The Great Awakening – Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post Religious Right America
The Great Awakening Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post Religious Right America
What will it take to solve the biggest issues of our time: extreme and needless poverty, global warming and environmental degradation, terrorism and the endless cycle of violence, racism, human trafficking, health care and education, and other pressing problems? While Washington offers only the politics of blame and fear, Jim Wallis, the man who changed the conversation about faith and politics, has traveled the country and found a nation hungry for a politics of solutions and hope. He shows us that a revival is happening, as people of faith and moral conviction seek common ground for change.
Wallis also reminds us that religious faith was a driving force behind our greatest national reforms, such as the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement. These "great awakenings" happened periodically at crucial times in our nation's history to propel us toward the common good. The time is ripe for another movement that will transform this country. With The Great Awakening, Wallis helps us rediscover our moral center and provides both the needed inspiration and a concrete plan to hold politics accountable and find solutions to our greatest challenges.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Great Awakening is a great book
Jim Wallis is approaching the new frontier of faith-based politics, moving beyond the Religious Right to engaging faith in a fresh way that can bring real change. He analyzes past faith-based revival movements and asserts we may be on the cusp of another. Great read.
5 Stars I agree with this book's author
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.
4 Stars The Great Awakening
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.
5 Stars Prophetic Christian Politics
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.
5 Stars A book that gives much hope to those wanting to make a difference
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.
Related posts:
- Founding Faith Providence Politics and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America
- Religious News Verses: The Next Great Awakening and Other Christian Travel Delights
- Souled Out – Reclaiming Faith and Politics after the Religious Right
- God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It
- Gods Politics – Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesnt Get It
- The Great Derangement – A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics and Religion
- With God on Our Side – George W Bush and the Rise of the Religious Right in America
- Religion and Politics – Faith Determines Political Party
- Religious America, Secular Europe — A Theme and Variations
- God and Race in American Politics – A Short History
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
One Response to “The Great Awakening – Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post Religious Right America”
Leave a Reply
Here in the States, a growing number of people are no longer affiliated with any religion. Yet, there are some Christian groups who continue to insist on blurring the lines of separation between church and state. For the non-churchgoers and freethinkers worldwide, this site features news, reviews and editorials on just about anything regarding religion. Your opinion is always welcome here, either as a columnist or commenter. Hey, this is not church -- you are allowed to speak your mind and think for yourself!
A NOTE ABOUT COMMENTS: While comments are welcomed and get the Do Follow option, they are strictly monitored. That means comments must be on topic and add to the discussion. Submissions from multiple names having the same IP, troll comments, keyphrase users and the like will be deleted. Please see our policies page for more information.
 |
 |
Main Feed | Comments Feed |
|
 |
 |
This sentence right here is the beam in the eye of those who saw nothing wrong with Bush's unChristian policies:
"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,"
What is wrong with being anti-Republican when the entire party was morally bankrupt and religiously self-righteous at the same time? While the Democrats are far from perfect, they weren't okaying torture, they weren't pushing their religion down people's throats, and creating concentration camps for people they just plain don't like. It seems fine for some far right Republicans (amongst the common people) to be anti-Democrat when they are told to be anti-Democrat, but that sentence is the problem, and one I am finally glad that people of reason on the conservative side seem to be overcoming. I like Jim Wallis myself, and find him a refreshing change from the Dobson/Falwell far right Christian groups that we had to overcome to return to reason in this country.