People

Biblical scholar Cain Hope Felder dies at 76

Cain Hope Felder, whose scholarship challenged Eurocentric interpretations of the Bible, died of cancer October 1 in Mobile, Ala­bama. He was 76.

A native of Aiken, South Caro­lina, Felder grew up in segregated Bos­ton neighborhoods. He spent 35 years teaching at his alma mater, Howard Uni­­versity, reaching generations of church leaders. He also spent years arguing that the United Methodist Church needed to uproot itself from racial discrimination. After retiring, he left the denomination over the issue.

From 1969 to 1972, Felder was a presence in the civil rights movement as the first executive director of Black Meth­odists for Church Renewal, a caucus within the UMC.