The Soul of Politics: Beyond "Religious Right" and "Secular Left"

Rating:
Summary: Great and timely advice, but...
Review: Have you ever bought an interesting-looking book, tucked it away on a shelf, finally gotten around to reading it a couple of years later, and then kicked yourself for waiting so long? That's how I felt when I at last read Jim Wallis' *Soul of Politics*. If it doesn't reinspire you to work for a better society, nothing will.

Wallis calls for what he calls a "prophetic politics of personal and social transformation," one that's built on the Judaeo-Christian insight that righteousness requires both individual and social responsibility. A contemporary re-application of this insight can help the secular left and the religious right learn from and complement one another and break free of the dysfunctional impasse they've reached. The left tends to overemphasize structural evil at the expense of individual responsibility; the right tends to overemphasize individual virtue while ignoring structural evil. But the prophetic politics--the politics with soul--Wallis advocates takes both into consideration. Individual responsibility to other individuals, to the community, to the environment, a call to action that "challenges the old while announcing the new" (p. 53), a spirit-filled replacement of unjust institutions that prevent humans from attaining maximal being: this is the heart of Wallis' message.

It's easy to become cynical and opt out of the political arena to cultivate one's own garden. But if Wallis is correct, such a withdrawal--if I may use an old-fashioned word that we perhaps ought to take seriously again--is a sin. To remain silent in the face of injustice is to acquiesce to it. Wallis' book gives us a good idea of how to go about healing the fragmentation of our society. The last third of the book deals with strategic details.

Read this book. Politics is too important to be left to the professional politicians.

Rating:
Summary: Disgusted with politics? Give this book a try!
Review: Have you ever bought an interesting-looking book, tucked it away on a shelf, finally gotten around to reading it a couple of years later, and then kicked yourself for waiting so long? That's how I felt when I at last read Jim Wallis' *Soul of Politics*. If it doesn't reinspire you to work for a better society, nothing will.

Wallis calls for what he calls a "prophetic politics of personal and social transformation," one that's built on the Judaeo-Christian insight that righteousness requires both individual and social responsibility. A contemporary re-application of this insight can help the secular left and the religious right learn from and complement one another and break free of the dysfunctional impasse they've reached. The left tends to overemphasize structural evil at the expense of individual responsibility; the right tends to overemphasize individual virtue while ignoring structural evil. But the prophetic politics--the politics with soul--Wallis advocates takes both into consideration. Individual responsibility to other individuals, to the community, to the environment, a call to action that "challenges the old while announcing the new" (p. 53), a spirit-filled replacement of unjust institutions that prevent humans from attaining maximal being: this is the heart of Wallis' message.

It's easy to become cynical and opt out of the political arena to cultivate one's own garden. But if Wallis is correct, such a withdrawal--if I may use an old-fashioned word that we perhaps ought to take seriously again--is a sin. To remain silent in the face of injustice is to acquiesce to it. Wallis' book gives us a good idea of how to go about healing the fragmentation of our society. The last third of the book deals with strategic details.

Read this book. Politics is too important to be left to the professional politicians.

Rating:
Summary: Some good stuff, but not very concrete
Review: I really got this book hoping to be convinced by it's argument and vision. Like Wallis, I want to get beyond religious right and the scular left. The Religious Right is blind to crucial structural and social issues, particularly on the importance of race and class. The Left, however is likewise blind the the importance of religion and ethics in the public sphere and the loss of all notions of civic virtue.

Wallis is sucinct in his critique of both the Left and the Right, showing their significant failrues and incompleteness. His solution to the problem is to reintegrate politics and spirituality in continuity with the prophetic tradition of the biblical faith. This he thinks yeild signs of transformation that move toward addressing problems of race, class, gender, consumerism and militarism.

On the whole, I'm very sympathetic with Wallis's aims, as well as those of Sojourners magazine and the work of Sojournes Community in Washington D.C. However, there are at least two over-arching problems with Wallis's argument.

The first is political (as the word is normailly understood). Essentially, Wallis is good at pointing out problems in the current political situation and in talking about what a transformed politics would look like. However, there is little or no concrete discussion of how people can begin to work toward such forms of transformation, even on the grassroots level. I know that Wallis has been heavily involved in such efforts, and has a lot the he could say about how concerned people can begin to be active politically to work for transformation in cities and communities, but he simply never goes there. This, I think is problematic.

