Michelle Obama's Ancestry Provokes Commentary

Quick Post: The New York Times "Room for Debate" blog posted a very good, and very extended, set of comments on the reporting of Michelle Obama's mixed-race ancestry.

This is worth a look.

Related articles

• Michelle Obama's Ancestry: From Slavery to the Halls of the White House (abcnews.go.com)
• US researcher unearths Michelle Obama's slave ancestry (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Tracking Michelle Obama's slave roots (cnn.com)

Is Obama the Antichrist? Well, Of Course He Is...

The American Religion Historian Matthew Avery Sutton wields a sharp pen. His book connecting American politics and the ministry of Aimee Semple McPherson is fascinating and important. Now in a post on Religion Dispatches this week, Matt takes aim at evangelicals and their relationship to President Obama, especially in their all-too-frequent obsession over decoding biblical prophecy. While Matt may not slay the beast, I think he hits pretty close to the heart.

(Thanks again to Paul Harvey for his posting at the Religion and American History blog.)

Historian Matt Sutton doesn't hold back. He combines careful scholarship with sharp opinion. As a writer, we might say Matt has a "point of view." Even more, Matt is a scholar willing to tell people what he really thinks. Uncommon for an untenured professor.

In this post, Matt shows how it is inevitable that Obama's serene "Angel of Light" manner will be interpreted as yet another indication of the coming Antichrist.

Matt points out that "the vast majority of American evangelicals interpret the most obscure books of the Bible (Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation) in a very narrow and particular way. They believe that when these three books are read in conjunction with one another and overlaid with a few of Jesus’ statements, a hidden 'plan of the ages' emerges." And he's right. This is a holdover from the grip of dispensationalism (found in places like Scofield's Study Bible, bestselling Christian books both scholarly and popular, and frequent Sunday sermons) that has held evangelicals for most of the 20th Century.

He continues, "During the last 100 years, evangelicals have witnessed more and more evidence of these prophecies being fulfilled..." and shows how the Antichrist was predicted in the rise of leaders and various policies that emerged in this eventful time.

"So what does this mean for the Obama administration? Nothing very promising. Despite the president’s desire to find common ground with evangelicals, he is unlikely to be able to penetrate the apocalyptic fears that have characterized the evangelical movement since the Great Depression."

The flexibility of biblical interpretation and the considerable history of connecting the actions of political leaders with violent acts and natural disasters of all kinds leads these beleivers to connecting the dots of Obama's life to the determinative flow of spiritual history.

Image by jamelah via Flickr

In other words, if you look for the Antichrist, you will find him.

Matt throws up his hands and concludes:

So what can we do? Pray for the rapture. If evangelicals vanish, the rest of us might finally get better medical care, a healthier environment, a more just international community, and full civil rights for gays and lesbians. But short of this miracle, we can at least begin to understand that before Obama is able to penetrate the evangelical heart, evangelicals themselves will need to do some serious soul-searching. Rick Warren and Joel Osteen’s shallow, positive-thinking, feel-good sermonizing is not going to help them do this. Instead, it is up to the younger evangelicals to engage in serious intellectual debate and a rigorous rethinking of the theology at the root of their politics. Anything less and the doomsayers will turn fears of Obama-as-Antichrist into big business. But hell, maybe that’s just the spark the economy needs.

Here Matt tips his hand on his own politics. Nevertheless, I think Matt is right that the old-school, end-times prophetic orientation of evangelicals will keep them from ever seeing politicians who fail to live up to a conservative social agenda as being less than an agent of prophecy, accelerating the apocalyptic consummation of history.

And he raises an important question. What are the resources available for re-thinking the theology at the root of evangelical politics? Is there something that needs to be recovered from the past, perhaps Walter Rauchenbush? Reinhold Niebuhr? Is there something to be found more recently in Martin Luther King, Jr.? Or is Jim Wallis and the Sojourner's group a fruitful direction?

Obama - Work as a Spiritual Responsibility

Barack Obama's inaugural speech focused a great deal on work. I found an interesting post by John Pahl, professor of History of Christianity in North America, reflecting on the religious tones given to work in this historic speech.

I too am caught up in today's inauguration of Obama and listening to commentary beginning to "dissect" the events, prayers, and speeches flowing throughout the day. I just found on the Religion in American History blog a nice reflection on how Obama reinforced work in his inauguration speech as a spiritual responsibility:

Barack Obama's inaugural speech signaled a fascinating new twist on an old role for religion in American culture. Platitudes of civil religious discourse, exploited so effectively by recent administrations -- "sacrifice," "God's gift of freedom," and the ritual invocation of God's blessing on America -- were present, but muted. Obama's chief theme was that religions provide people with spiritual strength to be responsible citizens; to work for the common good.

