All Comments for: The Elusive Middle | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Free Newsletters:

RSS Feeds |

Audio |

Twitter

Home > 2008 > April

Christianity Today, April, 2008 |

REVIEW

The Elusive Middle

Jim Wallis's attempt to transcend party politics in The Great Awakening never takes off.

Review by Collin Hansen | posted 4/16/2008 09:06AM

In 2005 public opinion caught up with Jim Wallis. For decades the president and CEO of Sojourners had lobbied for social justice as the Religious Right captured headlines. But widespread liberal angst ...

[Reader Reviews]

Average User Rating:

Rate and Comment on this article

Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 comments.

Page: 1

Show All

Jack	Posted: April 29, 2008 11:07 PM


I was burned by the Far right and frankly find Mr. Wallis' book refreshing, and applaud his efforts to reframe the conversation between people of faith on both sides. Great Awakening in deed.

Tom Hinderliter

Posted: April 19, 2008 6:37 PM


The review gives more insight into the theological understanding of the reviewer than the theological implications of Mr. Wallis' book.

ACA	Posted: April 19, 2008 12:15 AM

You keep conflating "Evangelical Christian" with "Republican", and that is frustrating -- even infuriating. Where do those of us who truly believe that Abortion is a moral evil, that heterosexuality is God's ideal, but who also expect our nation to have more rigorous standards about when to go to war, and who believe that taking care of our planet, and taking care of the poor and oppressed are not merely private, but public policy moral imperatives -- where do we belong? Are we to be excommunicated from Evangelical Christianity because we cannot in conscience vote Republican?

evang paula

Posted: April 17, 2008 11:04 AM


BY STRENGTH SHALL NO MAN PREVAIL

A Hermit

Posted: April 17, 2008 12:27 AM

What should a Christian view of life be? Acts records that the early Church required those joining to sell their goods, give them to the apostles, and then the proceeds were distributed according to need. That fits neither 'liberal' nor 'conservative'. The letter of James says woe to those who see our brothers and sisters in need, who don't help them materially if they can. We must realize that we are called to live as Christians with Christ's values- man is a part of God's creation, but not separate from it. We are called to live simply, with love. The Religious right fails because it equates God's kingdom as an earthly one, resting on wealth and power, one that justifies economic inequality based on greed and earthly protection based on violence and force. The Left fails, because it depends too much on governmental policies to correct what is wrong. Follow the Holy Spirit-live Christ's life yourself, live your WHOLE life (economic and political as well as 'spiritual') guided by God.

J Earley

Posted: April 17, 2008 12:16 AM

Wallis repeatedly speaks of dialogue and feelings. When presented with a major Biblical doctrine he states that it is what we need to dialogue about. Got that? IF anyone rejects the Lord Jesus Christ no matter what their reasons or feelings the dialogue is OVER, there is nothing left to say, and there is certainly nothing Wallis can say at that point to help anyone. Also, if Wallis really thinks healthcare and childcare = God's love then Cuba and North Korea are the most Biblical nations on earth instead of the most vicious death holes in the world!

Jim	Posted: April 17, 2008 12:02 AM


Jim Wallis is a fraud... almost as bad as Barack Obama. His puffery about representing the new wave of evangelicals is hollow and false.

Dean C

Posted: April 16, 2008 6:08 PM

The sad reality is that once you peel away at the Wallis/Campolo-type rhetoric, conservatives find that they are ultimately being scolded for not being liberal. Thoughtful dialogue degenerates fairly quickly, and is as often absent from Jim Wallis' ideals as they are in the Religious Right. For some of us who drank deeply from the Religious Right well for a long time and came away disillusioned, there is nothing inviting about Sojourners, for it seems no more enlightened. In fact, even with great effort to the contrary, their elitist attitude seeps through. Campolo often speaks similarly - wooing you with promises of Bible-based, politically neutral discussion, only to find that less-than-liberal ideas are treated with a condescension that betrays their bias. Blindly, they fail to realize that this is the very attitutude that they have railed against on the right for the last three decades - and it feels decidedly opportunistic as the wind appears to be shifting again to the left.

libereco

Posted: April 16, 2008 5:09 PM


If it was not for people like Jim Wallis, I would have given up on evangelicalism a long time ago. He is living proof that there is more than right-wing Pharisees in the Evangelical world...

Anonymous

Posted: April 16, 2008 4:06 PM


too critical

Ex-Sojourner

Posted: April 16, 2008 3:22 PM


I could not agree more Collin. Jim Wallis should not be claiming to be following the "third way" when he is very much on the left. I for one am quite happy that I left Sojourners and went back to being a conservative Christian.

Gill Duffee

Posted: April 16, 2008 2:19 PM

I'm not sure if Mr. Hansen and I read the same book. I somehow missed the emphasis on avoiding sectarian demands while noticing an insistence of focus on moral issues in politics. The 'political' problems of abortion and gay rights, too often the litmus test for political decisions, will never be solved politically. They will only be 'solved' when humanity reconciles itself with our Holy God who has made such reconciliation possible through an ultimate act of Love. Somehow, we do need to avoid an appearance of sectarian judgmentality as we proclaim that our God has revealed Himself as more than just sovereign King and Judge. He is also Father, Shepherd, Healer, Revealer. Keeping His Love in tension with His Holiness helps us avoid bad theology, and bad politics. As to censuring Wallis for echoing Obama's endorsement of the virtues of hope, the trick is to remember just Who it is in which we commit such an audacious act of defying defeat, despair, and other side effects of sin.

