Anthony Campolo Jr. (February 25, 1935 – November 19, 2024) was an American Baptist preacher, sociologist, author, and social activist whose dynamic ministry left a lasting mark on evangelical Christianity. Born to Italian immigrant parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Campolo grew up in a working-class family shaped by a Baptist mission that aided his struggling father, instilling in him a lifelong commitment to the poor. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Eastern College (1956), a Master of Divinity from Palmer Theological Seminary (1961), and a Ph.D. in sociology from Temple University (1968). Ordained in 1957, he served as associate pastor at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia and later co-pastor at St. John’s Baptist Church. Campolo’s career blended academia and ministry. He taught sociology at Eastern University (where he became professor emeritus) and the University of Pennsylvania, while preaching to hundreds of audiences yearly—up to 500 at his peak. His electrifying style, laced with humor and bluntness, challenged evangelicals to prioritize Jesus’ teachings on justice, particularly Matthew 25’s call to serve “the least of these.” In 1969, he founded the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE), supporting at-risk youth and establishing schools in places like Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In 2007, with Shane Claiborne, he launched Red Letter Christians, a movement emphasizing Jesus’ words (printed in red in some Bibles) over partisan politics, advocating for the marginalized.