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But this meeting is also an excuse for Jackson to nurture his connection with the local church. In fact, it was at a similar meeting six years ago that Jackson met James Meeks. The two became fast friends. Jackson invited Meeks to join the delegation of clergy who went with him to Yugoslavia in 1999 to lobby Slobodan Milosevic for the release of three American soldiers, and he eventually named Meeks his heir apparent at Rainbow/PUSH. Meeks realizes that some people view his association with Jackson as odd, but he ignores the critics. "We have a good friendship. The Bible says iron sharpens iron. We get the chance to play off of each other's ideas and to scripturally compare decisions that are being made. I help him be more conservative; he helps me be more liberal."

The ministers at the Friday meetings are a varied crop—old, young, traditional, contemporary, male, female. Time after time, when I ask them about Jackson's importance, each insists that he still has much to offer—not just as a political figure but also as a Christian minister.

"Rev. Jackson has an acute gift of social exegesis and analysis of the condition of America and the world," says Christopher Bullock, pastor of Progressive Baptist Church and an ardent Republican. "I think we do him a disservice by not viewing him as a serious critical thinker theologically."

Jackson may be a serious thinker. But he is also a cunning politician and, at heart, an old-fashioned country preacher. "My values come out of a conservative Christian orientation," he told Marshall Frady. "Probably would surprise a lot of people to know I think that way, but it's what I really believe, deep down in my soul."

And therein lies part of the public's ongoing frustration with the man: He is forever too political to be embraced as a true minister but too religious to be accepted as a formidable politician. Yet it is the ambitious juggling of these two roles that make Jesse Jackson who he is.

And despite serious disagreements with him on theological issues and political methods, many Christian leaders in Chicago—and across the nation—believe he's still got the goods. "At the end of the day, look at what he's achieved," says Bullock. "That's the bottom line in my opinion—what he has done for the kingdom of God, what he has done for the advancement of civil rights, what he has done for the human community. He has brought hostages home. He feeds people. He does a lot of things the press will not cover."

Edward Gilbreath is an associate editor of Christianity Today.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also appearing on our site today:

CT Classic: You Can Pray If You Want ToA 1977 interview with Jesse Jackson.

The site of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago has a short bio on Pastor James T. Meeks. Books by Meeks are available at Christianbook.com.

Dwight Perry's Breaking Down Barriers: A Black Evangelical Explains the Black Church is available at Amazon.com.

The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Web site has a Jesse Jackson bio, a list of board of directors, archived speeches, and information on Jackson's "1,000 Churches Connected" initiative.

In 1996, PBS's "Frontline" did a great documentary, "The Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson." It features interviews with Jackson's wife, his biographer Marshall Frady, and friends. In addition, the site has an except from Frady's book, audio files and transcripts of speeches, and a biographical timeline.

New York magazine's Jan. 7, 2002 issue included an interesting piece on the relationship between Jackson and his onetime protege, Al Sharpton ("Rev vs. Rev").

Other related articles include:

Rethinking Black Leadership — Newsweek (Jan. 28, 2002)

Jesse Jackson - man of many missions — BBC (Jan. 18, 2001)

The Jesse Hustle — Time (Dec. 18, 2000)

God bless Jesse Jackson — Salon.com (Dec. 1 2000)

Zero Tolerance: An Interview on Race and School Discipline — ColorLines (Spring 2000)

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February 4 2002, Vol. 46, No. 2