A Magnificent Obsession: The Autobiography of William Ragsdale Cannon

Bishop Cannon's autobiography is a portrait of a life filled with constant action, the overwhelming majority of it in the service of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Cannon's style and substance are evident in the chapters of this book, which describe his early life--with its memorable and humorous stories--and through his education and formation and years as dean of Emory's Candler School of Theology on his way to becoming bishop. A Magnificent Obsession will be of special interest to aficionados of United Methodism and Methodist heritage.

(1916-1997) Bishop Cannon was appointed to the faculty of the Candler School of Theology in 1943, serving there for twenty-five years, fifteen of those as dean. He was elected to the episcopacy in 1968 and served in the Raleigh Area twice, the Atlanta Area, and the Richmond Area. He returned to Emory after his retirement in 1984.