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Famous people—Tony Campolo

EFLsuccess.com

An EFL lesson for middle-level students

Jun 2025. eflsuccess.com ⇔

Warm up: Tell us one thing about your favorite teacher.

Note: Dr. Campolo was the Head of the Sociology Department at Eastern College, where Michael Krigline (webmaster of EFLsuccess.com) earned his BA in Sociology (1983). Though we saw each other only a few times after graduation, I’ve always considered Tony to be a mentor and friend. I am deeply indebted to Tony’s personal encouragement and contagious faith.

Tony Campolo

Underlined vocabulary terms are defined below, followed by discussion questions.

Dr. Anthony “Tony” Campolo (February 25, 1935 – November 19, 2024) was an American sociologist, educator, pastor, public speaker, author and presidential advisor. His Christian passion for the poor, and his humorous stories influenced countless lives, especially among college-aged Americans.

A native of Philadelphia, Tony spoke fondly of his multi-ethnic childhood. Walking to school as a kid, he quipped: the parents of my German friends called out, “Do you have your homework?”; Jewish parents said, “Son, do you have your books?”; my Italian mother called out, “Tony, do you have your lunch?”

Even as a child, Campolo had a keen mind. At age 14, young Tony met Albert Einstein after winning second place in the National Science Fair. He went on to earn degrees from Eastern College, Palmer Theological Seminary and Temple University. After teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, he established a career as Head of the Sociology Department at Eastern College (later Eastern University).

Campolo was popular for in-depth sociological insights, charismatic preaching and his animated stories. He was equally at home as a professor teaching sociology, a TV commentator discussing social issues (The Colbert Report, Larry King Live, Nightline, etc.), and as a prophetic preacher giving an altar call to 20,000 at a Christian conference. In the 1990s, he even became spiritual advisor to US President Bill Clinton.

Well-known for his commitment to the poor, Campolo also founded a nonprofit organization called the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education. EAPE worked in America’s poor inner cities and in several countries, including Haiti, from 1969 to 2014. Dr. Campolo said this passion started in childhood. Christian neighbors found a job for his destitute immigrant father and provided practical help to his family. “My mother and father saw in the way they were treated by a group of Baptists that this is what Christianity is about. It’s not about getting a ticket to heaven; it’s about becoming an instrument of God to transform this world.”

Many of his 35 books showed a knack for reaching young people with the gospel. Campolo stressed the Bible and Jesus’ role as the head of a loving community, calling young Christians to set aside many differences to work together for a better world. In 2012, Campolo was given a lifetime award from the National Youth Worker’s Convention, for his work inspiring young people. The award read: “As a result of Tony’s life of ministry and leadership he has left a legacy of encouragement and hope to youth workers and students everywhere.” Campolo once said that of all his accomplishments, none is more important than inspiring over a thousand young people to serve in Christian ministry.

Campolo was also sometimes criticized for confronting issues that divide Americans. For example, many Evangelicals are heavily involved with “politically right” causes (pro-life, traditional family values, support for Israel, patriotism, individual freedom). Campolo challenged Christians to be just as engaged with “politically left” causes (race, gender, poverty, environment, global injustice). Shane Claiborne, former student and fellow activist, said: “You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has influenced evangelicalism more than Tony Campolo in the last 50 years.”

The Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo, renowned sociologist and American Baptist pastor, left a legacy of vibrant, provocative teaching and preaching. Tony’s legacy will live on in the countless people he taught and loved into Christian ministry and service.

(See discussion questions and vocabulary below.)

~Which Campolo books should I read? For great stories, read Let Me Tell You a Story. College students found these classics fun to read: It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming, and The Kingdom of God is a Party. A Reasonable Faith and Partly Right are excellent, bringing in more of Campolo’s sociology/psychology insights. Many of Tony’s books can be found for great prices on Ebay.

Photos

Vocabulary:

(*key terms) [Remember: sth = something; sb = somebody. If a definition starts with “=” you should memorize this one-word synonym ; click here for common English abbreviations]

