What do you think?
Rate this book
Reclaiming Hope
In this unvarnished account of faith inside the world's most powerful office, Michael Wear provides unprecedented insight into the highs and lows of working as a Christian in government. Reclaiming Hope is an insider's view of the most controversial episodes of the Obama administration, from the president's change of position on gay marriage and the transformation of religious freedom into a partisan idea, to the administration's failure to find common ground on abortion and the bitter controversy over who would give the benediction at the 2012 inauguration.
The book is also a passionate call for faith in the public square, particularly for Christians to see politics as a means of loving one's neighbor and of pursuing justice for all. Engrossing, illuminating, and at time provocative, Reclaiming Hope changes the way we think about the relationship of politics and faith.
"A pre-Trump book with serious questions for our politics in the age of Trump...More necessary than ever before." -- Sojourners
"Should be read by Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, and all who are concerned by the state of our politics." --Kirsten Powers, USA Today columnist and CNN political analyst
"Reclaiming Hope will certainly give you a fresh perspective on politics--but, more importantly, it may also give you a fresh perspective on faith."--Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Ministries
"An important and extremely timely book...Get it, read it, and talk to others about it." --Timothy Keller, author of Reason for God
"An important contribution in this age of religious and political polarization." --J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy
"A lifeline for these times." --Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts and The Broken Way
"We can hope, and this book can help us." --Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
The book is also a passionate call for faith in the public square, particularly for Christians to see politics as a means of loving one's neighbor and of pursuing justice for all. Engrossing, illuminating, and at time provocative, Reclaiming Hope changes the way we think about the relationship of politics and faith.
"A pre-Trump book with serious questions for our politics in the age of Trump...More necessary than ever before." -- Sojourners
"Should be read by Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, and all who are concerned by the state of our politics." --Kirsten Powers, USA Today columnist and CNN political analyst
"Reclaiming Hope will certainly give you a fresh perspective on politics--but, more importantly, it may also give you a fresh perspective on faith."--Andy Stanley, senior pastor of North Point Ministries
"An important and extremely timely book...Get it, read it, and talk to others about it." --Timothy Keller, author of Reason for God
"An important contribution in this age of religious and political polarization." --J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy
"A lifeline for these times." --Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts and The Broken Way
"We can hope, and this book can help us." --Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2017
67 people are currently reading
869 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wear
7 books94 followersMichael Wear is the Founder, President and CEO of The Center for Christianity and Public Life, a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution based in the nation's capital with the mission to contend for the credibility of Christian resources in public life, for the public good. For well over a decade, he has served as a trusted resource and advisor for a range of civic leaders on matters of faith and public life, including as a White House and presidential campaign staffer. Michael is a leading voice on building a healthy civic pluralism in twenty-first century America. He has argued that the kind of people we are has much to do with the kind of politics we will have.
Michael previously led Public Square Strategies, a consulting firm he founded that helps religious organizations, political organizations, businesses and others effectively navigate the rapidly changing American religious and political landscape.
Michael’s first book, Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America, offers reflections, analysis and ideas about the role of faith in the Obama years and what it means for today. He has co-authored, or contributed to, several other books, including Compassion and Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement, with Justin Giboney and Chris Butler. He also writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult Magazine, Christianity Today and other publications on faith, politics and culture.
Michael holds an honorary position at the University of Birmingham’s Cadbury Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. Michael and his wife, Melissa, are both proud natives of Buffalo, New York. They now reside in Maryland, where they are raising their beloved daughters, Saoirse and Ilaria.
Michael previously led Public Square Strategies, a consulting firm he founded that helps religious organizations, political organizations, businesses and others effectively navigate the rapidly changing American religious and political landscape.
Michael’s first book, Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America, offers reflections, analysis and ideas about the role of faith in the Obama years and what it means for today. He has co-authored, or contributed to, several other books, including Compassion and Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement, with Justin Giboney and Chris Butler. He also writes for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Catapult Magazine, Christianity Today and other publications on faith, politics and culture.
Michael holds an honorary position at the University of Birmingham’s Cadbury Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. Michael and his wife, Melissa, are both proud natives of Buffalo, New York. They now reside in Maryland, where they are raising their beloved daughters, Saoirse and Ilaria.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
February 7, 2017
During President Obama’s first term in office, Michael Wear served in the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He later directed faith outreach for the president’s 2012 re election campaign. Wear has now written a book about his experiences in the halls of power.
The book is part memoir about the behind the scenes struggles surrounding some of the administration’s signature achievements, including the adoption tax credit and making human trafficking a presidential priority. The author also reflects on some of the more controversial stories of the previous eight years, including the issues of abortion, contraception, and the president’s change of position on gay marriage.
On the subject of religious freedom, the author makes an insightful comment.
I do not believe that anyone I worked with in the Obama administration, certainly not the president, was motivated by a desire to undermine religious freedom. That was not their aim. Religious freedom is not under attack.
But it is under pressure. Religious freedom is increasingly butting up against other values in stark, personal ways, and religious freedom is often the loser in those collisions. We have a problem of pluralism, of different views and perspective. What must be declared out-of-bounds is not our diverse perspectives, but the zero-sum politics that disregards collateral damage in pursuit of a win. And the administration failed in this respect.
