Why I Wrote "The Great Awakening"

God's Politics called on people to take back their faith after it had been "hijacked" by the Religious Right. Millions of Christ­ians have done just that, and now the question is what are we going to do with our faith, now that we have it back? My new book, The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America, addresses that question.

My friend E.J. Dionne Jr., a Washington Post syndicated columnist, has read the new book and describes how it is different from the last one. "The Great Awakening is the perfect successor to God's Politics," Dionne says. "If the earlier book helped open our eyes to what had gone wrong, The Great Awakening ... provides an historical and theological foundation for a transformative public religion."

When I am asked what has changed since God's Politics, I reply, "Everything." The subtitle of God's Politics was "Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It." Well, the hard Right continues to get it wrong, but evangelicals are leaving the Religious Right in droves. Meanwhile the Left is starting to get the idea that politics should be about values and that religion has much to contribute to progressive politics.

Two things in particular have changed. First, we now see the "leveling of the praying field" as many Democrats are rediscovering their own reli­gious roots, with many coming out of the closet as people of faith. And their candidates are actively reaching out to the faith community. Perceived as the "secular party" in recent years, hostile to religion and values, Democrats are becoming a much more faith-friendly party--that's a real sea change.

Second, and more important, the agenda of the faith community--especially the evangelical community--is changing dramatically to include issues such as poverty and pandemic diseases, environmental care and climate change, trafficking and human rights, genocide, war and peace.

That change could significantly impact politics in the 2008 election. The Great Awakening explores the new broader and deeper faith agenda and shows how a new spiritual "revival" could spark real social and political change. Already, in the early primaries the clear victor is "change," revealing the deep hunger in America for a new direction in politics, which many on both sides of the spectrum believe to be badly broken. All the candidates are now competing to convince voters that they are the best change agents. Hopefully, The Great Awakening will be the spiritual and movement companion book to that political hunger.

Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, says that many evangelicals are ready for just such a "justice revival." He says, "We are interested in the poor, in racial reconciliation, in global poverty and AIDS, in the plight of women in the developing world."

And Rich Nathan, senior pastor of the Vineyard Church of Columbus, Ohio, says that "there is a spiritual awakening across America ... on behalf of the poor and the most marginalized."

Adam Hamilton, pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, wants to "fan the flames of the 21st-century revival within Ameri­can Christ­ianity. This revival is a reclaiming of the fullness of the gospel--a gospel that invites people into relationship with God through Jesus Christ, transforms them from the inside out, and then calls them to pursue justice, to practice radical compassion, and to both pray and work for God's kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven."

The new book traces the history of "great awakenings" of the past, in the U.S. and world history, and then points to what is occurring now. I wrote the book because I believe it's "movement time" again.

U2's Bono, in one of the book's endorsements, says, "I had always been a skeptic of the church of personal peace and prosperity ... of righteous people standing in a holy huddle while the world rages outside the stained glass. But I've learned that there are many people of the cloth who are also in the world--and, from debt cancellation to the fight against AIDS and for human rights, they are on the march."

The Great Awakening speaks of two great hungers in our world today--the hunger for spirituality and the hunger for social justice. I believe that the connection between the two is one the world, and especially a new generation, is waiting for. The Great Awakening makes that vital connection and shows how spiritual renewal will likely be a necessary part of social change, and how perhaps only genuine spiritual revival can spark social and political transformation.

As a longtime social activist, I am now convinced that we will not get to social justice without spiritual revival. The book lays out seven key commitments that--if made on the personal, communal, and public policy level--could provide the "tipping point" on many of the key moral issues that we confront today.

I am not just saying that another Great Awakening may be coming. I'm convinced that it has already begun, and the book begins to tell its stories. As I've often said, this could be a revival that calls us to find common ground by moving to higher ground. It could transcend traditional divisions and bring people together across the theological and political spectrum on the major moral issues of our time. It asserts that religion should not be a wedge to divide us, but a bridge to bring us together.

As a teenager, I went to the black churches of Detroit after being kicked out of my white evangelical church. It was in the black churches that I first encountered the explosive combination of spiritual power and social change, and I have adopted that vision as my own.

In the months of working on this book my writing, praying, and vocational discernment got nicely tangled together. So I didn't just finish a book; I also got a clearer sense than ever before of what the next steps might be and what I am supposed to be doing. We decided to organize "Justice Revivals" in cities across the country, beginning this spring in Columbus, Ohio, where I recently met with a wide variety of pastors and leaders to prepare for this three-day gathering of preaching, praise, and a call to do justice.

It's the vision of the book, and a vision we are beginning to put into practice--a Justice Revival may be coming soon to a city near you.

Visit The Great Awakening Web site for more information and exclusive bonus content.

