The Faith of Barack Obama | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephen Mansfield
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
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Rating:  61 reviews
Sales Rank: 13713
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.9
ISBN: 1595552502
Dewey Decimal Number: 328.73092
EAN: 9781595552501
ASIN: 1595552502
Publication Date: August 5, 2008
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Product Description
Get inside the mind and soul of Barack Obama In The Faith of Barack Obama, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Mansfield takes readers inside the mind, heart, and soul of presidential hopeful Barack Obama—as a person of faith, as a man, as an American, and possibly as our future commander in chief. America faces looming inflation, climate change, a national credit crisis, war in the Middle East, threats to security and liberty at home, and skyrocketing oil and gas prices. With all of these threats to our security, prosperity and freedom on the horizon, it has never been more important to choose the right leader for America. “If a man’s faith is sincere, it is the most important thing about him, and it is impossible to understand who he is and how he will lead without first understanding the religious vision that informs his life,” writes Mansfield. In The Faith of Barack Obama, Mansfield holds back nothing to share that vision and explain its roots, including: •Obama’s upbringing in a non-Christian home
•the influence on his life from his agnostic mother and Muslim father
•his remarkable turn to Christianity after working in the inner cities of Chicago
•his years at the controversial Trinity United Church of Christ
•his association to the radical teachings of Rev. Jeremiah Wright
•the source of Obama’s relentless optimism and hope for America
Every American voter concerned to know more about Obama’s beliefs, both religious and political, and how the two intertwine should read this book, as should every thinking person who continues to shape and evolve his or her religious beliefs. Barack Obama, according to Mansfield, is “raising the banner of what he hopes will be the faith-based politics of a new generation . . . and he will carry that banner to whatever heights of power his God and the American people allow.” “You must read this perceptive and well written book. Then you will know why Barack Obama has such a passion for justice and equity, such a gift for filling people of different generations with a newfound hope that things can and will change for the better.” —ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU
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| Customer Reviews: Read 56 more reviews...
A Fair Look at Obama's Faith That Lets You Decide For Yourself November 21, 2008
In this short, accessible book, Stephen Mansfield explores the religious beliefs, commitments and convictions of Barack Obama. Additionally, Mansfield supplies a short Spiritual biography for Obama and explores the theology that underlies his faith. Some might assume that Mansfield's book is an attempt to "Christianize" Obama in order to make him more palatable to Evangelicals. Others might assume that it is a thinly disguised hatchet-job expose', written with the intention of showing Obama's supposed Christianity to be a politically expedient prop. Both of these assumptions are incorrect. For starters, Mansfield is also the author of "The Faith of George W. Bush", and "The Faith of the American Soldier". He approaches the subject as an investigative journalist, with neither rose-colored glasses or an ax to grind.
Mansfield offers us profiles of both Barack Obama and his controversial former pastor Jeremiah Wright. In this context, he also offers a brief, but accurate explanation of "Black Theology". Mansfield has also really done his homework here, as he correctly points to the influential work of James Cone. Crucial to this theological perspective is the recognition that the Bible is primarily written by oppressed people to/for oppressed people. The assumption is that the experience of African Americans, with their history of slavery and oppression, are in a unique position to hear and understand the message of Scripture. Thus, a major focus of this theology is justice (with all of its social implications) for the poor and the oppressed. Even a casual reading of the Prophets, and the words of Jesus will prevent you from simply dismissing such a reading as completely ridiculous. This is the theological framework that underlies both Wright's comments and Obama's application and understanding of Christianity. While Wright is apparently a bit of an attention junkie, and I still find his comments to be inappropriate, the proper theological context certainly casts all of this in a somewhat different light. Mansfield also gives an insightful account of actually attending a service at Trinity United Church of Christ, which in some ways defied his expectations. As an interesting exercise in contrast and comparison, Mansfield offers one chapter comprised of short spiritual biographies/profiles of John McCain, Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush. Some may see this chapter as extraneous, but others may find the thought exercise helpful.
