Thomas Nelson Publishers granted me an opportunity, as a blogger, to do a review of the book – The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield.  I took the book with me on vacation and now that I have returned and have had time to think about it I’d like to offer you some of my thoughts.

When I finished reading the book I couldn’t help but wonder about the title.  Yes, the book has as centralized theme of Senator Obama.  However, I found that particularly in the center sections, that Mansfield would seem to lose his focus and he would be off on an expose about the Reverend White and what he believes and teachers, or in another section what McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Bush believe.   He does weave Obama into these sections but it is almost secondary.  It felt to me as if Mansfield wanted to write a book about faith in politics but didn’t have enough material so he wrote the book about Obama and then added these other materials throughout.

The book begins with a walk through Obama’s childhood as it relates to his religious associations.  Associations that would include Methodist grandparents, an atheist mother, and a Islamic stepfather.  There was a brief section where Mansfield poses the question of how Obama would be viewed by the Islamic world based on his admissions as a child.  Is/was he a Muslim in the truest sense of the definition.  In world politics, particularly those focused in the Middle East this could have interesting ramifications for the future.

Mansfield also takes us on a jaunt into the workings and teaching of Jeremiah Wright’s Trinity Church.  While the connection to Obama clearly lies in his attendance at this church, Mansfield enlightens us in the foundational beliefs of Wright and the church that he built.  Beliefs tied closely to the concepts of James Cone…concepts of “political liberation rather than spiritual regeneration”. 

We also learn a little bit about Obamas “conversion” and his religious beliefs.  Throughout I found quotes that painted Obama as an educated man struggling to find a place to fit religion into his intellectualism.  It was as if he is asking how he could fit religion into what his brain told him should be logical and right?  Mansfield describes Obama’s conversion as: “…the product of a new, postmodern generation that picks and chooses its own truth from traditional faith, much as a man customizes his meal at a buffet.”  “He was seeking a ‘vessel’ for his values, a ‘community or shared traditions in which to ground my most deeply held beliefs.’”  It really is a great portion of the book that describes the “religious left”.

Throughout the book I found that Mansfield had me asking questions.  Questions for which the only answer lies in what Obama has to say or how you believe events in day to day life effect a person’s moral structure and beliefs.   For example, I found myself asking if Obama had similar beliefs to that of the Reverend Wright? (anti-white American, liberationist) He’s said no, but my mind wonders how a person could NOT be influenced by the beliefs of someone they’ve listened and looked up to for 20 years.  If there wasn’t some type of a “connection” to what he was preaching wouldn’t you think that you would disassociate yourself from the situation?   The same questions and thoughts could be had for his association with Ayers and Marxist ideologies.  What I really found on reading this book is that my world view (on individuals he associated with) seemed to paint a very anti-Obama picture for me. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  Since faith in politics is a common theme in our elections I think it is important to cut through the rhetoric and really try to understand what the candidates believe.  Obama himself believes that faith ought to influence governance, and Mansfield does a good job at describing the faith that Obama is bringing to the political arena.   A faith that by Obama’s own admission, should be considered in the election since it will influence the way he governs.

Here are some questions that I would like to pose…

When you read a book review what is it specifically that you are wanting to read?  Synopsis? Commentary?  Understanding that this will be my book review so you are NOT going to get an unbiased literary work.

What is a good length for you?  I know I used to ask this question when I was in college all the time.  I had one professor tell me that the length should be like a woman’s skirt… Long enough to cover the subject but short enough to be interesting.

What could make it more “fun” that a typical – Introduction, Theme Review, Reaction, Summarization?  IE… what would make it compelling enough for you to read?

I’m sure you’ve all got some great ideas and things I should look for.  I’ve also been searching around the Net.  Let’s see what we can come up with!

Look for the review in the next couple of weeks.