Obama's Theology Of Reconciliation And Perfection

While Senator Obama's address on Tuesday has largely been received as a call to national dialogue about race, the 37-minute speech also revealed much about his religious and spiritual views. In it, Obama clearly invokes core Christian principles and beliefs, from original sin to God's grace. "Perfection" was his refrain -- he invoked the word nine times -- yet he did not use it to describe a teleological achievement, but rather a continuous mission of going on to perfection.

This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected.

Salvation, in this view, is an ongoing process, not an outcome; a constant exercise of choice rather than a final destination. Known as "Christian perfectionism," this idea is a cornerstone to the theology of John Wesley, a leader of the Methodist movement. Interestingly, the most powerful Methodist today -- George W. Bush -- appears to profess a very different view of perfection, one that involves accomplishing specific goals based on knowledge about God's plan for the world:

The cause we serve is right, because it is the cause of all mankind. The momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakable-and it is not carried forward by our power alone. We can trust in that greater power who guides the unfolding of the years. And in all that is to come, we can know that His purposes are just and true.

Bush professses a theology of certainty: God's will can be known -- indeed, it has been revealed to us -- and our task on earth is to realize it. By contrast, Obama offers a theology grounded in a process, not an outcome: to work out salvation with fear and trembling.

Obama's professed beliefs puts him at odds not only with President Bush, but his own pastor. As he states emphatically, "The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is... that he spoke as if our society was static." Christian perfectionism, by contrast, sees imperfection as God's challenge rather than fatalist destiny.

Keep reading on OffTheBus contributor Gene Koo's blog by clicking here.

Comments

[S1m0n]

In Obama's usage, "perfected" is not a superlative as in the present-day definition of the word "perfect".

It is a relative term, as in the phrase ("to form a more perfect union") he cites from the preamble to the US constitution, and which he adopted as the title of his speech.

As a superlative, "more perfect" is agrammatic; a thing can either be perfect or imperfect. As used in the constitution and in Obama's speech, "perfect" is aspirational: a goal, not a state of being. Attaining perfection may be impossible but we are all capable of becoming 'more perfect'. Obama says that should be our goal. He's asking more of America than any president since JFK.

[JoDeeVa]

Belated thoughts on this. I tend to catch up on Sat/Sun! I really enjoyed your post, Gene. I had pretty much decided to support Hillary Clinton, until the Samantha Power incident. At the same time, I have felt alienated from Barack Obama, in part due to the animosity from his supporters, but also because of his seemingly distancing himself and the campaign from even admitting that race was an issue. It is, there is no way that it cannot be. It is an American issue and we have, as a society, if not denied it, ignored and blindly accepted it for too long. I have to say I welcome this incident, as it has given Barack a forum to address it in such a thought-provoking manner. His speech touched me and I now find myself, dare I say it?..hoping that this opportunity we have all been given for intelligent discourse will move us toward healing and reconciliation. It's not the religious aspect that touched this atheist, but rather the purely simple concept of humanity and our relationships with each other, driven not by a divine being, but by human beings reaching out to each other. It does give me hope that we can change the path we have taken in this country and in the world. Thank-you for your thoughtful introspection.

[AnninCA]

I think Obama needs to address his own assumptions.

"She's a typical white person." :)

[S1m0n]

Or maybe you should reexamine yours.

Obama's observation about the perception of otherness is well confirmed by psychology. That's how people think.

~~

And in any case, if you don't know several people who are much as Obama described his grandmother, you're lying.

[jeskiley]

Agree, great post. Surprised too, where are the comments. I guess the nail can be hit so squarely on the head that all of the vibration is absorbed into the nail.

[rrafiringa]

This is exactly why so many people are scared of Obama. What they are really afraid of is change, and what change implies: uncertainty. In a world that changes almost overnight, we better be able to keep pace, and to do that we will need as a people to let go of some old habits that bog us down.
This election will determine whether Americans have turned into chickens with big guns that are afraid of real challenges, or if they have decided to be Americans once again (this is what Michelle O was talking about ) and go boldly where no one has. Obama is not only talking about it, he does it. he is changing a lot of people's mindsets.

[ruffmama]

lovely post! Thank you.

[biglover]

This is a great post. I cannot believe no one has made any comments - maybe Mr. Koo has said it so well there is nothing to comment on except that is a wonderful insight. Thank you