The second problem is theological. While Wallis is concerned to integrate politics and spirituality, he does so through what seems to be a theologically liberal approach, namely that religion is good in that it contributes "values" to the public square, but has no politics that is inherent in the life of the church itself. There seems to be an underriding assumption in Wallis's writing that the church's role in the world is to make the world better, rather than to bear witness to Christ through being a community of reconcilliation and peace. This is not to say that I don't think the church should work for social justice in the cities and communities in which they reside. But, the primary way the church effects transformation in the social order is to itself be a transformed social order. The best way for the church to work against racial problems in America is for the church to itself be a community in which racial differences are embraced and people of all races live together in peace and friendship.

In short, I am skeptical if the kinds of transformation that Wallis hopes for can be achieved throughout the world at all. But I know they cannot be if the church fails to embody for the world what a transformed society is. Until that happens, I don't think politics will ever be able to have a soul.

This is not to say I hated the book, or anyting like that. There are many important points made in this book, but I think Wallis misses the centrality of the church and the importance of providing some measure of concrete guidance to those seeking to find ways of being a redemptive presence in society. Nevertheless, I do recommend this book, though the reader should make sure to read Stanley Hauerwas and Lesslie Newbigin for some more substanial material.

Rating:
Summary: A different look at politcs
Review: Jim Wallis delivers and excellent work I was alerted to a few years ago. This book forces Christians, from both sides of the political spectrum to examine what they believe, and why they believe it. Especially pointed are the criticisms of how both sides have plans to deal with the poor, but both are off base in the extremes of what they are trying to accomplish. Jim Wallis lives to serve the less-fortunate, and it shows in his servant attitude as he wrote this book. I give Jim Wallis high marks for this book that challenges the status-quo.

Rating:
Summary: A different look at politcs
Review: Jim Wallis delivers and excellent work I was alerted to a few years ago. This book forces Christians, from both sides of the political spectrum to examine what they believe, and why they believe it. Especially pointed are the criticisms of how both sides have plans to deal with the poor, but both are off base in the extremes of what they are trying to accomplish. Jim Wallis lives to serve the less-fortunate, and it shows in his servant attitude as he wrote this book. I give Jim Wallis high marks for this book that challenges the status-quo.

Rating:
Summary: widely relevant
Review: Jim Wallis gives an insight into the realities of everyday life for poor and marginalized citizens of the world that is largely overlooked or just plain ignored by many prominent religious and political leaders. This book gave me a new understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and how to lead a godly life. One wonders if Americans have the wherewithall to follow the example Wallis sets when it comes to helping the poor. I doubt it. A book that is very readable and very much worth reading, too!

Rating:
Summary: Great and timely advice, but...
Review: This is a very admirable view and Wallis is very forgiving, as we all should be. That is, after all, the Christian way. However, while we can and should forgive the Christian Right for their hypocrisy, they will not escape judgment from the son of man, as Jesus promised. Jesus said that while hypocrites prophesy and claim to do many wonderful works in the name of the Lord, they are an "abomination," and the day will come when they are told to depart from the church (unless they repent). That day has come.

As Jesus promised, the messenger for the Spirit of Truth now guides us unto all truth and shows us things to come. (John 16:13-14) And the messenger is the "bridegroom-lamb" who, as John foresaw, is our "brother who has the testimony of Jesus." (Revelation 19:10) He is not the Christ, but the prodigal son of man who fulfills Jewish and Christian prophecy. He explains the true meaning of prophecy, and he delivers truly righteous judgment.

This is all explained in the message, which is titled Real Prophecy Unveiled: Why the Christ Will Not Come Again, And Why the Religious Right Is Wrong, by Joseph J. Adamson. He says the world does not need a mortal savior to scorn and crucify, or to exalt and put on a pedestal, and no man should be tempted with such great worldly power or bear such responsibility. He says the world needs the truth, and nothing but the truth, and he repeats what Isaiah wrote, that "besides God there is no savior."

Therefore, while Wallis offers us great advice, we should not be surprised that the fulfillment of prophecy will mean that the proud and militant will be brought low in order to enable the humble and meek to inherit the earth. That's what it's all about.