Issue 030 <previous< Issue 031 December 2000 Volume 6 Number 6 >next> Issue 32
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’”

• Speaking of Religion and Politics
• Faith Works 

This book comes with a guarantee: it is controversial! The sub-title points specifically to this as it states: "The Progressive Church Tackles Hot Topics." In this the book succeeds!

Regardless of one's ethical position, it is helpful to come to this book with an open mind. Controversy lurks in every chapter, but it is definitely possible to glean some new insights from these pages. And considering the wide range of topics that are covered, new insights are urgently needed. There is a substantial amount of basic biblical directives in the volume.

Like it or not, Christians and churches must face these ethical issues which are becoming more numerous than ever. For example, who would have thought a generation back that the globalization of economic life would have such far-ranging ethical challenges as they do today? Could any among us have concluded that debt-forgiveness, especially to a whole bevy of poverty-stricken African nations, would be a very live area of discussion? When did environmentalism enter the ranks of a first-class Christian ethical issue?

Ordinarily when one has an edited book such as this one, there is an uneven quality in the writing and in the subjects handled. This is not the case here. Though there must be a host of unknown contributors, the editor maintains a balance throughout.

The reader will find fresh insights to many old problems. The initial chapter is on "Religion and the Public Schools." Most of us bring our preconceived ideas to the table on this issue, but the chapter is strong, particularly with reference to some needed historical background and its connection with religious liberty as it pertains to the prickly issue of school prayer. However, the chapter is unexpectedly weak in its approach to the voucher controversy.

One could approach each chapter and subject in this same way, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses around the issue being discussed. However, it will help to keep in focus the announced philosophical bias of the entire volume. The ecumenically committed "Mobilization for the Human Family" is seeking to oppose or enlighten (depending upon one's point of view) the ethical positions of the American Christian Right. The book clearly accuses this movement as being far more interested in politics than in biblical criticism or theology (p. 263), which ultimately should be the basis of an ethical posture. In fact, the final chapter is entitled "A Short History of the American Christian Right." It makes for very interesting reading indeed, but probably it should have been relocated to the beginning of the book.

One of the genuine values of this ethical discussion is the input of updated statistics. Ordinarily statistical evaluation can be short-sighted, out of date, or even supernaturally dull; but not so in such chapters as "Pro-Human Family: Another look at Abortion," and the chapter on "The Global Population Crisis." Arresting, compelling, and electrifying are just a few of the words that come to mind as one reviews these issues in the light of the world community.

Here is a book that ought to be read because it hits directly the key ethical challenges that face every single person alive today. Not one of us is exempted from these problems. Widely held divergent opinions appear here. Some conservative Christians will definitely be offended by much that is in the book. Some, however, will read into these mandates new ideas that will expand their horizons. Some who love the classification of "liberal" may conclude that the book doesn't go far enough. Regardless of one's position, here is a book that ought to be read because it daringly challenges most of the critical and controversial ethical issues that are here to stay—at least in our lifetime.

Here is a volume from one of America's premier social activists who happens to be a preacher with genuine prophetic skills. If you are even remotely interested in some fresh new insights about poverty, racial injustice, or the inequalities of economic imbalance, then this book is for you. Replete with some powerful and timely illustrations from his international exposure, brimming with helpful quotations from a multitude of sources, and filled with delightful quips of humor amidst the profoundly serious subjects under review, Wallis' book is indeed hard to put down.

The book is quite readable because of his style, and also because of the wide range of experiences he brings into focus. If you bring any apathy with you as you read the book, Wallis can leave you uncomfortable. Perhaps the major strength of the book is found in this confrontation because it is possible to be shaken to the core about the issues, especially the problems of poverty.

Wallis organizes his book around fifteen guidelines or lessons on how to make faith a workable reality in a pluralistic society where stubborn ethical and human problems exist. Though some government programs and faith-based organizations have made significant progress, there are still major problems to solve. Wallis' lesson on "Recognizing the Three Faces of Poverty" is exceptionally timely. Additionally the lessons on "Tap the Power of Faith Communities" and "Be a Contemplative" not only make the price of the book a good investment for ethical judgments, it also offers basic and practical thought for ethical practice.

This book has a unique ability to make the serious student of ethics distinctly uncomfortable about one's personal involvement in solving these problems. Real progress has been made, for example, in welfare reform and in laws applicable to racial justice, but there are many who still fall through the social safety nets.

The author's own pilgrimage is forceful. From a boyhood in suburban white Detroit, Wallis early sensed something fundamentally wrong about white/black relationships. As a young man he discovered on his own the vibrancy of the black churches, which resulted in a lifelong connection with them. Black churches in Detroit, Chicago, and Washington D.C. have been centers of profound influence on the life of this conservative evangelical from Michigan.

If you are interested in understanding new and old concepts about poverty, about our deepening racism, about the inevitable impact of economic injustice in America, then this volume will prove valuable. The book contains some hard hitting opinions from the author, softened somewhat by his oblique style of writing and his penchant for helpful illustrations. However, his intent never changes. Wallis seeks to open the reader's eyes and heart about these issues, often from the perspective of the oppressed. Other relevant ethical challenges he discusses are voter apathy, wounded family values, and church involvement. Simply and eloquently, he calls for renewal, involvement, sacrifice, understanding, and prayer.

Wallis' own encounter with major players in the world of social justice and human rights advocacy adds substance and color to his appeals. He shares numerous experiences and diverse opinions from a wide range of friends: Bishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., John Fife, Marian Wright Edelman, Billy Graham, Cardinal Bernadin, Ghandi, Dorothy Day, Harvey Cox, Bill Moyers, Ron Thielmann, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Merton. Rich illustrations and quotations abound.

Wallis has developed a Sojourner's community in the nation's capital, an organization that has become the social conscience for many people who deeply desire justice in our land. Wallis' message is primarily positive and ultimately optimistic despite the usual negativism that is endemic in this area of concern. The volume ends on an upbeat theme. Despite the deep roots of social problems, there is an increasing awareness that beginning steps are being taken in faith-based communities and governmental circles. The book ends on the note that there is in the air something, which closely resembles hope. Common ground between avowed liberal and the once-proud religious right is actually surfacing. Bill Moyers in his timely foreword hints that Wallis is somewhat responsible for this hope because "he is a rare breed who blends biblical and family values with social justice, human rights, and corporate responsibility."

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