Anyway, I am reading this book at just the right time. Funny how we pick up just what we need on the journey. I can tend to get a bit burned out and discouraged by the political partisanship, the faith communities unproductive alliances, and the media's inability to understand the role of faith in public life.
Just look at how the media and general population has no idea what to do with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, and Rev. Hagee. I'm not saying I agree with their positions or their choice of words, the attitudes they reveal, etc. I mean to say that in the entire public conversation, I have heard little that articulates the prophetic nature of faith communities. Roland Martin, a CNN commentator, tried to get at this point, referring to the radical nature of Dr. King's message and life as well as the long tradition in African-American churches of speaking against injustice regardless of the perpetrator. (Yes, that means even the USA can be an oppressor at times.)
I am comfortable with this voice, probably due in large part to my years spent among the Mennonites. I didn't always understand the positions presented - nuclear proliferation in the 1980's, pacifism in general, conscientious objector status, an opinion that GW Bush would put us in a war, immigration issues, the call for forgiveness of foreign debt, etc. But more and more, I get it. Point by point, I confess my blindness. I learn, as my Mennonite friends have taught me well, that I am first a citizen of heaven, with allegiance to the way of Christ over ANY man-made political power structure, be it nationalistic, ethnic, or economic to name a few. I get it now today more than yesterday; I repent humbly and try to move ahead with greater integrity in living the Kingdom life. It is a Kingdom here and now as much as we will make it so - following in the way of Jesus, infused by the Spirit.
Well, this has turned into a far too lengthy post. If you care to read some excerpts from Wallis' book, read on. I hope it whets your appetite for more of his writing!
When religion becomes conformed to the culture, it can no longer provide a reliable path to spirituality, and our public life loses its moral compass. The two dominant forms of religion in our time have failed to provide the spiritual guidance that might inform a politics of moral conscience. Both conservative and liberal religion have become culturally captive forces that merely cheer on the ideological camps with which each has identified. And religion as a political cheerleader is invariably false religion.
Conservative religion has become preoccupied with words and dogma. Correct religious language and doctrine have replaced an emphasis upon faithful living and action. A certain lifestyle is associated with conservative religion, but it reveals more about the cultural and political biases of its adherents than about the meaning of authentic faith. Personal piety has become an end in itself instead of the energy for social justice. Religious language has little or no connection to moral action in society. In a bargain for power, some conservative religious leaders have aligned themselves with reactionary political elements, creating a particularly bizarre and frightening combination of religion and politics. In the most materialistic culture in history, conservative religion has produced a gospel of prosperity. In a society whose inequitable distribution of resources has become obscene, conservative religion has become a defender of the wealthy. Within the greatest military superpower in the world, conservative religion has become a primary advocate for extending American hegemony and a consistent defender of the nation's every war. In an already divided and polarized society, the religious right has drawn even firmer boundaries. It has been a white religion, has fueled the backlash against women's rights, and has used blatant caricatures and attacks on homosexuals as highly successful fund-raising techniques.
The confusion and rejection of Christian faith caused by this unholy alliance of religious appeals and right-wing politics are now pervasive. Liberal religion has made its own pacts with political power and has aligned itself with the liberal power centers of the society. Often its "political correctness" reflects the values of liberal elites more than the authentic voice of the powerless, in whose name liberal religion often claims to speak. Reforming our language for the sake of, for example, racial and gender justice is important. But ideological conformity undermines prophetic integrity.
..... Prophetic spirituality is the alternative to the current manifestations of conservative and liberal religion. Much older than either of the contemporary religious options, the prophetic biblical tradition is rooted in the Hebrew sages, Jesus, and the early Christian community. Prophetic spirituality has found expression in virtually every renewal and reform movement in history that has sought to return to radical religious roots. ... a prophetic spiritual movement for social change has been steadily growing and is making a difference in the institutions of both religion and society. ... It relates biblical faith to social transformation; personal conversion to the cry of the poor; theological reflection to the care for the environment; core religious values to new economic priorities; the call of community to racial and gender justice; morality to foreign policy; spirituality to politics; and, at its best, it transcends the categories of liberal and conservative that have captivated both religion and politics.
** The art is a painting by Jay Lonewolf Morales entitled "Humility Holds on Flesh Falls".
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