William Sloane Coffin is a progressive Christian who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of universal civil and human rights and international peace. He was one of seven "Freedom Riders" arrested during the civil rights movement and was an early opponent of the Vietnam War. He was for many years the senior minister of Riverside Church in New York City. During the 1980s he was a leader in the movement against nuclear weapons as president of the SANE/FREEZE campaign for global security.
This informative 52-minute documentary presents an overview of his feisty lover's quarrel with America. The filmmakers present tributes to Coffin by his friends Arthur Miller, James Carroll, Susannah Heschel, and Robert and Sally Benton. They characterize him as a man of incredible energy, intellectual prowess, charisma, and zeal for standing up for what is right. But what is most poignant is Coffin's commitment to justice. He points out that the real "Axis of Evil" is environmental degradation, pandemic poverty, and a world awash with weapons. He calls upon Christian congregations to wage war against global poverty and to join with people of other religions around the world in advocating global nuclear disarmament.
Near the end of this documentary, Coffin remembers that his son once ended a letter to him with the capacious phrase, "Lots of hope!" That's a perfect summation of this American prophet's life and ministry.
