A book that gives much hope to those wanting to make a differenceNovember 10, 2008 Jim Wallis does it again with another great book. It is filled with much hope for those that are wanting to utilize their life to make a difference in our day.
I agree with this book's authorOctober 1, 2008 I agree with this book's author. It is very nice to see that there are some Christians who care about making the world we are living in a better place. I find it very ironic that North America's evangelical Christians generally have been among the strongest supporters of right-wing governments, when right-wing governments have not shown any evidence of caring about poverty, the environment, or other quality of life issues. I was very pleased to see that Jim Wallis is a Christian who DOES care about quality of life issues.
The Great AwakeningJune 24, 2008 Finally, there is an evangelical who is not bent on ramming his faith down my throat. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because Jim Wallis speaks with common sense and wants to say that evangelicals are as sick of the religious right as the rest of us are. The religious right politicized religion to the detriment of us all.
But that being said, he is not promoting left wing or right wing policies. Instead, he wants to prote a non-political agenda where Christians actually do something for all society rather than simply push a political agenda that says the right is right and anyone else is wrong. Jim Wallis is articulate and persuasive. If there is one flaw to the book it is that he repeats himself way too much. I kept wanting to tell Jim "I get the point, now move on," but he continuously belabors his middle-of-the-road, the-time-for-action-is-now message.
But this is still an important book from an important theologian. He name drops a bit (most notably U2's Bono) but he clearly is elated that the religious right has lost its deathgrip on American politics. Now maybe common sense will take over and we can have a religious experience we can be proud of rather than divided into camps of those in power and those out of it.
Prophetic Christian PoliticsJune 22, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Israel's history reveals that after national politics began with the establishment of the monarchy, God ordained the prophets. In this book, Jim Wallis reminds us of government's role to promote the common good of the many, not just of the few.
The seven issues that he covers are surprisingly balanced. I read the book looking for any hint of pro-Democrat or anti-Republican bias as my conservative friends charge Wallis of. I found none, aside from in the chapter (10) on war and peace, in unsurprisingly. Wallis praised both parties for the good they have worked for and criticized them both for their blunders and shortcomings. He makes it clear that another way of doing politics is desperately needed in the U.S. and that people of faith are poised at this time to lead that move.
The book was less political and less theological than I expected. It read very easily with appropriate anecdotes from Wallis' life that increased his credibility. There was also a good bit of history incorporated throughout. The name comes from the first and second Great Awakenings in U.S. history, which were led by Christians - the second which spawned the term "evangelical" for their involvement in social change/justice.
With the book having come out in February 2008, before Super Tuesday, I am left wanting to hear more of his opinion of Obama and McCain. I expect him to call them both to a higher and more complete version of what God has in mind for all his children. Ultimately, it will take individual Christians working in their corners of the world to love their neighbors through their individual efforts, collectively through churches, privately through businesses and publicly through all levels of government.
Headed in the RIght Direction, But Still Doesn't Get ItJune 10, 2008 6 out of 12 found this review helpful
I tried really hard to read Willis' Book all the way through. I agree with his basic premise. I see signs that Christians from many different backgrounds are on the verge of a new consensus --- not just conservatives and liberals, but high and low church, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant, liturgical and Charismatic, including different denominational traditions from across the entire spectrum. In fact, what I believe that when it comes this work of God will be more than just another awakening. The church is going to experience a fundamental transformation more significant than any since the Protestant reformation. I agree with Willis. The new consensus will not just be spiritual. It will give birth to a new prophetic political vision.
However, I could not struggle through the entire book. It is so permeated with unexamined liberal assumptions, that I just could not force myself to finish. Rather than promoting consensus, the book may actually hindrance the process. Willis promotes living with the poor as essential to developing a more effective and compassionate program for the elimination of poverty. (I agree with him.)
However, I wonder how often he has tried to live and worship with most genuinely passionate and evangelical Christians in our country. His understand seems to have been formed by academic dialogues with his conservative counterparts, rather than by living and worshiping with their conservative constituents. He appears to be totally insensitive to the concerns this segment of the Christian community. It is hard to find a page where he doesn't say something to offend them. He's not being prophetic, because it is obvious that he is so out of touch, that he is often not even aware when he is offending.
For example, he begins his chapter on climate change, by relating a discussion he had with his daughter. She asked him about Global warming. He told her it was a proven fact that the earth was getting warmer, primarily due to the activities of mankind. He is obviously not even aware that many Christians would find this assertion troubling. Not for the normal conservative reasons (which is often based on nothing other than corporate greed and denial), but for theological reasons. His unexamined acceptance of liberal thinking is a problem that gets in the way of consensus.
I don't deny that the earth is getting warmer. Most thinking conservatives (religious or otherwise) no longer deny that the earth is getting warmer. Likewise, I don't deny that our current level of technology and worldwide development is having a measurable impact on the environment. But to say man is primarily responsible is arrogant. It's hubris. It comes close to being idolatry. It offends on some level any Christian that takes seriously the proposition that God is still in control.
There is good archeological evidence that climate change has affected the rise and fall of civilizations over the entire history of mankind. Even where those civilizations had little or no impact on causing climate charge, there is evidence that human activity hastened the fall of several civilization because of their inability to change their agricultural or technological methods to adjusting to the changing climate.
If we encourage the notion that man is primarily responsible then it encourages the mistake notion that man can totally stop global warming. From a policy perspective, it falls into the trap of assigning blame, rather than promoting comprehensive solutions. Just eliminating certain despised forms of technology, will not stop global warming. We may have helped accelerate the coming crisis, but as of today there is no technological fix for climate change. It is short sighted to promote the unrealistic hope that prohibiting or limiting certain human activities will solve the problem.
There is no question that we need to change the way we generate power and significant portions of our transportation infrastructure. Yes, we need to limit emissions. But such changes are just scratching the surface of the broader problem.
An equally significant amount of time and energy needs to go into adjusting to climate change that we can not stop. We need to learn the lesson of King Canute. We have to start prohibiting development in areas that sometime in the foreseeable future will be under water. We have to start saying "no" to developers who insist on building in areas where it is going to become prohibitively expensive (if not impossible) to hold back the flood waters. We should have started 20 years ago. We need to rethink disaster relief. Some areas once flooded, we need to help people relocate, rather than automatically helping them rebuilt. This will not be politically popular. But as long as, we continue to think man has the answers and that man is in some way primarily responsible, we won't make the hard decisions necessary to adjust to climate change.
Consensus is possible. But I believe it is going to be more radical than Willis has yet anticipated and it will start with a deep and profound acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God.
