Kimball, Robert C.

Robert C. Kimball (1928-) was president of Starr King School for the Ministry from 1963-1983, and Dean from 1963-1997. In 1959, theologian Paul Tillich appointed him as his literary executor, a position he held until 1987.

Robert C. Kimball (1928- ) was born in Rochester, New York. He married Lorna Jean Thomas and they have four children. Kimball received a BA in psychology from Oberlin College in 1951; an MA in philosophy from Oberlin Graduate School in 1953; a BD from Oberlin Graduate School of Theology in 1955; and a PhD in the history and philosophy of religion from Harvard University in 1960. Kimball was ordained in 1955 by the Medina Association of the Congregational Churches of Northern Ohio (now the United Church of Christ ). He also holds joint ministerial standing in the Unitarian Universalist Associations of Congregations. He served as minister of education in the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Cleveland, Ohio (1952-1955), and First Congregational Church of Hyde Park, Massachusetts (1955-1958). Kimball served as Lecturer on Religion and Mental Health at Harvard Divinity School (1959-1960), Professor of Theology at Starr King School for the Ministry, and member of the core doctoral faculty of the Graduate Theological Union of Berkeley, California (1960-1998). He was also President of Starr King School for the Ministry from 1963-1983, and Dean from 1963-1997. In 1959, theologian Paul Tillich appointed Robert Kimball as his literary executor, a position he held until 1987. Following Tillich's death in 1965, Kimball worked closely with Hannah Tillich, the executor of Paul Tillich's estate, concerning literary matters and the establishment of the Tillich archives at Andover-Harvard Theological Library. Kimball is the editor of Theology of Culture: Essays by Paul Tillich (1959) and the author of several books including Restless is the Heart (1988); Sanctified Violence (2004); A Chinese Lady and Friends (2010); and Dilemma: The Christianity Faith (2011).