Comments

[JacktheBlogger]

"Perceived as the 'secular party' in recent years, hostile to religion and values, Democrats are becoming a much more faith-friendly party--that's a real sea change."

As a Democrat I am deeply offended by this observation. A great myth has been exposed - the GOP as the values-based party - during this "faith-based" presidency of George W. Bush.

It's been hard to keep track of the numerous sex scandals involving GOP congressmen (Larry Craig, Mark Foley, David Vitter, etc.) that have occurred during the Bush presidency.

How about the GOP corruption scandals? The Daily Kos site lists 34 GOP party officials who have been found guilty for various felonies so far, another 17 under indictment! There are just too many names to mention - but a simple Google search can satisy the curious.

How about the GOP commitment to marriage? It's even reflected in the current GOP presidential candidates save one - Mitt Romney, who fails to understand that his party's commitment to marriage means that you got to try it more than once!

So I guess the "real sea-change" is that the GOP has finally been exposed as a party that preaches faith and values but practices something quite different!

Mr. Wallis, I watched you on "The Daily Show" last night and I thought you were fabulous. I am sure that your book is well-intentioned, but I needed to put the record on the Democratic party straight.

Thank you!

[Jaidit]

Reverend Wallis spoke at my synagogue a few years ago. In his talk, he decried politicians whose every word is based on which way the political winds were blowing. During the questions, I asked about one of the (still) hot button topics of day: same-sex marriage.

Reverend Wallis gave a waffling answer, the sort given by politicians when holding something back. He said, "I support full rights for gay and lesbian Americans."

Unfortunately, the same thing is said by many other politicians as a preface to "but I cannot support same-sex marriage." (This is true of both Democrats and Republicans.)

So, like DrD, I'm been conditioned to fear the word "values," since so often it's been used to exclude people from their full civil rights.

And Reverend Wallis, once again, do you support the right of same-sex couples to marry under civil law? I know at least one rabbi who would be happy to sign the state paperwork for same-sex couples.

[wondering]

The religious experience in human beings can be viewed as a hierarchy, with at least 4 levels:

Level I (the lowest level) comprises the polytheistic religions, where we assign a little angry god to every phenomenon - a rain god, a sun god, a god of war.

Level II is acheived when we coalesce all these godlings into one EXTERNAL god - making it easier to know who to grovel before. Traditional Western religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) are stuck at this level. This level would seem to be an improvement over polytheism, but this one external god is still a petty, angry, (usually male) tyrant sitting on a cloud throwing lightning bolts.

Level III is to INTERNALIZE god - to find god in each of us. People who have acheived this level recognize the absurdity of a white-bearded superman, but they still need the security blanket of belief. Buddhists (though probably not Buddha himself) and some modern Western religionists (moderate christians and the like) are stuck here.

Level IV (the highest level) is to drop the need for the god concept altogether - i.e., to choose atheism. The Buddha acheived enlightenment when he attained this level. The fourth level is reached when you realize that every version of the supernatural is unnecessary - whether god is external or internal doesn't matter.

Only when you reach this fourth level will you begin to face up to the Big Questions with honesty and your own cognitive abilities. Only then will you begin to develop a morality based on reason and human compassion - rather than the threat of a supernatural spanking. Only by embracing atheism will you become a fully realized human being.

When you finally come to atheism, you will look back on religion with incredulity - you can only shake your head and laugh. This is why the Buddha is often depicted as laughing. But dropping the need to believe in god can be the most difficult thing you will ever do. Remember : The slave often comes to love the slave-master, but he is still a slave. Good luck on your journey.

[martinspringfield]

No more Great Awakenings. They are more like Great Zombiefications.

How about more Enlightenments, Renaissances, Scientific Revolutions, Glorious Revolutions (since we have a dynastic monarch in need of deposing if not defenestration)?

Blind faith - a tautology, since religious faith is by definition and by necessity blind, deaf, and dumb - no matter what pieties are attached to it, always decays into mindless moralizing. Just look at how quickly Jesus' disciples corrupted his message of a new covenant into an insurance policy for eternal life, and Paul corrupted the message of Jesus' followers into a nasty neomanichean game of saved and damned.

Let's start looking ahead to the future and when we look to that past, look to the classical scientists, philosophers, artists for our true intellectual heritage. The religions of Abraham are a blight on the world.

[Nutcase]

I have yet to read your book but this blog and some reviews give me the impression that you have seen the trend. I see the trend as considerably less developed than you seem to. There is hope but I guess I see a much slower trip.