No less than ten times Obama invoked "work," "works," or "workers." "Everywhere we look, there is work to be done." It is not in "worn out dogmas" that one can find the American spirit, he asserted, but "the faith and determination of the American people" is evident in "the kindness to take in a stranger . . . the selflessness of workers . . . [a] firefighter's courage." "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

The speech mixed ideals with practicality, and in a near future of economic challenge and lowered financial expectations, Obama seems to stress that work is more than just about making money but about our identity, our dignity, and our contributing connection to the broader society.

American historians will read and re-read Obama's speech for years to come. Pahl's short, thoughtful post is a first, and quite worthwhile, read.

Related articles on the Inauguration:

• VIDEO: Obama's Inaugural Address
• Make a Do-It-Yourself Pop-Up Inauguration Commemorative
• Reading assignment before Obama's speech

(Obama & Workers Image via whitehouse.gov)

Catch the Inauguration Train

I finally turned on the tv yesterday and was surprised to find that the inaguration has already started.

Image via WikipediaBarack Obama got on a train yesterday headed to and landed in Washington, DC, with masses of supporters, onlookers, and gawkers cheering and waving in the bitter cold to see the new president-elect arrive to his new home.

I should have known better, but I was expecting the grand inauguration to happen on Tuesday the 20th. You know, the whole shebang complete with senators, past presidents, the Supreme Court justice holding the Bible, with the high point Image via Wikipediabeing an epic speech from a young idealist featuring an orational finesse that will be replayed for years to come. But the excitement of this new president (for many people it's just as much about getting rid of the old one) is just too good, too exciting, to wait for. The commentary, the concerts, the coverage -- how soon can we get going?

The party started yesterday. Hundreds of thousands have already converged on the nation's capital. The official inauguration logos are up on all the major channels. And the entire lineup of professional talkers are extending their shows from one hour to 3+ hours to chat away the next three days.
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Inauguration, here we are.

I'm glad it's here. I've become more of a political junkie since 9/11, and I just can't miss this. I'll be listening for issues of race to be highlighted more than any other election since the antebellum period. I expect a whole lotta talk about the nation's first black president. I also expect to see elation and emotion from many African Americans who are grateful, awed, and inspired by the new president. I also expect non-blacks and other non-white groups to show confidence in a more diverse, multicultural America.

And I expect to hear absolutely nothing from political conservatives -- no media from them for a few days. It's Obama's show.

Other articles

• Image by √oхέƒx™ via Flickr
• Lego master craftsmen create Barack Obama's inauguration
• Talk About Race? Relax, It's O.K.
• Obama arrives in Washington
• Obama Takes Train Ride To History
• Where to watch Obama's presidential inauguration online (Andrew Nusca/The Toybox)
• Malia Obama lays on the pressure: Inaugural address 'better be good.'
• Despite Racial Leap, Disparties Linger
  

Will Obama be More Religious than George Bush?

A great post from Dan Gilgoff on the US News & World Report website says secularists will be sorely disappointed with newly-elected President Obama.


Barack Obama may prove to be a more religious president than George W. Bush. Why?


Because it seems Obama views religion as an aspect of life that can neither be arbitrarily separated from the work of government nor ignored in the lives of people.

Gilgoff on his blog offers eight points to consider:

1. Obama has vowed to expand the Bush White House's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, under a new name.

2. Obama has told me that he regularly prays to be an "instrument of God's will." That's not likely to stop when he's president.

3. The Obama transition team has had more than a dozen meetings with scores of religious groups as it works to craft its policy agenda.


4. Obama rejects the secular argument against mixing religion and government policy:

"[S]ecularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square . . . To say that men and women should not inject their personal morality into public policy debates is a practical absurdity; our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition."

5. Despite protests from gay rights advocates and the political left, Obama has stood firmly behind his decision to invite Rick Warren to give his inauguration's invocation.

6. On the campaign trail, Obama sat down with Christian right leaders even before John McCain got to them.

7. In The Audacity of Hope—a book whose title comes from a sermon—Obama writes that Democrats need to challenge the religious right for the votes of values voters:

There are a whole lot of religious people in America, including the Cover via Amazonmajority of Democrats. When we abandon the field of religious discourse—when we ignore the debate about what it means to be a good Christian or Muslim or Jew; when we discuss religion only in the negative sense of where or how it should not be practiced, rather than in the positive sense of what it tells us about our obligations toward one another; when we shy away from religious venues and religious broadcasts because we assume that we will be unwelcome—others will fill the vacuum. And those who do are likely to be those with the most insular views of faith, or who cynically use religion to justify partisan ends.

