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The Faith of Barack Obama… Is Pretty Solid

August 29th, 2008 | reading

Thomas Nelson sent me a review copy of The Faith of Barack Obama. After reading it carefully and in light of Obama’s speech last night, here’s what I think about the book.

The book is thin but fulfills its promise. I felt a bit like I was reading an executive summary of Obama’s books written by a politically conservative evangelical who is trying hard to be fair and balanced. And for the most part, Stephen Mansfield succeeds at being balanced. I’d expect people on the left to grumble that he favors the right. And people on the right will grumble that he favors the left.

From the introduction, Mansfield gives the reader a clear road map:

What follows in these pages is an attempt to understand the religious life of Barack Obama and the changes in American religious history that he has come to represent… This book is … written 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 the religious vision that informs his life.

First, the book walks through Obama’s personal history from his atheist mother, to his Islamic step father, to his personal choice to become Christian in 1985. Mansfield also offers a particularly helpful summary of the black liberation theology that is preached at Trinity United Church of Christ, Obama’s brief political career, and four theories of integrating faith and politics.

The middle of the book was the most disturbing for me, though. At several points, Mansfield subtly questions the authenticity of Obama’s faith. I guess that’s the point of the book, but it really made me squirm.

For example, in describing Obama’s conversion experience, he writes, “What did Barack Obama become, then, on that Sunday morning in 1985? He became, he says, a Christian.”

I don’t know. I grew up in a tradition that was quick to evaluate the salvation of other people, so this poked a real nerve with me. In a few places like this, the book crosses a line for me. It is subtle. It is ultimately fair, but rhetorically subversive. “He became, he says, a Christian.” Embedding that qualifier, emphasizing that qualifier “he says,” encourages the reader to scoff.

Sure, Obama’s a Christian… he says.

As long as a person’s life is not dishonoring Christ, I see no reason to doubt the sincerity of their faith. Of course, a few pages later, Mansfield concedes this as well.

“Only a cynical heart would refuse the possibility of a lonely black man in his twenties finding faith through the preaching of God’s Word.”

If that’s not a concession, it’s at least a confession. Mansfield may be condemning Obama. Other evangelicals may condemn him, but it is a deeply cynical thing to doubt the sincerity of Obama’s faith. And frankly, it’s a slippery slope. Doubt Obama, doubt other leaders, doubt leaders closer to home, doubt friends, etc. The urge to judge another man’s salvation is something we must resist.

Let me be clear. My desire to take Obama at his word regarding his faith does not ultimately change whether I’m going to vote for him. My vote goes to the man whose policies I believe are best for this country.

Back to Mansfield. Despite my little nit-picky criticism, the book itself is really pretty good. At the very least, it is an excellent compilation of quotes from books, speeches, and articles in which Obama describes his faith.

Whatever your political stance or mine, we need to understand McCain and Obama as we enter into this election season.

This little book from Nelson does a decent job of exploring the authenticity of a new Christian Left—and what that movement might look like over the next few months with Barack Obama leading it. If you like quick political biographies, I’d say the book is worth your time and money.

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