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Searching... South | Book | 261.7 WALLIS J | 1 | Non-fiction Collection | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
A prominent evangelical pastor offers a provocative political and socialmanifesto for all Americans who yearn for more spirit-centered politics but arefed up with the Christian Coalition.Most people across the political and religious spectrum agree that our countryis facing a moral and spiritual crisis, and that restoring values to ourpublic policies and discourse has become a critical issue. But while theReligious Right have taken it upon themselves to represent Christian values, their ideas are actually counter both to the teachings of the scriptures andthe historical tradition of evangelical activism, according to Jim Wallis. Who Speaks for God? is his cogent, compelling alternative vision forinfusing a sense of meaning and value into current politics, built around theprinciples of Compassion, Community, and Civility. According to the prophets, COMPASSION--treatment of the poor, the vulnerable, the weak, the children--isthe virtual measure of a nation's righteousness. Whether it builds or destroys, COMMUNITY is the second test of a nation's character, and CIVILITY--thecharacter of political discourse, such as the politics of blame so oftenutilized by the Religious Right--is the last means of assessing a nation. Theseprinciples used together, according to Wallis, will not only adhere to basicChristian doctrine, they will transform our country.Provocative, intelligent, and sure to spark debate, Who Speaks for God? is a call to arms for re-evaluating and radically reworking today'spolitical and social culture.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Wallis (The Soul of Politics, 1994), editor of Sojourners magazine, calls upon Americans to forge a "new spiritual politics beyond the old categories of Left and Right, liberal and conservative." Although he opens each chapter with quotes from Christian Coalition president Pat Robertson as examples of destructive, ideological religion, Wallis also chastises liberals, Democrats and groups like Act Up for contributing to the "impoverishment of American politics." While admonishing us to remember that God, not any self-appointed ideologue, speaks for God, Wallis calls for a spiritually based, not ideologically driven, politics tested by compassion, community and civility. Appendices contain the 1995 "Call for Renewal," written by the Christians for New Political Vision, a group composed of evangelicals, Catholics, mainline Protestants and African American church leaders, which articulates clearly the call for a political vision renewed by spiritual wisdom. Infused with hope, Wallis's book is a refresher course in how religious faith can be brought into accord with citizenship and democracy. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
What right has Pat Robertson to speak for America's Christians? A prominent activist, preacher, and editor of Sojourners magazine repeats his call for a religious vision of politics that goes beyond the current polarization of left and right. Wallis (The Soul of Politics, 1994) believes that many Americans genuinely want to see politics renewed by a sense of personal values and responsibility but do not want to give up the equally biblical imperative for social justice. Although he criticizes the Democrats for a lack of moral imagination, much of his book is an attack on Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition. He traces the way in which the religious right has successfully promoted itself as the voice of Christianity in this country, in spite of the fact that its leaders do not talk much about the teachings of Jesus and the Hebrew prophets. Wallis reminds us that the Bible consistently rebukes the rich and powerful for their neglect of the poor, and that evangelical Christians in the last century were leaders in the abolitionist movement and advocates for the poor. Although he speaks as a Protestant, Wallis admires the coherence of Catholic social teaching, in which opposition to abortion goes hand in hand with insistence on society's duty to care for the disenfranchised. Wallis's own political vision includes compassion for the poor, a renewed sense of community, and a new civility in public discourse. Although he is hard-hitting in his denunciations, he is not always as clear or specific in his proposals. On abortion, Wallis favors legal restrictions, not recriminalization, and the creation of a climate in which abortion would become ``less thinkable.'' He supports legislation to strengthen the family and also to protect the rights of homosexuals. He concludes with a policy statement that has been endorsed by over 80 Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox church leaders. Cogent and well written, Wallis's call for action deserves to be heard.
Booklist Review
One of the many quotable things Wallis says expresses well his motivation for writing this book: "We are paralyzed by the politics of false choices and we need a fundamentally new approach." Those false choices, he asserts, are the ones ordinary, liberal-conservative, Left-Right politics poses between personal responsibility and social justice, good values and good jobs, strong families and strong neighborhoods, sexual morality and gay rights, the sanctity of life and women's rights, cultural renewal and the expunging of racism. We can and should choose both members of those pairs, Wallis avers, and if we hold American political behavior to the standards of showing compassion for the poor, fostering community integrity, and maintaining civility of discourse, we can re-create politics to minister to the problems of all citizens. Writing first out of alarm at the Christian Coalition's media-abetted co-option of evangelical Christianity--his brand of faith--Wallis forges the manifesto of a new, nonpartisan, religious impetus in American politics. Inspiring. --Ray Olson
Library Journal Review
Wallis, a founding editor of Sojourners Magazine, observes that if one were to ask people on the street what they understood by "evangelical Christian" they would more likely than not name the Christian Coalition, the Religious Right, and people such as Pat Robertson and Ralph Reed. But there are many evangelical Christians whose beliefs are not represented by these groups and their leaders. Wallis offers a well-written, helpful critique of the positions of the Religious Right as articulated by Robertson and Reed. In view of the upcoming elections and the role of the Religious Right, his book is very timely.John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Libs., New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.