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Stephen Mansfield’s new book, The Faith of Barack Obama, commends itself by it’s Christian demeanor. Mansfield’s work is not to be confused with books such as Jerome Corsi’s The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality or David Freddoso’s The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate. This work cannot in any way be considered a “hit piece” for the “Right” by any standard, except the that of the most extreme Left where any criticism of Mr. Obama is taken as defaming a Messianic figure. Though Mr. Mansfield would deny it, at times he does indeed seem to “gush” over Mr. Obama and even Trinity United Church of Christ.  This is testimony to Mansfield’s intense desire to be evenhanded, despite Mansfield’s own professed conservative and pro-life convictions which would prevent him from voting for Obama. This work, then, is a serious attempt to dispassionately portray the faith of Presidential Candidate Obama in it’s most positive possible light. For that, Mansfield has taken and will take profound criticism from both the Left and the Right.

While others will undoubtedly dissect the work for what they consider it’s political import, the rest of this review will focus how Mansfield’s work raises issues of importance to the experience of Evangelicals in the Mainline Renewal movement.

What can Evangelicals in the Mainline Renewal learn from The Faith of Barack Obama? First, Mansfield’s work is an excellent case study in Christian charity. He is fair and courteous to a fault in presenting both Mr. Obama and Trinity United Church of Christ, despite his admitted differences. Secondly, we must realize that in the effort to be fair, there may actually be some things about our opponents that require our grudging respect, if we are honest. Certainly Mansfield came away from examining Mr. Obama’s faith and Trinity United Church of Christ with many positive impressions, in addition to noting serious failings in each. Mansfield’s looking for the good wherever possible becomes apparent and challenges us to always strive to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Of course, Mansfield’s true love requires noting problems, contradictions and deficiencies in those we debate, and he catalogs his share along the way.

Before going further, we must note that Mr. Obama is no longer a member of Trinity United Church of Christ or the UCC. He made this move to insulate himself and his candidacy from attacks based on the comments and demeanor of his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. There is no denying, however,  the UCC’s affinity for Mr. Obama’s message. Obama’s speech, after all, was arguably the most notable feature of the UCC’s last General Assembly.

What could Evangelicals wish others in the Mainline might learn from this book? The question for the United Church of Christ as new leadership is to be elected – and for the mainline leadership in the PCUSA, UMC, and ELCA itself – is whether the leadership of the mainline denominations will make as much effort in reaching out to Evangelicals within their midst as Mr. Obama has done? And then, will they go farther than Mr. Obama has arguably done to transform such rhetoric into action? 

Evangelicals would hope that nominees for mainline leadership positions might take some lessons on what constitutes a genuine effort to explain why the left leaning theology of the Mainline still bothers considering itself “Biblical” or “Christian”. Mansfield offers many clues as to how this might be done.  For example, Mansfield does a far better job explaining to evangelicals and Americans in general why some of Jeremiah Wright’s inflammatory rhetoric might have some plausible basis in fact. Mansfield’s arguments in that regard come across as much more believable than the UCC’s wholesale whitewashing of Rev. Wright’s failings by sweeping them under the rug as ”prophetic” and expecting us to accept every outrageous thing the man may say or do as inspired behavior!

Second, aspiring mainline readers may find Mansfield’s presentation of the concerns of the “Religious Right” rather different than they have been lead to believe. These concerns, as Mansfield shows, date back to the New Testament era and the Early Church where complete acceptance was offered if Christians would merely accept Jesus the Lord as “one among many gods”. There has been a stubborn reluctance on the part of Evangelicals to do that ever since. Perhaps Mansfield’s retelling of Evangelical concerns will help our Mainline leadership move beyond the belief that Evangelical conviction is, in the words of a certain Presidential candidate, attributable to “bitterness” or “antipathy to people who aren’t like [us]… to explain [our] frustrations.”

There are failings in the book to be sure. Due to its short length, one feels many topics were overlooked that might have proven fruitful for examination. Part of the space used to profile the “faith” of other Presidential contenders might have been better used for more indepth analysis of Mr. Obama’s faith. Nevertheless, for the virtues recounted here, Mr. Mansfield’s book still makes a positive contribution to the overall discussion surrounding Mr. Obama. Mansfield’s example of providing thoughtful analysis while obviously demonstrating Christian charity should not be lost on aspiring Christian writers and journalists.