Leonard Sweet on Jeremiah Wright

Sweet and Wright

"Jeremiah has been a model for many preachers around the country (for) preaching and pastoring," said the Rev. Daryl Ward, senior pastor at Omega Baptist Church in Dayton. Ward was a top administrator at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton when Wright, 66, received his doctor of ministry degree there in 1990.

Wright, who retired last month as pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, recently canceled a number of speaking engagements, including three services at a Houston church on Sunday. He cited security concerns, including the safety of his family.

A former Marine and Navy hospital corpsman, Wright is known for "his fiery orations and his passion," said Leonard Sweet, a theologian and author who was president of United Theological Seminary the year Wright graduated.

The Rev. Mike Slaughter, pastor of Ginghamsburg Church in Tipp City, has compared Wright to the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. "Jeremiah was the 'angry' prophet who prophesized the demise of his own nation for forsaking God, the Torah and turning to idolatry," Slaughter, who studied at United Theological Seminary with Wright, wrote on his blog.

Obama, who was married by Wright and whose children were baptized by the minister, said in his speech on race last week that some of Wright's comments "expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country" and had been "divisive" and "racially charged." At the same time, Obama said he would not disown the minister.

***

And WELS is sweet on Sweet!

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, "the best seminary in the world" (Otten) is also sweet on Sweet.