Who Speaks for God?

A prominent evangelical pastor offers a provocative political and social manifesto for all Americans who yearn for more spirit-centered politics but are fed up with the Christian Coalition. Most people across the political and religious spectrum agree that our country is facing a moral and spiritual crisis, and that restoring "values" to our public policies and discourse has become a critical issue. But while the Religious Right have taken it upon themselves to represent Christian values, their ideas are actually counter both to the teachings of the scriptures and the historical tradition of evangelical activism, according to Jim Wallis. Who Speaks for God?is his cogent, compelling alternative vision for infusing a sense of meaning and value into current politics, built around the principles of Compassion, Community, and Civility. According to the prophets, COMPASSION--treatment of the poor, the vulnerable, the weak, the children--is the virtual measure of a nation's righteousness. Whether it builds or destroys, COMMUNITY is the second test of a nation's character, and CIVILITY--the character of political discourse, such as the "politics of blame" so often utilized by the Religious Right--is the last means of assessing a nation. These principles used together, according to Wallis, will not only adhere to basic Christian doctrine, they will transform our country. Provocative, intelligent, and sure to spark debate,Who Speaks for God?is a call to arms for re-evaluating and radically reworking today's political and social culture.

Jim Wallis is the founding editor of Sojourners magazine.