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God's politicsChallenging a greedy cultureGOD’S POLITICS A book written by an American about American politics and the American religious scene — what relevance has it to those outside the 52 states? But then how often do you see a Christian book, endorsed (on its cover) by as high a political figure as the UK Chancellor, Gordon Brown? In a separate preface to the British edition, Wallis argues that his American book is relevant to us because essentially it is about the connection between personal values and public life, between spirituality (faith) and politics — and this is a live debate in the UK today. Wallis’s expressed aim is to endorse neither the Right nor the Left, but to critique both and to identify what exactly is God’s politics. He urges Christians not to privatise their faith but to publicise it — to allow public (social and political) life to be influenced by faith and moral convictions. Wallis’s chief concerns are poverty and war. He is strongly opposed to the war in Iraq, saying that the conditions for a just war were not met and it was illegal, unwise and immoral. On poverty, he identifies assisting the poor as a major theme in Scripture, but a minor concern in the church. Wallis believes that candidates for public office should be examined by considering their policies against the complete range of religious and moral issues, not just one or two hot-button issues, such as abortion or gay marriage. Many will not agree with Wallis’s descriptions of Martin Luther King as America’s greatest religious leader or of Mandela as the strongest political leader on the planet, or his stance on same-sex marriage, or his endorsement of multi-faith ecumenism. Wallis uses the Bible to impart a social and political vision — for example, using Micah 4, he advocates social justice and economic security as the way to world peace. The overall impression is that his ‘gospel’ is a war on want and the bringing of economic equality and prosperity to all, and one is left wondering if this is not just another example of the contemporary focus on bringing heaven to earth? Wallis writes about the need to change the wind — to get the wind of public opinion to veer. But surely of more importance, if we are to see lasting change, personally, socially and politically, is to feel the blowing of the Wind (Spirit) of God. What is needed more than social change is spiritual change. The challenge of the book is for Christians to authenticate their faith by action — by compassionate social action. This is a particular challenge to evangelicals who are wary of a social gospel. But, certainly, we must allow the Bible to challenge the selfishness and greed that so pervades modern culture. David Magowan,
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