The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery has been at the fore of every major civil rights event or activist epoch since the 1950s. In 1955, he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and served as its president from 1977-98. He has worked to expand voting rights, increase minority employment and contracts and has led peace delegations to the Middle East. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, hailing him as “the dean of civil rights.” Ebony Magazine has twice listed him among the “15 Greatest Black Preachers.” Oberlin will be treated to his famous powers of speech at 2 p.m. on May 28 when he delivers the school’s 173rd Baccalaureate address.

In recent years, Christianity has become, unfortunately, politically associated with the religous right wing. How can spiritual revival lend itself to more progressive social activism?
The religious right has hijacked religion as a political tool and used it to affirm their personal beliefs rather than the teachings of Christ and the New Testament. [They] have used their concept of God — not the Bible’s — to affirm war, exploit the poor, equate prosperity with faithfulness and declare God to be the god of the empire. The Biblical God has consistently identified with the poor and oppressed, not the oppressor and the wealthy.

The religious right has been more aggressive in defining religion while the progressives have been tentative, indecisive and sometimes confused. The children of darkness are more vociferous, better organized, better capitalized and absolutely better televised...Their claims have been simplistic and cater to the prejudices and convenience of the gullible and undiscerning.

How is the interaction between religion and politics facilitated in general? It’s hard for some people to see why religion and politics would go together. Why and how do you see the two forces as working together?
Politics is the instrument by which we create public policy. Public policy impacts the quality of life for all and therefore, religion has a responsibility to advocate for the “least of these” as did Jesus, and for peace and for justice.

What do you think is necessary to a baccaluareate address that distinguishes it from other kind of speeches? What should its objective be?
A baccalaureate is called to challenge the graduates to translate faith into works, remembering that faith that is not rooted in love is contrary to the teachings of the New Testament. A baccalaureate charges listeners to apply wisdom and knowledge to the “common good.”

Can you tell us the origins of the SCLC? What were its goals, and how did it go about achieving them?
SCLC was founded in 1957 by Martin Luther King and several others, including me, and chose the theme, “Redeeming the soul of America,” as a theme. We chose direct action as a methodology to reach the conscience of the nation and those who claimed to love the Lord. Creative tension stimulated by direct action precipitates change in policy and attitude.

How do you see it continuing its mission in contemporary society? What should its next move be?
Non-violence is both a technique and a philosophy. We seek to defeat evil policy, not people. People we hope to redeem. We see war, poverty and exclusion based on race, color, gender and sexual orientation as moral issues.

Religion has played such a major role in both your personal and professional life. This is a little personal, so feel free to decline an answer, but what events, recent or historical, have acted as either a challenge or a strengthener to your faith?
Nothing has been more obvious in revealing issues of race — and love — in recent years as [Hurricane] Katrina. The poor were trapped by neglect and twisted values in the body politic. Yet, in the midst of this tragedy and in the middle of the southern way of life, we witnessed people turning to each other in ways that were totally amazing and unexpected!

How do you see Oberlin College as fitting into to a mission of mixing spirituality with activism?
In times of tragedy, with sound leadership, people can be inspired to serve the common good. Oberlin has a great history of progressiveness in race and gender liberation. It must continue.