Walter Wink, an influential liberal theologian whose views on homosexuality, nonviolence and the nature of Jesus challenged orthodox interpretations, died on May 10 at his home in Sandisfield, Mass. He was 76.
Wink was a very liberal theologian, and pretty smart in much of his writing and thinking. While at Holey Books we were not terribly familiar with his work, it seems to contain strains of thought that we have often written about here on the site: the Bible cannot be taken literally, that it would be morally wrong to take everything at face value (for this could entail bringing back slavery), and that we must be careful to parse the use of specific words in scripture. Wink also disagreed vehemently with the idea that Jesus would have been anti-homosexual. As a progressive and careful thinker in these matters, Wink will be missed.