The author concludes by giving practical ways for Christians to be involved in our political system. While you may not agree with the author’s assessment of the Obama administration in relation to faith, you will gain insight from his account.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The book is part memoir about the behind the scenes struggles surrounding some of the administration’s signature achievements, including the adoption tax credit and making human trafficking a presidential priority. The author also reflects on some of the more controversial stories of the previous eight years, including the issues of abortion, contraception, and the president’s change of position on gay marriage.
On the subject of religious freedom, the author makes an insightful comment.
I do not believe that anyone I worked with in the Obama administration, certainly not the president, was motivated by a desire to undermine religious freedom. That was not their aim. Religious freedom is not under attack.
But it is under pressure. Religious freedom is increasingly butting up against other values in stark, personal ways, and religious freedom is often the loser in those collisions. We have a problem of pluralism, of different views and perspective. What must be declared out-of-bounds is not our diverse perspectives, but the zero-sum politics that disregards collateral damage in pursuit of a win. And the administration failed in this respect.
The author concludes by giving practical ways for Christians to be involved in our political system. While you may not agree with the author’s assessment of the Obama administration in relation to faith, you will gain insight from his account.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
April 18, 2017
Summary: Written by an Obama staffer in his Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and faith outreach director in his 2012 campaign, this is not only a narrative of that work, but also an exploration of controversial decisions made by this administration, and how Christians might think of the possibilities and practice of political involvement.
Michael Wear got involved in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign after following his rise in politics following the 2004 Democratic convention speech that brought Obama to national attention. After the election, he was appointed as a staff member in the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships under Joshua DuBois. He worked in this office, contributing to efforts to provide tax breaks for adoptions and commitment of the administration to actively fighting human trafficking. He completed his service in the Obama administration heading up the 2012 faith outreach efforts during the presidential campaign. This book discusses that work, which ended with the second inauguration, after which he launched a consulting firm.
It begins with the idealism that surrounded the election of Obama, and the early hopes of an inclusive politics. He highlights Obama's defense of the inclusion of Rick Warren against people who opposed him for his support of California's Proposition Eight. An administration that started with a concern to include differing views at the table changed as the Affordable Care Act legislation worked its way through Congress. Concerns about abortion, and the unbending resistance on the contraceptive mandate aroused a sense that the administration was engaged in a war on religion.
Likewise, Wear wrestles with seemingly sincere statements about religious faith and support of traditional marriage by candidate Obama, only for him to "evolve" to a different position, eventually supporting gay marriage, with evidence that this had been the end goal all along. It causes him to wrestle with some of his own work, including speech-writing research that drew on his knowledge of religious audiences.
In reading this, one has a sense of missed opportunities, by both the Obama administration and the political opposition, that led to a hardening of attitudes and deepening of divides. Yet for all this, Wear is neither bitter nor disillusioned. His last two chapters concern the theme of hope. The first of these concerns the error of placing hope in politics. Here he recounts a fascinating interchange between writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Washington pastor Thabiti Anyabwile over this subject. In the final chapter he talks about the important role Christians, who do not put their ultimate hope in politics, can play in reclaiming hope for engagement in the process--hope that is committed, seeks justice, and is humble. He contends there is important work to be done and for Christians to come together around in both racial justice issues and religious freedom.
This last was particularly striking. It seems like these often are treated in a mutually exclusive fashion--you can only be for one or the other. Yet we are in fact in a country where there are both deep racial inequities, and where religious freedom faces real threats. Rather than accepting partisan binaries, why not stand together in a both-and fashion on this and other issues? Similarly, he contends that since marriage has been extended to same sex partners, why not strengthen the incentives for others to marry as well and revisit the ease with which we grant divorce?
Against a temptation in the current toxic climate to withdraw, he writes:
"In the face of hopelessness, Christians cannot withdraw from their neighbors, under the impression that they are unwanted and so grant what they think the world wants. We do not love our neighbor for affirmation, but because we have been loved first. Now is not the time to withdraw, but to refine our intentions and pursue public faithfulness that truly is good news."
Wear has given us a thoughtful book about political engagement, one where we see his own growth, and yet one that does not end, like so many, in disillusion or bitterness. He models the deep resources Christian faith brings to sustain a resilience when one faces deep disappointment, opposition, or simply the realization that the road is a long one. While written out of the context of a Democratic administration, it is not a partisan version of faith in politics, but one that any thoughtful Christian, no matter their party affiliation, may read with profit.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Michael Wear got involved in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign after following his rise in politics following the 2004 Democratic convention speech that brought Obama to national attention. After the election, he was appointed as a staff member in the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships under Joshua DuBois. He worked in this office, contributing to efforts to provide tax breaks for adoptions and commitment of the administration to actively fighting human trafficking. He completed his service in the Obama administration heading up the 2012 faith outreach efforts during the presidential campaign. This book discusses that work, which ended with the second inauguration, after which he launched a consulting firm.