Mansfield does not shy away from posing difficult questions for Obama, particularly when it comes to difficult issues such as his position on the question of abortion. He examines several areas of Obama's faith and its application that may be at least uncomfortable for may Evangelical Christians. However, he does not succumb to "Secret Muslim" conspiracy theories or wild sensationalism. His investigation is fair, and leaves it to the reader to make his or her own decisions and evaluations based on a reasonably non-biased and accurate account of Obama's apparently sincere faith. Some Christians may find their fears or misconceptions dispelled. Others may be deeply troubled by what they read. However you react, you will at least be making an evaluation from a place of understanding rather than speculation or unsubstantiated rumor.
AE
Looking For Barack Obama November 20, 2008
Like many, I, too, found myself caught up in the rush to find out more and more about Barack Obama. He seemed to have some magic, that something special that had people comparing him to JFK. I wanted to know more and began to search the internet and book shelves for more. Stephen Mansfield's "The Faith of Barack Obama" provided me with a unique glimpse behind the curtain of what makes this unique young man, now the leader of our country, tick.
In the process, it also gave me a peek at some of the other names that have filled out minds and thoughts lately, from Hillary Clinton to John McCain and other players in the campaign. All are presented as human being in light of their own religious experiences, humans with strengths and weaknesses and, quite frankly, I wish I had read this prior to the election.
That said, I feel I should mention that one prominent name that we came to know during the election isn't mentioned. Who'd have known Sarah Palin, the governor of my state (Alaska), would be a major player in this election cycle. In some ways her absence from these pages is disappointing. I would love to read Mansfield's take on the prominent role religion plays in her life. In other ways, well, I'm relieved. The book is, after all, about Barack Obama and his interaction with the other players and no matter how much some have been drawn to Gov. Palin, she came to the stage late in the process and despite her role during the election itself, played no role beforehand.
One of the most difficult things for me since reading this book as the aura of giddy glee over the election of Obama as President of the United States has been trying to somehow put everything in persepective. We watched Obama as he endured being attacked for his religion and/or supposed lack of it. His ties to Rev. Wright, examined at length in the book, and his personal religious beliefs as presented do help me make sense of what I saw happening, but it leaves one wanting to know "the rest of the story". That certainly isn't a lack in the book, no one could have known how the story would play out and the tremendous importance religion would take in this election, but serves only to make me look forward to a follow-up by Mansfield.
"It is in this unfinished democracy that Obama now finds his greatest challenge," writes Mansfield near the conclusion. He goes on to declare, "He [Obama] is granting America, then -- whether he means to or not -- an opportunity to heal."
Given the events of the past two years and more specifically the last two months of the election of 2008, this is an almost prophetic statement. Obama's message of hope was one that spoke to many, calling them to action and instilling hope in a better future. Reading "The Faith of Barack Obama", it's easy to see where Obama's faith in a better future originated. Without preaching to us, the readers, it lays out Obama's beliefs and how they'd been tested and molded over the years. As noted above, it does the same with other players in this year's election, too, to some extent. I picked up the book expecting it to be solely about Obama but found the inclusion of those about him a plus.
In some ways, I'm not quite sure I've quite grasped all "The Faith of Barack Obama" has to offer. The election is too recent, the emotions too high. I plan to revisit it again and perhaps again. It offers a glimpse into what makes the most powerful leader in our world today tick and for that I'm grateful. I'm looking forward to getting to know Barack Obama and this is an excellent introduction.
Understanding a Complicated Faith November 19, 2008
It wasn't until Obama entered the doors of Trinity Church of Christ, that he began to discover his spiritual identity. It is at this point in the book that Mansfield is most balanced in telling the complete story. Much controversy was thrown Obama's way because of his church ties and the preaching of its former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. While Mansfield points out the obviously inflammatory comments of one of Obama's mentors, he is also quick to point out the good that the church is doing in the community. And how the Gospel is at the forefront of what they do.
