Posted on 01/21/2005 9:52:40 PM PST by Libloather
God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It
Jim Wallis
HarperSanFrancisco 01/05 Hardcover $24.95
Book Review
by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Read an excerpt on hope.
In a Nutshell: Many in America yearn for a fuller, deeper, and richer conversation about religion in public life and especially about the role of faith in politics. The major political parties, however, as evidenced by the Presidential election of 2004, have failed to articulate "the prophetic voice of religion." According to Jim Wallis, the Right has focused its energies mainly on sexual and cultural issues while ignoring the substantive matter of justice. Meanwhile, the secular Left has ignored the spiritual dimensions of social change and doesn’t seem to make the connection between faith and politics at all. The author laments "the public misrepresentation of Christianity" as pro-rich, pro-war, and decidedly pro-American. He proposes a "rescue operation" that emphasizes the values of love, justice, reconciliation, and community that Jesus and many formidable ancient and modern prophets have espoused.
About the Author: Jim Wallis, an evangelical Christian, is one of leading figures at the crossroads of religion and politics in America today. He is a public theologian, nationally renowned preacher, faith-based activist, and author of seven books. He is the founder of Sojourners, a nationwide network of progressive Christians working for justice and peace, and continues to serve as the editor of Sojourners magazine, covering faith, politics and culture. He is also the Convener of Call to Renewal, a national federation of churches and faith-based organizations working together to overcome poverty by changing the direction of public policy. For more biographical information, see our profile of Wallis in the Living Spiritual Teachers Project of this website.
Sum and Substance: During the 2004 Presidential campaign, Sojourner led a petition and ad campaign titled "God is Not a Republican. Or a Democrat." It's not that Wallis wants to take God out of politics; he is just convinced that the way faith is usually used in politics is not the way to go. He believes that, in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the religious community could help heal the wounds that have divided America and find a common vision by moving to higher ground.
In successive chapters, Wallis challenges both the Right and the Left with a new vision of faith and politics with substantive material on moving beyond the politics of complaint, spiritual values and international relations (a moral response to terrorism, the mistake of Iraq, the theology of empire, winning without war, peace in the Middle East, Micah's vision for national and global security), spiritual values and economic justice (what does the Bible say about poverty, breaking the Left/Right impasse, budgets are moral documents, what scandalizes God, faith and global poverty), spiritual values and social issues (abortion and capital punishment, telling the truth about race, family and community values), and spiritual values and social change (hope versus cynicism).
Drawing upon his long years as a social justice activist, Wallis sets a good example of what being faithful and being political really means. This book is highly recommended for church and community discussion groups.
Quotes to Go:
• "God's politics is never partisan or ideological. But it challenges everything about our politics. God's politics reminds us of the people our politics always neglects — the poor, the vulnerable, the left behind. God's politics challenges narrow national, ethnic, economic, or cultural self-interest, reminding us of a much wider world and the creative human diversity of all those made in the image of the creator. God's politics reminds us of the creation itself, a rich environment in which we are to be good stewards, not mere users, consumers, and exploiters. And God's politics pleads with us to resolve the inevitable conflicts among us, as much as is possible, without the terrible cost and consequences of war. God's politics always reminds us of the ancient prophetic prescription to 'choose life, so that you and your children may live,' and challenges all the selective moralities that would choose one set of lives and issues over another."
• "It's time to reassert and reclaim the gospel faith — especially in our public life. When we do, we discover that faith challenges the powers that be to do justice for the poor, instead of preaching a 'prosperity gospel' and supporting politicians who further enrich the wealthy. We remember that faith hates violence and tries to reduce it and exerts a fundamental presumption against war, instead of justifying it in God's name. We see that faith creates community from racial, class, and gender divisions and prefers international community over nationalist religion, and we see that 'God bless America' is found nowhere in the Bible. And we are reminded that faith regards matters such as the sacredness of life and family bonds as so important that they never should be used as ideological symbols or mere political pawns in partisan warfare."
• "The truth is that most of the important movements for social change in America have been fueled by religion — progressive religion. The stark moral challenges of our time have once again begun to awaken this prophetic tradition. As the religious Right loses influence, nothing could be better for the health of both church and society than a return of the moral center that anchors our nation in a common humanity. If you listen, these voices can be heard rising again."
• "The best response to bad religion is better religion, not secularism."
• "George Bush's personal faith has prompted a profound self-confidence in his 'mission' to fight the 'axis of evil,' his 'call' to be commander and chief in the war against terrorism, and his definition of America's 'responsibility' to defend 'the hopes of all mankind.' This is a dangerous mix of bad foreign policy and bad theology."
• "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is a nation approaching spiritual death." (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Reading that article, he sounds like a Socialist.
This guy is a typical liberal. I've seen him on a couple of shows, and he always makes sure to say that abortion and marriage are important issues, but not the only issues.... This, as well as the title about the Right Getting it Wrong, translates into him being a supporter of having Courts impose gay marriage/civil unions and abortion on demand on the entire nation.
And what this guy doesn't understand is that its not the case that conservative evangelicals are 'pro-rich' or 'pro-war', and that they don't care about poverty or justice, but rather that they are not willing to unconditionally surrender on the social and cultural issues like he wants them to do.
This gent was on Chris Matthews "Hardball" last night bad mouthing the President along with Matthews. He is the worst kind of Democrat failure. Wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. He thinks if we make nice with Muslim terrorists, and turn the other cheek, all will be okay. His way is the ticket of death for millions of Americans. What a waste of humanity!!!
Exactly I think his being Progressive trumps his being Christian at every point. His religiosity is merely window dressing for his leftist philosophy. Somehow I don't think my definition of an evangelical would be able stomach anything from Harvard Divinity School much less teach there.
A title destined to sell dozens of books.
Wonder if his idea of justice involves the quick execution of the Mumia filth?
If anyone were to write a book on the politics of God it should be Selwyn Duke.
See http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/duke/040913
Wallis' real faith is liberalism - not Christianity. The "Christianity" of folks like Wallis consists of the same melodrama of oppresser/oppressed present in all liberal dogma - a model derived from Hegel. That's what the term "justice" refers to.
Thus, the murderous thug that abducted a young Wal-Mart employee today bears no moral responsibility for his actions. He was a member of an oppressed group and therefore it was the victim, a member of the oppresser group, who unfortunately had to atone (by her death) for the centuries of evil committed by her ancestors. (Most liberals aren't honest enough to state the above position directly, but it is referred to in numerous oblique ways.)
Once a person is deemed (by liberals like Wallis) to be a member of the oppressed, they are completely absolved of all moral responsibility for their deeds. That's why murderous Islamic terrorists in Israel and elsewhere are referred to as "insurgents" or "rebels" - their actions aren't subject to any moral judgement, since they are simply reacting to the oppression of evil Americans, etc. Contrast that with the characterizations of American forces who open fire upon cars that refuse to stop at roadblocks, etc.
GOD (R)
The excerpts remind me of some excerpts I read from a book called Conversations with God some years back. Basically, the guy's "conversations" portrayed God in the Howard Dean model.
a nationwide network of progressive Christians
That's as far as I needed to read!
In layman's terms:
Psalms 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD: and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance."
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