Book Review: The Faith of Barack Obama

This post presents my review of The Faith of Barack Obama.

• It is not my intent to convince you to vote for or against Senator Obama. My goal is to give you an overview of this book that will enable you to determine whether you are interested in it. I also provide a download link at the end of this review that lets you download the first two chapters … that should also help you make a decision on the book.

I became aware of this publication through an article on Michael Hyatt’s blog. Michael, as CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, wrote the article to explain his views on why Barack Obama’s faith matters. He also offered to send a review copy to the first 100 bloggers who asked. Because of my interest in knowing more about Obama’s faith, I decided to jump on the offer.

• Note: In reviewing this book, I was especially interested in getting a sense of how sincere Obama is in his beliefs. To me this is at least as important as the particulars of his faith. I, for one, would be fine having a non-religious President if convinced of his/her honesty and strong moral fiber.

Before going into specifics, let me paint some broad strokes:

• The book is well-written and has an easy-to-read style. It goes into depth, yet does so without losing the reader.
• I enjoyed how the book is sprinkled throughout with thoughtful analysis. For example, the author’s analysis of the declining influence of the Religious Right (and the gaining influence of the Religious Left) makes a lot of sense.
• The book has some fascinating historical insights. For example, Chapter 4, which addresses the role of religion in politics, starts out with a fascinating review of the role religion played in the political life of Abraham Lincoln. This was a good education for me, as I had forgotten (if I ever knew) that Lincoln started his political career on a non-religious footing.
• Finally, speaking of history, the book is very up-to-date in its discussion of events.

Now to some details.

Chapters 1 and 2 go into depth in discussing Obama’s upbringing and how that impacted his ultimate conversion to Christianity. To paraphrase, he

spent his early years under the influence of atheism, folk Islam, and a humanist’s view of religion as a product of psychology.

And, to quote more directly:

“His life [younger years] was a religious swirl. He lived in a largely Muslim country [Indonesia]. He prayed at the feet of a Catholic Jesus. He attended a mosque with his stepfather and learned Islam in public school. At home, his mother taught him her atheist optimism.”

I think it is important to note that the form of Islam prevalent in Indonesia at that time was an offshoot that blended with Hinduism. Beyond that, Obama’s stepfather had his own particular modifications to Islam. So it seems a bit of stretch to me when some people say that Obama was raised as a Muslim.

Chapters 1 and 2 gave me a really good sense that Obama is sincere in his beliefs. Chapter 2 in particular goes into some depth in describing his search for God and for a context for his strong desire to be of service to others. Regarding his ultimate conversion:

At sermon’s end, he found himself in tears. It was a beginning. The process that followed took months and could not be hurried. And when the turning came, it was not attended by angels and flashes of light. In the retelling it did not have the ring of the famous conversions of history, with their great moral transformations and dramatic encounters with God. Instead, it was a decision to enter a faith by joining a people of faith, to come home to a community and so come home to God. Indeed, as Obama has explained, “It came about as a choice and not an epiphany; the questions I had did not magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side of Chicago, I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.”

Chapter 2 also paints a clear picture of how the Trinity Church played such a strong role in his conversion. The author gives a balanced view of this church, which, despite some of what has been said about it, serves as a role model for community involvement and social action.

Chapter 3 provides an excellent discussion of Senator Obama’s postmodern Christianity. This chapter also gives a good explanation of why Obama rooted himself in the Trinity Church rather than in a one of the many Christian churches that promise “personal prosperity as a sign of God’s approval and grace,” or that provide a “spiritual quest divorced from the world.”

Many of the details of Obama’s faith parallel mine. A couple of differences stand out in my mind:

• Obama strongly believes that faith must be active and purposefully directed toward helping others. And he practices this belief. It is a part of his very being. While I agree with him in principle, in practice I don’t live up to the principle. My faith has generally been more of a personal kind, more theoretical than practical. I believe I can learn much from Obama in this area. I suspect that many of us can.
• Chapter 4 goes into depth in discussing Obama’s Pro Choice view of abortion, which is counter to my Pro Life view. Although I am not convinced that there is such a thing as a soul, I do believe that a baby in a womb is a life. Admittedly, not having had to deal with this issue in my personal life, I am not well-read on it. In one sense I can understand those who say that a fetus is not viable life, in that it cannot exist on its own. Yet, my instincts are that a fetus is a life, and should be preserved.

I can say that I do not believe a Pro Choice view should be grounds for a person not becoming President, just as being Pro Choice does not necessarily make a person qualified for the Office of President.

Chapters 5 and 6 are what I call bonus chapters. Chapter 5 summarizes the religious views of Senators McCain and Clinton, along with those of President Bush. I was pleasantly surprised that Senator Clinton’s faith is deeply rooted, and that she is indeed a spiritual person, being grounded in the Methodist tradition. I also discovered aspects of McCain’s and Bush’s religious views that were new to me.

Chapter 6 addresses the topic of a time for healing. It is an interesting read. It does make one wonder whether a President can bring about the healing that is needed in the US, but it also seems clear to me that we cannot continue with the status quo.

The bottom line: I enjoyed the book and could actually wind up reading it again, something I do not do with many books. I think you will find it informative and a good read.

You can download the first two chapters of the Faith of Obama via this link. This download is provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson Publishers.