  • sociologist: a scientist who studies societies and the behavior of people in groups
  • *humorous = funny “When speaking in class or in public meetings, Dr Campolo told many humorous stories.”
  • to quip (usually “quipped”): to say sth cleaver and amusing
  • destitute = poor; having no money, food, home, etc. “Tony’s parents were destitute immigrants from Italy.”
  • charisma: a rare, strong personal quality that inspires great enthusiasm or devotion
  • charismatic: having great charisma
  • *evangelical(ism): [this term has a broad range of meanings, so use it carefully] to some Christians, an evangelical [positive term] believes that the Bible is the source of religious authority, and that salvation comes through a public statement of one’s faith; to many people, evangelical [negative term] refers to pushy attempts to persuade others to agree with your ideas or beliefs
  • altar: a special area in front of a church, associated with prayer and “connection” with God
  • altar call: an invitation to “come to the altar” to publicly admit that you have decided to become a Christian
  • prophetic: (1) as if presenting a strong, important message, warning or prediction from God; (2) indicating that a message is “ahead of it’s time,” or spoken before others start saying the same thing
  • *nonprofit (group): an organization that uses its money help needy people “People donated to Tony’s nonprofit to promote education, not to make a profit on their investment.”
  • gospel (the Gospel): the “Good News,” specifically the account of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and teachings
  • *politically left/right: used to express a range of political beliefs; the “left” is also called democrat, progressive, liberal, socialist, “big government”; the “right” is also called republican, populist, conservative, traditional, “limited government”
  • *convention: a large gathering (often a series of meetings) of people who share a profession or other interest
  • *legacy: a lasting affect; an ongoing result of sth that happened in history
  • activist: sb who works hard to bring about change in society, politics, the environment, religion, etc.
  • provocative: (adj) something that provokes/brings a response, i.e., will make people angry/excited or create a lot of discussion “Through provocative lectures, Campolo pushed students to discuss recent events from a variety of perspectives.”

Expressions:

  • *a native of [place]: refers to the place where sb was born or grew up
  • *to be at home: to feel very comfortable or confident while doing sth
  • have a knack for: have a natural ability to
  • to be hard-pressed to [find/do…]: to struggle with little chance of success “You’d be hard-pressed to find a better candidate for this job.” (i.e., she is the best candidate)

Vocabulary matching:

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’? 

1. sociologist      a. funny
2. humorous         b. a group that uses money to help needy people
3. destitute        c. someone who studies societies and group behavior
4. evangelical      d. a lasting effect
5. nonprofit        e. poor
6. convention       f. a Christian who emphasizes the Bible and personal salvation
7. legacy           g. a large gathering centered around a common interest

Video (optional):

If you have time, watch one of Tony Campolo’s videos. Here are some suggestions:

Discussion:

Are there any terms you want to ask your teacher about? (As always, please do not answer any question that makes you uncomfortable.) If you have a lower English level, ask your partner “content questions” which have answers in the text.

  1. Comment about how Tony’s childhood shaped his life. Or name one part of your childhood that left a positive memory or inspiration.
  2. Talk about someone who made a strong “first impression” on you (and preferably about someone you later had a meaningful relationship with).
  3. The author remembers Tony as brilliant, entertaining, fascinating, encouraging, exemplary, and supportive of his vocation in cross-cultural work. Ask your partner to pick one term (like these) to describe an influential person in their life. Be ready to talk about the chosen person. 
  4. Discuss the list of “left” and “right” political causes in the article. Which of these issues concern you the most?
  5. What role do you think religious groups/leaders should play in politics? Explain.
  6. Discuss what this Campolo quote means: “When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this – when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?” 

Still have time? Discuss some of these Campolo quotes from AZQuotes.com and Bookey.app:

  • “Rituals keep us from forgetting what must not be forgotten and keep us rooted in a past from which we must not be disconnected.” 
  • “Your past is important, but it is not nearly as important to your present as the way you see your future.” 
  • “We should never underestimate the power of a kind word or a listening ear.”
  • “One of the most startling discoveries of my life was the realization that the Jesus that I love, the Jesus who died for me on Calvary, that Jesus, is waiting, mystically and wonderfully, in every person I meet. I find Jesus everywhere.”
  • “A person is as young as their dreams and as old as their cynicism.”
  • “There are 2,000 verses of Scripture that tell us we must be committed to protecting the poor and the oppressed… There is no concern of Scripture that is addressed so often and so powerfully as reaching out to the poor.”
  • “Let us preach Christ, let us be faithful to proclaiming the Gospel, but let’s leave judgment in the hands of God.”
  • “Compassion is not just a feeling; it’s an action that leads to healing and transformation.”
  • “I propose that the government should get out of the business of marrying people and, instead, only give legal status to civil unions.”
  • “We should strive to build bridges of understanding and empathy, rather than walls of judgment and exclusion.”
  • “The Bible makes clear a basic truth that we self-centered humans find difficult to accept, namely, that the natural universe was not created primarily for us. There is no doubt that God wants us to enjoy it and even use its resources to optimize a good life for ourselves. But the ultimate purpose of creation is worship. Nature and all living things were created to glorify God.”
  • “In baptism, new Christians become part of a body of fellow believers who are called to spiritually encourage one another and hold one another responsible for consistent Christian living.”
  • “We must be willing to stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone.”

Sources include

For additional lessons on famous people, visit: https://famouspeoplelessons.com

Matching (answers): 1c, 2a, 3e, 4f, 5b, 6g, 7d

Original materials on EFLsuccess.com ©Michael Krigline, some rights reserved. Our resources were created for our students under the understanding of “fair use” for educational resources. As far as we are concerned, website visitors are allowed to print/copy these materials for personal or classroom use. For details, see our Website Standards and Use Policy. We also encourage you to visit Michael’s inspirational website: wp.krigline.com.

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