Greg Chase

Posted: April 16, 2008 1:21 PM


I was at a bookstore a short time ago and picked up Wallis' book. I was disappointed that the Holy Spirit doesn't take a major role in his "Great Awakening" as He did 150 years ago. Could it be that God doesn't care for our political view but whether wehave a heart for Him. America, get on your knees. Justice comes forth when the Spirit's power comes and not the other way around.

Mark O'Dwyer

Posted: April 16, 2008 1:09 PM

While I have concerns about Wallis and the Sojourners world, I'm an idealist, and I believe Christ calls us to faith in the impossible. Wallis may be naive according worldly standards, but hope often is. It's human nature to aim too low, and to not be expectant of God's promises. My contention with Wallis lies in his views of the church and polity. For instance, he's so ecumenical as to challenge churches that differ on homosexual blessings to remain united, and not split, yet the issue for conservative churches is sin, the very thing Jesus died for. I believe a certain degree of ecumenism is Godly, and biblical. However, the moral issues that churches are dividing over these days is a result of deeper theological conviction (the authority of scripture) and to not take that seriously is detrimental to the church.

ANGIE

Posted: April 16, 2008 12:59 PM


He tries to have it both ways. He is lukewarm.

Andy	Posted: April 16, 2008 12:42 PM

Jim Wallis is a major disappointment. He is a lot like Jesse Ventura in Minnesota. He sounded like he had a fresh perspective but once he was in office he was only democrat-lite. Jim Wallis is only liberation theology-lite. The unborn child is not forgotten as soon as he's born in America. American's spend on a medical care and education then anywhere in the world. The fact that much of it is wasted and consumed by the liberal controlled public health and education systems (some would say scams). Social Justice is important. Poverty, inequality, and suffering are too large a part of the human condition. But Wallis cure for those problems always seem to be too take from those who have - to give to those who need. Very Marxian! Wallis can't seem to emerge from leftist group think. Non-liberals constantly have to relate and combat liberal thoughts and programs. Liberals can't believe the motives of conservatives are as honest as their own. That's why he fails.

Andrew

Posted: April 16, 2008 12:41 PM

Mr. Hansen says, "Certainly evangelicals share other Americans' concerns about the Iraq War." Oh? Please. What percentage of evangelical pastors do you think have spoken from their pulpits against this war? 5%? 3%? 1%? This is a war that has violated every traditional "just war" definition, was conceived in back room scheming by other than our Congress, got sold to us by our president and vice-president on the basis of manipulated intelligence, was engaged in shamelessly for oil under the guise of fighting terrorism, murdered tens of thousands of Iraqi children in their beds with our macho "shock and awe," and that has needlessly sacrificed the country's reputation, spirit, moral high ground, well being, and economic future. Wallis isn't perfect, and I don't often agree with his positions, but give him credit for courageously speaking "truth to power" in the prophetic tradition. And for God's sake, can we evangelicals not stop thinking of America as the Kingdom of God?

deacon steve

Posted: April 16, 2008 12:21 PM

Prophets - and Jim Wallis is a prophetic voice- are always 'naive', Collin; that's what makes them prophetic - boldly presenting a hopeful vision of a better world. I unfortunately learn more about your own bias as you embrace a narrow unhelpful ideology which will continue to cripple the coming of God's kingdom through 'evangelicalism' than I learn about Jim Wallis. Attempting, as you do, to pigeonhole Wallis as 'right' or 'left' completely misses the point and is a major failing of your review.

Kim	Posted: April 16, 2008 12:15 PM

Perhaps our goals should be to be followers of Christ, not political activists at all. While I believe our actions influence political activity, I believe our words do too. Wallis doesn't really help the us vs. them mentality, rather he helps foster it. I'm not a follower of Wallis. I'm a follower of Christ. My social conscience isn't fashioned by Wallis' writings. It's fostered by Christ who told us to love one another.

profschiler

Posted: April 16, 2008 11:51 AM


The analysis is essentially true. Wallis has good ideas, but rapidly becomes rabid and is not very careful with facts. He hurts his own cause. McClaren is a much better "read."

JohnW

Posted: April 16, 2008 11:47 AM

Collin, After reading this review and yesterday's editorial about Christine Wicker's new book, I think what might be helpful is a clear cut definition of the term evangelical. Your comments seem to imply that evangelicals pretty much all vote republican, so perhaps a good definition of "evangelical" would be christians who are conservative economically and politically and who can be counted on for their continued support of the corporate war machine. I propose a politically neutral alternative definition for christians of both liberal and conservative persuasions who seek to work for peace, justice, and environmental protection: Christ Followers. I think you are wrong about Jim Wallis' message not catching on or resonating with people. I was at Wheaton college when he was on his Great Awakening book tour. The crowd was larger than expected-they had to open up side rooms to accomodate the crowds and people were even sitting on the floors.

Page: 1

E-mail this page

Write CT

Print this article

Post a comment