strange notions of biblical law." The ADL's response also quotes scientist Francis Collins, who was cited in the show as supporting its views, repudiating it, saying he was "absolutely appalled by what Coral Ridge Ministries is doing. I had NO knowledge that Coral Ridge Ministries was planning a TV special on Darwin and Hitler, and I find the thesis of Dr. Kennedy's program utterly misguided and inflammatory,". Coral Ridge Ministries described the ADL's criticisms in a press release as "harsh" and "unfounded" while reiterating points made in the documentary, along with citing Scottish anatomist and anthropologist Sir Arthur Keith who the center cites as saying in the 1940s, "The German Führer, as I have consistently maintained, is an evolutionist. He has consciously sought to make the practice of Germany conform to the theory of evolution". Coral Ridge Ministries released a statement responding to the ADL's quote of Francis Collins saying he was misled in the documentary. According to the Coral Ridge press release, Collins had signed a "Talent release," giving the center rights to use his statements. The ministry also denied the assertion made by the ADL that Collins had "NO knowledge that Coral Ridge Ministries was planning a TV special on Darwin and Hitler".

Though Kennedy has hosted Christian Reconstructionists Rousas John Rushdoony and Gary North on his program he has denounced any attempts to link him to Reconstructionist or Dominionism movement as a McCarthyist technique of guilt by association, and that he does not approve of their theology. Dominionism represents the political theory which springs from Christian Reconstructionism. Frederick Clarkson argues that despite his denial, Kennedy meets the criteria for being a dominionist.

References

  1. ^ "Powerful pastor D. James Kennedy dead at 76". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. September 5 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. "Rev. D. James Kennedy, 76; pioneering Christian radio, TV broadcaster". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  3. Kennedy, D. James. "THE GENESIS, DEVELOPMENT, AND EXPANSION OF EVANGELISM EXPLOSION INTERNATIONAL, 1960-1976". DAI. 40: 1381. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |issues= ignored (help)
  4. Goldberg, Michelle (2006). Kingdom Come: The Rise of Christian Nationalism. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-32976. Roy Moore and Rick Scarborough are Baptists, D. James Kennedy was a fundamentalist Presbyterian, and John Edismoe is a Lutheran. All of them, however, have been shaped by dominion theology..."
    "As a multimedia empire, Coral Ridge Ministries is one of the country's most important popularizers of dominion theology     {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |chapterurl= (help)
  5. "The Rise of the Religious Right in the Republican Party", TheocracyWatch, Last updated: December 2005; URL accessed May 25, 2006.
  6. Lampman, Jane. "For evangelicals, a bid to 'reclaim America'". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2007-04-28. Frederick Clarkson, author of "Eternal Hostility: the Struggle between Theocracy and Democracy," says that if Kennedy was not a theocrat, "he is certainly a dominionist," one who supports taking over and dominating the political process.
  7. Center for Christian Statesmanship reopens on Capitol Hill Allie Martin. OneNewsNow.com, May 16, 2007.
  8. Evangelism Explosion International
  9. ^ "D. James Kennedy, influential Christian broadcaster, retires". St. Petersburg Times. August 26, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. "D. James Kennedy Retires From Ministry". Associated Press. 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2007-08-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy statement, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (August 26, 2007).
  12. "Dr. D. James Kennedy Retires: Founder and Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Steps Down from Pulpit with Rich Legacy of Faith". Coral Ridge Ministries Press Release. August 26, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. Dr. D. James Kennedy dead at age 76 retrieved 2007-09-05
  14. Powerful pastor D. James Kennedy dead at 76 retrieved 2007-09-05
  15. "President and Mrs. Bush Deeply Saddened by the Death of Dr. D. James Kennedy". White House statement. September 6, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. D. James Kennedy at Find A Grave
  17. "Dr. Kennedy Calls for Constitutional "Firewall" to Protect Marriage". 2003-11-19. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. "The Reverend James Kennedy". 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. "In Contempt of Courts". 2005-04-15. Retrieved 2007-12-07. The article discusses how the director of Kennedy's lobbying front was strongly advocating for the bill at the conference. Even though Kennedy was not present, it is ultimately his organization. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. D. James Kennedy: Who Is He And What Does He Want?, Rob Boston, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, April 1999 citing Kennedy's 1994 book Character & Destiny: A Nation In Search of Its Soul
  21. Excerpts from Lord of All, D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, Crossway Books, 2005
  22. Creation Defender D. James Kennedy Goes Home, Institute for Creation Research
  23. Solving Bible Mysteries, D. James Kennedy, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000
  24. What If Jesus Had Never Been Born, D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994, revised 2001
  25. Intelligent Design: Creationism's Trojan Horse Barbara Forrest. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Feb 2005.
  26. The Republican War on Science Chris Mooney.
  27. From Darwin to Design C. L. Cagan and Robert Hymers. Foreword by D. James Kennedy.
  28. Fearfully And Wonderfully Made, Sermon by D. James Kennedy. The Coral Ridge Hour, August 2003.
  29. "Impact Newsletter". 2005. Retrieved 2007-04-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  30. The Dover Monkey Trial Chris Mooney. Seed Magazinem October 1, 2005.
  31. Father of Intelligent Design Kim Minugh. Sacramento Bee, May 11, 2006.
  32. Reclaim America .org
  33. How the Evolution Debate Can Be Won Phillip Johnson. Truths that Transform.
  34. "Land Letter". Wikisource. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
  35. "Closing the Gap Between Church and State". 2005-05-18. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. "Megachurch pioneer D. James Kennedy dies at 76". 2007-09-06. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. "Moral Majority Timeline". Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  38. Boston, Rob (April 1999). "D. James Kennedy: Who Is He And What Does He Want?". Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  39. "ADL Blasts Christian Supremacist TV Special & Book Blaming Darwin For Hitler". Anti-Defamation League Press Release. August 22, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. "Darwin's Deadly Legacy: The Chilling Impact of Darwin's Theory of Evolution". Coral Ridge Ministries. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  41. "ADL Blasts Christian Supremacist TV Special & Book Blaming Darwin For Hitler". Anti-Defamation League Press Release. August 22, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  42. "Coral Ridge Ministries Answers Anti-Defamation League Blast Against New Darwin-Hitler TV Special". Coral Ridge Ministries Press Release. August 23, 2006. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  43. ^ "Coral Ridge Ministries and Orthodox Rabbi Reject Anti-Defamation League Attack on TV Special Linking Darwin to Hitler". ChristianNewsWire. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  44. ^ Shupe, Anson (1989-04-12). "Prophets of a Biblical America". The Wall Street Journal. p. A14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. Kennedy, D. James (1989-05-03). "Letter to the Editor 3". The Wall Street Journal. p. A19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. Goldberg, op cit
  47. Clarkson, Frederick (Winter 2005). "The Rise of Dominionism: Remaking America as a Christian Nation". PublicEye.org. Retrieved 2007-04-28. The Monitor story shows Kennedy manifesting all three characteristic of a dominionist: he is a Christian nationalist; he is a religious supremacist; and his politics are decidedly theocratic. But of the three characteristics, Kennedy would embrace the first, but deny the second and third.

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