The strength of the book lies in the understanding of culture and the cafeteria-style religion of this generation. In the fifth chapter, The Four Faces of Faith, Mansfield lays out the role faith plays in the lives of our current president, George W. Bush, as well as in the lives of Obama's two greatest opponents on his bid for the presidency, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Each comes from a slightly different area and background. And each integrates their faith in a different way. Obama is no different. Mansfield does a masterful job of explaining that.
[...]
 The Faith of Barack Obama November 18, 2008
Early in the Introduction to The Faith of Barack Obama, Mansfield hooked me, and I kept reading nonstop. What occurred to me quickly is this: We, the people of America, have made religious faith an issue in this campaign. In particular, the Republican party has made religion an issue for several decades, and the issue grows more and more narrow. Barack Obama did not make it a factor. He cashed in on it.
Mansfield retells the story of the now famous 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston where Obama answered the Republican's challenge. This story strikes me as vitally important to understanding how the 2008 presidential race unfolded.
In 2004, after Obama uttered a slice of his brilliant rhetoric, "We worship an awesome God in the blue states," he broadcasted the resounding call to action for his fellow liberals. He spoke nine important words which began something that could not be stopped and ended with his election to President of the United States:
"No longer will we be painted as the nonbelievers."
It's worth noting here that he wrote that speech and bragged on it before he delivered it to that thundering crowd who were there for John Kerry. Earlier that day, he'd quipped, "My speech is pretty good."
Mansfield sums it up, "Clearly, he already had some sense of his destiny." Clearly.
The author also calls our attention to the echo of these nine words resounding the footsteps of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the "religious faithful."
If you read this book, The Faith of Barack Obama, you will know without a doubt how this election was bound to turn out. In the midst of so much rhetoric surrounding our 2008 presidential campaign and election, this book gets it right.
Mansfield gives supberb treatment to explaining Obama's early life, so aptly characterized as a "religious swirl." I believe Barack Obama's total faith experience, including his long attendance at Trinity Church of Christ, has formed who he is and makes the decisions for him about what he wants to do in this life, much like my own faith has formed my values and faith and eagerness to serve.
While a lot of Americans, including his political opponents, used this relationship to defame Obama's character, to condemn him to the voters, Mansfield's words here perform a great deed in painting Jeremiah Wright's background for us. The author makes sense of this outspoken pastor and shows us the context in which this high-spirited, radical preacher has found his voice. That voice got its breath in history, in historical, true events brought to light again by the author of this book.
To deny that evil buried so deep in the souls of our black brothers and sisters and its emerging relevance to today's politics is a bigger sin than the original one. Mansfield writes, "Any faith that values compassion and holds human life as made in a divine image should be appalled and seek to make amends." He also directs that not just black pastors need to preach on these issues that have so tainted our country. Regrettably, I've not heard much of this preaching in the white churches, except where "human life as made in a divine image" supports the moral issue of abortion.
Mansfield nobly reminds us in a quite patriotic tone, "It is the healers who are best remembered, those who teach us to live beyond the limitations of our lesser selves." (p.129, "A Time to Heal.")
He reminds us of one of our greatest healers, Abe Lincoln, who "... wrung a generosity of soul that resisted the fierce hatreds of his time," and after his election went on, surprisingly, to appoint his political opponents as cabinet members. Do we see any similarities here?
The author makes us "feel" the sincerity he sees in Obama concerning his religious beliefs. After all, President Elect Obama has been forthright about his stand on issues such as abortion, everlasting life, homosexual unions, trying to address the religious issues of many Americans. Not everyone heard what they wanted on these issues. But sincerity has to count for something in viewing many past presidential terms.
