A prominent liberal Christian leader, the Reverend Bob Edgar, died suddenly this week. He was 69. Edgar, a United Methodist minister, served six terms in the House of Representatives and went on to lead the National Council of Churches, where he was an outspoken advocate for the poor. He also campaigned against the war in Iraq and the use of torture, among other issues. At the time of his death, he was head of Common Cause.

Rev. Bob Edgar: “When eighty percent of the world lives in sub-standard housing, seventy percent of the people in the world can’t read or write, and fifty percent will go to bed tonight hungry, we in the faith community, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other faith traditions ought to address those issues.”