Barack Obama has introduced historic changes in the ethics and religion of the presidential office. This is the case in part because he is the first Afro-American to occupy the White House. My book attempts to avoid the extremes of left and right, to see the Obama phenomena with greater objectivity and perspective through a historical approach. Religion is a cultural and not just a sectarian matter. It continues to be powerful politically and culturally in the United States– for good and evil. Obama’s story is incomplete without it. His ideology already is part of the historical record; his patterns of governing are becoming evident in the midst of economic crisis as well continuing warfare in the Middle East. If one seeks to secularize his presidency radically, the view is incomplete and truncated. Religious faith remains a fascinating and powerful factor on the American political scene, with its own patterns and nuances. Obama’s relation to his former Pastor, Jeremiah Wright, nearly cost him the presidency. Ruling from the White House as President he faces intense international conflict over faith traditions in the Middle East.
My latest book is written for persons who wish to evaluate what an ambitious new leader has done and may do in the larger and longer setting of the history of his office. At the beginning of each chapter I comment on the similarities and differences between the forty-fourth President and one of his predecessors! My approach is narrative and chronological, not dogmatic. I am interested in the long term moral values and religious symbols that motivate both voters and public officials. Of course, I am not so naïve as to suppose that truth is always on one side of the election divide. Clearly, the U. S. Constitution guarantees both freedom of worship and the non-establishment of religion. But faith convictions remain a powerful ideological force in American politics.
GOD IN THE OBAMA ERA is intended primarily for general readers and is designed to help give objectivity and perspective on the debated issues. Election 2008 turned out to be a watershed contest, looking to crucial decisions of policy change on the war in Iraq, the international economy, global warming, social security and immigration. The English weekly magazine, The Economist, describes the 2008 presidential race as “religion soaked.” Yale Law School Professor, Stephen Carter, remarks that it is virtually impossible to envisage the American political scene today without faith questions. Historically religion, as both a positive and negative force, has influenced economics, international statecraft, and individual and social ethics. I seek to go beyond the rhetoric and polemics of current politics by appealing to history. George Washington himself at the outset of the presidency was explicit that religion was required to support civic morality. It is crucial to the interpretation of this book that its narrative periodicizes. It includes the symbol models and convictions of early presidents, Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, along with the thought of leading twentieth century figures. Religious models—Enlightenment, Revivalist, Social Gospel, the fundamentalist Right, for example—have been in dynamic process throughout the nation’s history!
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