Dr. Paul R. Griffin, professor emeritus of the Department of Religion at Wright State, passed away on August 17, 2018 at Miami Valley Hospital after a long illness. He is survived by his three children, Kevin of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Jevon of Dayton and Felicia of Cincinnati, as well as nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and other family members, according to Griffin’s obituary.
Griffin taught at Wright State from 1988 to 2010. During that time, he served as a professor of African American Religious History, Chair of the Religion Department and the founding director of the African and African American studies program.
Griffin's academic story started at Wright State, where he graduated with a B.A. in Sociology in 1973. Afterwards, he went to United Theological Seminary, where he received his M.Div. in 1976, and then to Emory University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1983. He taught at Payne Theological Seminary for five years, where he obtained a full professorship and served as academic dean, until finally settling at Wright state.
His area of study focused on uncovering and preserving the distant African American religious past. He wrote two books on the topic: “Seeds of Racism in the Soul of America” and “Black Theology as the Foundation of Three Methodist Colleges: The Educational Views and Labors of Daniel Payne, Joseph Price, and Isaac Lane.” He taught courses at the intersection of religion and race.
When Griffin founded the African American Studies program, he “wanted it to be strong academically,” said Opolot Okia, professor of history at Wright State. The undergraduate program had a mandatory thesis and Dr. Griffin's hope was that his students would shine and be able to go on to earn Ph.D.s in African and African American studies, which was, at the time, a burgeoning field. He succeeded in this and students did earn their Ph.D.s through the program. However, the role of director of African and African American studies has been removed and the program has been consolidated under the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Wright State.
Griffin’s influence was not limited to Wright State; he was an active member in the Dayton community. In 1991, he was instrumental in starting a conference called the National Conference on the Future Shape of Black Religion, where he invited prominent figures in the field to give talks and open a dialogue about African American religious history.
Visitation and funeral services will be held on Friday, Aug. 24 at Greater Allen AME Church, 1620 W. 5th Street, Dayton, according to an email from Ava Chamberlain, Chair of the Department of Religion, Philosophy & Classics.