One demurrer. You wrote of the victory of change. Although the word change has been bandied about by all of the candidates, Clinton, Obama and the Republicans are tied to the corporations. That is not a path to change. By being tied to them, change has lost.

cognito ergo populistae

[deb123]

When I was eleven, the pious congregation of my grandmother's church planned a meeting after services to discuss the "problem" of having four black kids attend my public school. That was a long time ago and the last time I attended any church. The Golden Rule was the only positive thing I took with me. If so-called Christians become inclusive and sincerely practice what they preach, it would be a glorious thing, but if they continue to discriminate against anyone for any reason or hold their creed as the ONLY way, then they will, and should, fail. As human beings, we need to care about our planet and ALL its inhabitants and whatever it takes to encourage that realization would be a welcome change.

[DrD]

What do you mean by values? Do values mean that you're not gay and that you don't have an abortion? The word "values" scares me. Values and morality are subjective. Why don't you talk about love. Love is compassionate, kind, merciful and forgiving. Love is also courageous. If you talk about love, maybe I'll listen.

[January]

Emerson said that it was the responsibility of the teacher "to raise and cheer." That's never easy, as is evident from all the bitching and moaning about religion in this thread.

I relate the meaning of the sacred to its root idea of sacrifice. That has become an almost unheard of idea in a society where only "losers" sacrifice.

But when I look around to see what holds my world together, it is the care that is given without thought of return. I learned about that from religion. Not only there, to be sure, but most convincingly there. Religion understands the importance of gifts for which we can be grateful. I love such a message no matter who delivers it. Even bitchers and moaners are forgiven.

[Duky]

As a secular humanist I don't need to change my focus to suddenly decide to care about poverty or social justice. They have always been important to me. I see no reason to give praise to a "christian" who has seen the light. These people can just as easily turn on me tomorrow and burn me at the stake all in the name of god. I put the equality, welfare, dignity, and rights of people above a god. Know your history. It has been the free thinkers of this country who have stated real progressive changes including the antislavery movement, suffrage and, oh yeah, the war for our independence. The churches have always followed very slowly and reluctantly behind. You have a right to your religion and I hope it comforts you.

[BeerHolder]

When has Christianity improved anything? Has the Ten Commandments made us better? Thou shalt not kill? Really? Since when? Did I miss something?

Christians kill all the time for any reason. Look at Bush. How many people knew that when he was elected president, they were going to die? Think of it. A man gets elected president half-way across the world and it means your death. What would you do if you knew you were going to die based on who was elected in say, India or Swazyland?

They should call it "Faith Based Murder".

[BeerHolder]

The bible is the last place I would look for "moral justice". I don't need the bible to be a moral person. I'm doing just fine without it and have all my life. Jesus is not my role model or Christianity my religion. I have always cared about the downtrodden and the environment.

I am the way I am because of my parents who are both great people. I am the way I am because I care. Not because of some book or some guy who lived over 2000 years ago.

[realpolitic]

Now that evangelicals are broadening their concerns, I feel they will be taken more seriously by the rest of us and not looked at solely as haters. As a Catholic, I have valued our church's focus on social justice and collective responsibilty, as opposed to just individual morality and salvation. The sole focus on individual salvation is too lonely a call. But I would like to thank Mr. Wallis for bringing a compassionate voice to the debate and helping the evangelical church broaden its message.

[stell]

One only needs a conscience to see this. Religion is wholly unnecessary.
Where is the evidence that so-called evangelicals are leaving the Religous Right in droves?
2. If Christian faith is an evangelicals reason for living, why does it need reviving?
3. Church leaders simply seem to be changing with the times and don't deserve praise for doing what's correct anyway in an effort to boost dwindling attendance.

[Quaoar]

"First, we now see the "leveling of the praying field" as many Democrats are rediscovering their own reli­gious roots, with many coming out of the closet as people of faith."

Give me a break. Being a person of faith and more specifically a Christian is the default position in our society. There is no need to come out of the closet. It's far more difficult and courageous for a non-religious politician to come out of the closet, since to do so would be electoral suicide.

"And their candidates are actively reaching out to the faith community."

Actively reaching out to the faith community = pandering. Politicians rarely invoke "God" except for calculated efforts to gain votes.

"As a longtime social activist, I am now convinced that we will not get to social justice without spiritual revival."

Does your version of "social justice" include full reproductive freedom for women, full equality for homosexuals including gay marriage, and tolerance for people who do not believe in a higher power? If not, then your spiritual revival may be part of the problem, not part of the solution.

[happytrails]

By definition, caring about the environment, poverty, hunger war, etc., etc. is the LIBERAL agenda. Always has been, always will be. It is so for Liberals of faith and for Liberals of no faith. And Liberals have been asking why so many people of faith seem not to live their faith. Why so many people of faith are more concerned with proselytizing than with witnessing. If there has been a change among some faithful and they want to join Liberals, then welcome. If want to join us in creating a more just and loving world, welcome. Just do not try to make us live by your RULES. You are welcome, your ideas are welcome but your RULES are not welcome. Do you get the distinction?