I believe The Faith of Barack Obama will be counted as one of the important books about our nation, our politics, and our faith. It is summed up beautifully by one of the last sentences:
"We have come to a moment when a common devotion to God may fuel a national resolve to break cycles of poverty, challenge strong holds of racism, reinforce ethical conduct among the powerful and the powerless, deliberate on the morality of war before it is declared, and end the moral scourges of our time."
Obama's Faith Reasonably Considered November 17, 2008
Stephen Mansfield's The Faith of Barack Obama, like his earlier works on George W. Bush and The American Soldier, respectively, seeks to provide a short, accessible theological biography of an important figure in modern American history. Much treatment, scholarly and otherwise, has been given to Obama's racial background, his educational influences, and his early political career in Chicago. But very little serious treatment (i.e. not scare-tactic propaganda) has been given to his faith background.
Mansfield attempts, and largely succeeds in, examining Obama's varied religious influences in as objective a manner as possible. His first chapter explores Obama's childhood being raised by his mother and grandparents who, while being more or less agnostic themselves, nevertheless respected the value of religion in others' lives and exposed young Barack to a variety of religious traditions. Mansfield also dives into Obama's time living in Indonesia with his step-father, where he attended a secular school and learned about Islam as a civil religion, much the way children in the United States are exposed to aspects of Christianity as a civil religion. Mansfield does a very skillful job in refuting the largely discredited charge that Obama is a Muslim, since he left Indonesia before reaching the age when young men would choose to embrace the faith for themselves.
Perhaps the most valuable part in the entire book is the chapter where Mansfield explores the influence of the black church, and specifically of Jeremiah Wright, on Obama's faith development. Trinity United Church of Christ, where Obama attended for more than two decades, was uniquely able to nurture Obama's faith journey because of its deep commitment to political activism and social justice- concerns Obama shared when he came to the church. As for Wright, Mansfield paints a very nuanced picture of him as a man of his generation, shaped by the struggle for civil rights, harboring deep suspicion of the government because of grave injustices like the Tuskegee experiments, and greatly influenced by the rise of the Black Liberation Theology of James Cone. Obama is a man of a different generation that, sharing the same concerns of their predecessors and carrying on their struggle, is not as angry and thus more able to gain acceptance in white society. Mansfield sums up the influence of Wright on Obama by saying, "To be a member of a church is not necessarily to descend into mindlessness, and a mind as fine as Obama's is less likely to accept ideas unexamined than most." (pg. 67)
The journalistic skill and subtlety with which Mansfield examines Obama's background makes most of the book excellent reading. It is also what makes one particular chapter, "Four Faces of Faith" so disappointing. This chapter feels extremely out of place and makes this reader wonder if it is something of a last minute addition to the book. In it, Mansfield takes the four most prominent figures of the 2008 election cycle, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama, and paints a picture of them as representatives of the different approaches to faith, largely defined by generational identity, in America today. (The book probably went to press before the sudden arrival of Gov. Sarah Palin on the national stage, and it would be interesting to see how Mansfield would incorporate her into this chapter).
It's not that this chapter is not written without the usual research and insight that Mansfield generally brings to his subjects, or that the chapter contains a gross amount of political bias (even though one does sense that Mr. Mansfield was a strong McCain supporter). This chapter is disappointing because it does very little to give us a picture of who Barack Obama is as a religious person in the way the rest of the book does so skillfully. This material would have been better suited as a long form feature article, or as preparatory material for books on the faiths of Hillary Clinton and John McCain, respectively (books I'd quite like to read).
This particularly unfortunate and out-of-place chapter aside, The Faith of Barack Obama is an excellent book. Mansfield closes by suggesting that, as a representative of his generation, Barack Obama will be a transformative figure as coming generations move past old divisions and conflicts and form a new mold of racial and religious identity.
(Sidenote- Mansfield heavily references Obama's books Dreams from My Father, and The Audacity of Hope, which many readers will want to pick up after reading The Faith of Barack Obama if they have not already. These books are also well written and worth your time.)
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