Fingerprints of Robert Farrar Capon

Posted on June 3, 2009

Recovered audio | Jamie Howison

In his bestselling book Velvet Elvis, the writer Rob Bell says of Robert Farrar Capon, “Go out and buy all his books and read them immediately.”  The journal The Living Church called Capon “a joyfully outrageous Christian teacher”, while of his work The New York Times Book Review said the following:  “Theology, Capon says, is a word game, the most serious word game of all, and he plays it very well indeed.”

In the fall of 2000, my wife Catherine and I visited Shelter Island, New York to spend two days with Robert and Valerie Capon, talking about life and faith, and sharing great food and a bottle or three of good wine.  What follows here is the one hour in those two days which we committed to tape… the interviewer is admittedly a bit stiff, but Robert is in fine form.

There are three ways to hear this interview (runs 44:58):

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  • http://www.nathancolquhoun.com Nathan Colquhoun

    Joe Manafo said you had these tapes, I’m thrilled that you posted them. Capon has rocked my world book after book and I think I owe that to you because you mentioned it to Joe about Hunting the Divine Fox, and from there we jumped into his book on the parables and my faith as I knew it took on new life.

    So thanks!

  • http://www.thestory.ca joe

    thanks for posting this, jamie…

  • leonard

    “There is no condemnation to them who are in christ jesus…who walk not after the flesh but the spirit.”Rm:8:1. I am still waiting for him to explain the full text.or is this another 500 lb elephant.?
    p.s I enjoy all of his books-Yet!
    blessings

    • Jamie

      Glad you like Capon’s stuff, regardless of hitting these points of wanting to challenge him. I think he does need to be challenge, much in the same way his thought challenges those who tend to be quick with the condemnation switch. I also think that Capon would say that to walk “not after the flesh but the spirit” has nothing to do with moralism or even with behavior and everything to do with surrender.
      Jamie

  • leonard

    Jamie Yes!
    Surrender is the key, In fact it continues- when this is done the righteousness of the law is actualized in us who do so(Fullfilled=Satisfied-KJ)

  • Randi

    Hey Jamie, thanks for posting this – great stuff. It’s always an honor to hear the audio of Capon’s interviews.

    I am in the middle of a research project and would love to hear more about your time with the Capons. Do you have an email that I could use to contact you directly?