8. On the campaign trail, Obama distributed lots of literature advertising himself as a 'Committed Christian.'

Image by Getty Images via DayliAfter reading these, I thought back to how at the beginning of his presidency George W. Bush was considered to be so very religious, having stopped heavy drinking, faithfully attending Bible Study, and saying that he admired "Jesus" as his hero on the campaign trail.

Now combining Obama's past statements with his current slate of initiatives, perhaps we may all be surprised that the new president may actually promote religion in much broader, more substantive, and more expansive ways than our previous president.

What do you think?

Rick Warren-ology - Yet Another Update

(Photo Credit Mark Avery/ Reuters)

I was intrigued with yet another article about Obama's choice of Rick Warren to do the inaugural prayer. And, once again, the writer shows that Warren's rise to the national stage is new and his politics not to be equated with those on the far right.

Further, the writer pushes Obama not only as more moderate than his more strident Democratic supporters but also as committed to bringing evangelicals into mainstream America. An interesting point, and one to watch as to whether it will actually pan out.

From the article:

Obama is well aware of Warren's politics and the symbolism of his presence on the inaugural stand, and he is clearly signaling his determination to include evangelicals in his government of national unity.

Obama does not want an administration dedicated to vindicating long-excluded groups, but rather one that shows how those who have been excluded can, once invited inside, become just as mainstream in their skills, credentials, and opinions as any member of the East Coast establishment: He believes the same to be true of evangelicals.

The full article can be found here.

My own original post on Rick Warren and Saddleback Community Church is here, and my last follow up on Obama/Warren/Prayer is here.

Other articles

• Interesting Opinion Piece on the Choice of Warren as a Shift in Belief Systems
  
• Warren's church removes anti-gay statements from website.
• Maddow: Obama Choosing Warren For Invocation Is The 'First Big Mistake,' A 'Lose-Lose Proposition'

Evangelicals "Fear" Obama's Administration?

Here's an interesting article that plays on the dichotomy of Religious Right with Antagonistic Left. Although this particular article at the end moves away from a narrow characterization, this story has been re-played in other national newspapers to bring out the "hype" of "fearful evangelicals."

From the article:

Obama has endorsed faith-based initiatives and conversation about the role of religion in public life. Despite the objection of gay rights activists, he plans to have Rev. Rick Warren, a popular evangelical minister, deliver the invocation at his inauguration.

But conservative evangelicals, who had a great deal of access to the Bush administration and influenced its policies on abortion and other issues, worry that Obama's commitment to listen to the concerns of evangelicals comes with caveats on issues such as same-sex marriage and hiring gays and lesbians.

More moderate evangelicals say conservatives' concerns are premature and unwarranted. David Gushee, professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University and president of Evangelicals for Human Rights, said Obama's record and appointments have less to do with the concerns than his affiliation with the d-word.

No, not the devil—Democrats.

You can read the full article here.

What do you think?

Other articles

• Murray Fromson: Controversy, Controversy
• Obama Senior Advisor David Axlerod Defends Warren
• Obama Plays Right, The Left Faints

Video Dialogue on Religion and Politics in 2009 from Amy Sullivan and Steven Waldman

Recorded on January 1st, here's a video dialogue from Amy Sullivan and Steven Waldman on religion and politics in 2009 I found on Blogging Heads.tv:

Religion and Politics in 2009

1. Why Steve likes Rick Warren at the inauguration (07:03)
   
2. Is Obama converting Warren into a moderate? (05:17)
   
3. Evangelicals defy pundits by sticking with GOP (10:33)
   
4. Sorry, lefties—Obama really does like faith-based initiatives (08:45)
   
5. Memo to Obama: Ignore pro-life voters at your peril (10:18)
   
6. Why Christians no longer go to church on Christmas (03:03)
   

If you prefer, you can also download an mp3, and also mp4 or other formats available on the site.

Religion Predictions for 2009

Image via WikipediaHappy New Year! The new year is a time of predictions, so I thought I'd add a few of my own predictions for religion in America for 2009. Here I focus on American church life.

10 Predictions for Religion in America 2009 (mostly focused on congregations and their leaders):

1. Rick Warren's inaugural prayer will continue to draw disproportionate commentary and criticism well into February.

2. Barack Obama and family will join a church in Washington, DC -- but the actual choice is not likely to draw much attention.Image by Getty Images via Daylifet likely to draw much attention.
3. The Evangelical Left will continue to define itself by promoting leaders, putting out books, creating networks, and defining theological stances on issues like environmentalism, homosexuality, globalization, church and sate relations, and international relations.

