A.B., Davidson College

B.D., Columbia Theological Seminary

D.Theol., University of Basel, Switzerland

Postdoctoral studies, Bonn and Goettingen, West Germany, Yale University, Duke University

 

Prof. William (Bill) Childs Robinson, Jr., Emeritus Taylor Professor of Biblical Theology and History (NT), died peacefully in his sleep on June 11, 2018, well into his 90s, old and full of years.   He is survived by his wife of many years, Virginia (Ginny), and their surviving son John, his wife and their daughter Lily.  Memorial Services will be held at Eliot Church in Newton, MA (date not yet set).  Notes may be sent to Ginny Robinson at 53 Crescent Ave, Newton, MA 02459.

 

Prof. Robinson became a member of the faculty in 1970. A specialist in tradition criticism, he translated The Exegesis on the Soul for The Coptic Gnostic Library, and has published on the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. He was among the New Testament scholars invited to work on the Nag Hammadi texts in 1973. During his time on the faculty, he had a keen interest in developing seminarians’ capacities for critical thinking in his Greek and New Testament courses.

 

“Bill was known for his sharp wit, his unwavering logic and his dedication to justice, mercy and righteousness in all its forms.  He was part of Patton’s Army and led a tank battalion across Germany in his youth; later he marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, Alabama. His participation in the life of the world was deep and enriching, and his service to the Gospel was demonstrable in his life and works.”

 

“I was privileged to be his colleague and friend. I even followed his career, in reverse. I replaced him at Andover Newton when he went into semi-retirement and when I was barely out of grad school. Later I took up a position at Perkins School of Theology, his former post before joining the ANTS faculty. His edgy humor, his no-nonsense honesty, his generosity, his authenticity will be sorely missed. May he rest in God’s repose.”