Man on a mission: The spring weather brought Brother Stephen back to Penn.

And to think, Penn students were just getting used to the peace and quiet. With a Bible in hand and crowds of students listening to his raucous sermon, evangelist Christian preacher Stephen White -- known better to Penn students as "Brother Stephen" -- revisited his old College Green stomping grounds yesterday. During his first visit to Penn of the spring, the flamboyant clergyman shared his views on religion, culture and morality with just about anyone who would listen. White, 36, first made waves here in the fall of 1998, when he began making his eccentric, one-man College Green sermons before large crowds of bewildered students. His remarks drew fire from a wide spectrum of the University community, many of whom were quick to characterize him as racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic. And despite his lengthy exodus from campus, White has not changed his act. Accompanied by wife Laurie and sons Philip, 2, and Wesley, 2 months -- both named after evangelical preachers -- White addressed large crowds all day long, debating with students and sending an occasional chant of "Whoremonger!" or "Fornicator!" out into the crowds of passersby. "I desire to communicate with students again," said White, who runs a campus ministry at Temple University and travels to universities up and down the east coast to preach his beliefs. "I love Penn!" For many students in the crowd assembled just outside of Van Pelt Library, White's preaching was a catalyst for theological debate. For others, it was nothing more than pure amusement. "I think Brother Stephen is definitely one of the more interesting figures we have around here," College sophomore Bill Groh said. "I don't think he makes anyone more likely to convert to Christian evangelism, but he does make people think and he stirs up some controversy, and I think that's good for this campus." "I think this is pure entertainment," College junior Dan Leberman added. "He is a raving lunatic. It's like watching television, like watching Jerry Springer." Despite the angry response his views sometimes elicit from audience members, White says that he will continue to preach at college campuses "in the name of Jesus." "They thought Jesus was a lunatic, and they think that because I want to represent Jesus, I'm a crazy whacko," he said. "But that's OK -- all prophets were considered lunatics." He added that he enjoys preaching at Penn and other Ivy League schools more than at other institutions. "I notice a complete difference at the Ivy League schools from the other schools -- a total difference," he said. "At least [students] here sit there and listen before they get all emotional." But students were not White's only opponents yesterday. Even University Chaplain William Gipson -- who has in the past led student discussions about the controversial preacher -- got into the act. "I actually became quite angry and agitated about a line of questioning directed toward a young woman in the crowd, in which he asked her very personal questions about her sexual activities," Gipson said. "I thought it crossed the line, and I lost control over my own emotions at that point, so I basically challenged some of his interpretations. "Most of his assertions are theologically unsound and sociologically corrupt," he added.

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