4. While public affiliation with the Religious Right among Christians will shrink, the overall commitment among this group will deepen and polarize.Image via Wikipedia
5. Church leaders get ready: With continued economic woes, Easter Sunday Services will draw even larger attendance than recent years. Churches will also see growth in membership, catechism classes, and baptisms for both children and adults.

6. "Need ministries" of all sorts will be stretched in new directions with lay offs, foreclosures, and bankruptcy continuing through the next year. Biggest adjustment? Financial crisis counseling for upper-class and upper-middle class members.

7. Since church donations are likely to decline, church services will be affected.

• Local churches will physically move services to lower-rent spaces if they currently rent pricey facilities;
• Churches with significant mortgages or maintenance needs will open their buildings to other (and more) churches as renters; and,
• We may see churches closing from lack of ability to pay on their buildings.

8. Drops in funding will provoke more overseas missionaries to come home. They will seek more funding or leave the field and pursue further education, pastoral ministry, or another profession.

9. New church starts with funding will decline, but church starts without funding will rise. This will spur unanticipated innovations in how "church" works. And more pastors are likely to draw on income from other work beyond their church salaries.

10. Finally, developments in Israel, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia (and especially any religiously motivated terror attacks in the coming year) will continue to provoke discussions on religious tolerance and religious diversity.

What are your predictions? 

Other prediction articles

The Get Religion blog from the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life also posted a few nicely considered predictions --

Posted by E.E. Evans here,

Posted by Terry Mattingly here,


and Posted by Douglas LeBlanc here.

Why most 2009 prediction columns are boring and obvious

President-Elect Obama - Twentysomething Religion and the New Generation Gap?

A new article from US News and World Report suggests that Obama's election indicates a new generational divide. As others have speculated, there is a very real possibility that the decisive shift among younger voters to embrace more left-centrist ideas, policies, and principles is racially altering the ministry and outreach of American congregations.

From the article:

"The constituency Obama assembled during his campaign has a decided new-generational tilt. The Edison/Mitofsky exit poll tells us that Obama carried voters under age 30 by a margin of 66 percent to 32 percent. On the flip side, by my calculation, he won voters 30 and over by just 50 percent to 49 percent. That means that he won by a larger percent­age among young voters than any president and that among voters older than that, he may not have carried states with a majority of electoral votes.

"In retrospect, the only win­ning Republican strategy would have been to pass a consti­tutional amendment raising the voting age to 35."

Discerning these age-markers is tricky business, but voting patterns offer one quick way of seeing proportions of sympathies between different age groups. For evangelicals, this development signifies a continuing move away from the Religious Right as younger evangelicals simply do not believe the failure to embrace certain conservative policies means the failure to life a God-honoring life.

We have yet to see if a new form of conservatism might grip some proportion of young adults (a new, unanticipated brand of religiously committed young adults?), but today I would predict a diversification of viewpoints that will lead religiously-inclined young adults to apply a label first ("Yes, I'm a democrat...") which is quickly followed by further explanation ("and for me that means...").

I also assume that the perceived success/failure of the Obama presidency will determine whether younger adults decisively maintain their center-left profile. A rejection of such policies may be just around the corner.

Rick Warren-ology - A quick follow up

I posted an article yesterday about Rick Warren, his politics, and the development of Saddleback Community Church on this blog (scroll down a few lines) pointing to an expanded post the Religion in American History blog.

Then today I found an article that just came through the Associated Press (through Google News) that paralleled my own comments about Warren's relationship to other conservative evangelicals.

My original post is here, and the AP article is here. (Hat's off to Scott Thumma at Hartford Seminary who is quoted in the article, a sociologist who really knows this stuff.)  

Rick Warren-ology -- Some Background on Rick Warren and Saddleback Community Church

Just in time for Barak Obama's inauguration, I wrote a brief article on Rick Warren and Saddleback Community Church as a contributing editor to the Religion in American History blog, 

"With Pastor Rick Warren's inaugural prayer and the debate surrounding President Obama's invitation for him to give it, I am reminded of how little people really know about Rick Warren and his Southern California church. Warren's abrupt appearance on the political stage have various commentators sweeping this successful church leader into rants reflecting old culture-politics against the Religious Right mingled with a smattering of stereotypes about 'megachurches.'

"To give a bit of background, here's my quick attempt to fill in a few gaps."

The article gives background on the "migrants" to South Orange County and includes some background on the ministry philosophy of Saddleback Community Church as a seeker church in the Los Angeles region.  Saddleback is more than just a West Coast Willow Creek.  

More background on the development of religion in Southern California can be found in my book on Mosaic in Los Angeles and my book on Oasis in Hollywood.  

You can read the full article here.