“....in the belief that if a man’s faith is sincere, it is the most important thing about him, and that it is impossible to understand who he is and how he will lead without first understanding his religious vision that informs his life.”
Humble Beginnings
As a boy he lived in a home where his mother was an atheist, his step-father was Muslim (although more into folk rituals than traditional Islam), while simultaneously attending a catholic school. This diversity has given him a great appreciation for all faiths, a quality that would serve a President well who would lead a nation that is no longer Christian (although founded on Judeo-Christian virtues), but one of comprised of many faiths.
The elephant in the room: Trinity Church & Jeremiah Wright
Eventually his journey finds him at Trinity Church in Chicago, under the tutelage of the now famous Jeremiah Wright. Mansfield describes Trinity as the “....longest lasting connection of his life, his only spiritual home and arguably the most defining relationship he has ever known.” Mansfield gives an honest and balanced look at both Trinity and Wright, at times defending both vigorously, however I’m left still troubled by the church and the man as a whole. The church is rooted in Black Liberation theology which appears to be more of a “message of political liberation rather than spiritual regeneration.” Francis Shaeffer calls it, “little more than black bigotry reworking the mission of Jesus.” I wonder with great trepidation what kind of impact that this kind of theology and biblical perspective has on his worldview.
A faith worth fighting for
Mansfield references a lot of Obama’s own captured words that shows his faith to be one that he has grappled with. As a boy with a confused and mottled faith background, Obama tackles his new found Christian faith with a mental and emotional veracity that I find both sincere and inspiring. For most of my life, faith came easy to me. I accepted it before wrestling with my own doubts, rather than the reverse. It almost made it feel cheap in a way. Obama gives an honest and candid account of his faith in his own words:
“I remained a reluctant skeptic, doubtful of my own motives, wary of expedient conversion, having too many quarrels with God to accept a salvation too easily won.”
“It came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear.”
Revival of the Religious Left
Maybe one of Obama’s most important legacies will be the revival of the religious left. Obama has given a new voice and home to the evangelicals that have previously been cornered into the Republican pocket. Shelby Steele states that:
“Obama is more significant for who he is than for what he does politically. Whether or not he wins his party’s nomination and the presidency, Obama is meaningful to our time for what he represents that is therefore placed under the national spotlight:, the challenges of the biracial person. The cause of the poor. The rise of a new generation. The restoration of religion to the political left. “The religious segment that used to be shooed away from Democratic circles now feels safe and welcomed to a party reformed partly by Obama giving voice to his own faith story. Obama seems to have managed a healthy balance between constitutional and religious authority and the tension in between. Recognizing that many issues are faith issues, and not just abortion and gay marriage.
If you are looking to understand more about Obama’s faith story I highly recommend this book as it gives a balanced and thorough look at a man who is destined to have a large footprint on American history.
As I posted earlier, I recieved this book free of charge in exchange for a review. Hope Thomas Nelson doesn't feel too shafted.