It begins with the idealism that surrounded the election of Obama, and the early hopes of an inclusive politics. He highlights Obama's defense of the inclusion of Rick Warren against people who opposed him for his support of California's Proposition Eight. An administration that started with a concern to include differing views at the table changed as the Affordable Care Act legislation worked its way through Congress. Concerns about abortion, and the unbending resistance on the contraceptive mandate aroused a sense that the administration was engaged in a war on religion.
Likewise, Wear wrestles with seemingly sincere statements about religious faith and support of traditional marriage by candidate Obama, only for him to "evolve" to a different position, eventually supporting gay marriage, with evidence that this had been the end goal all along. It causes him to wrestle with some of his own work, including speech-writing research that drew on his knowledge of religious audiences.
In reading this, one has a sense of missed opportunities, by both the Obama administration and the political opposition, that led to a hardening of attitudes and deepening of divides. Yet for all this, Wear is neither bitter nor disillusioned. His last two chapters concern the theme of hope. The first of these concerns the error of placing hope in politics. Here he recounts a fascinating interchange between writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Washington pastor Thabiti Anyabwile over this subject. In the final chapter he talks about the important role Christians, who do not put their ultimate hope in politics, can play in reclaiming hope for engagement in the process--hope that is committed, seeks justice, and is humble. He contends there is important work to be done and for Christians to come together around in both racial justice issues and religious freedom.
This last was particularly striking. It seems like these often are treated in a mutually exclusive fashion--you can only be for one or the other. Yet we are in fact in a country where there are both deep racial inequities, and where religious freedom faces real threats. Rather than accepting partisan binaries, why not stand together in a both-and fashion on this and other issues? Similarly, he contends that since marriage has been extended to same sex partners, why not strengthen the incentives for others to marry as well and revisit the ease with which we grant divorce?
Against a temptation in the current toxic climate to withdraw, he writes:
"In the face of hopelessness, Christians cannot withdraw from their neighbors, under the impression that they are unwanted and so grant what they think the world wants. We do not love our neighbor for affirmation, but because we have been loved first. Now is not the time to withdraw, but to refine our intentions and pursue public faithfulness that truly is good news."
Wear has given us a thoughtful book about political engagement, one where we see his own growth, and yet one that does not end, like so many, in disillusion or bitterness. He models the deep resources Christian faith brings to sustain a resilience when one faces deep disappointment, opposition, or simply the realization that the road is a long one. While written out of the context of a Democratic administration, it is not a partisan version of faith in politics, but one that any thoughtful Christian, no matter their party affiliation, may read with profit.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
February 7, 2017
I needed this book. I heard about Michael Wear's work before the election. Little did I know then the sinking feeling in my gut I'd have over 2 months later. I'm losing hope.
Wear's book shares what it was like to work in a faith office under President Obama. I appreciated his reports of the good and the bad during Obamas 8 years. There are matters I had forgotten; such as the meetings with evangelical leaders Obama held at the beginning of his first term. Hearing some evangelicals talk about Obama today, you can imagine why this memory is so distant. Wear talks about Obamas movements in faith, in abortion/adoption numbers, in healthcare, and more.
But the hope...the hope for me came at the end of the book. Wear reminds me that "Christians have an obligation to be involved in politics, but we do not belong to our politics.". It's true. And while I am so overwhelmed by national politics at the moment, he gives advice in participating locally.
The election did not turned out as I'd hoped. But it did give me energy to do something about it. "Reclaiming Hope" motivates me further.
Wear's book shares what it was like to work in a faith office under President Obama. I appreciated his reports of the good and the bad during Obamas 8 years. There are matters I had forgotten; such as the meetings with evangelical leaders Obama held at the beginning of his first term. Hearing some evangelicals talk about Obama today, you can imagine why this memory is so distant. Wear talks about Obamas movements in faith, in abortion/adoption numbers, in healthcare, and more.
But the hope...the hope for me came at the end of the book. Wear reminds me that "Christians have an obligation to be involved in politics, but we do not belong to our politics.". It's true. And while I am so overwhelmed by national politics at the moment, he gives advice in participating locally.
The election did not turned out as I'd hoped. But it did give me energy to do something about it. "Reclaiming Hope" motivates me further.
December 31, 2019
Religion had become polarized in our country, in part, because we were only hearing from polarizing religious leaders. - Page 183
This was one of the more interesting books I read this year. Reclaiming Hope is one of many books written by staffers at the Obama White House, but this one was written from the perspective of a Christian, working in the Faith-Based Initiatives office. It's interesting to see some of the big events from that era through his eyes, and it's even more interesting to see a lot of the smaller things that his office tackled, many I had never heard about - court cases especially.
He's honest about the successes and failures during the Obama years, and he's clear about who was to blame, regardless of party. He didn't agree with the president on every issue (and his take on the president's own Christianity was very enlightening), but in his role was given a lot of opportunity to do good for the Kingdom of God.
Since our identity is not found in our politics, we are freed up to pursue unlikely alliances, consider other points of view, and love our political enemies. - Page 215
This book is a great reminder that Christians are not allowed to be aligned with a political party. Our mission, as he puts it, "is not victory, but faithfulness." Being obedient to God every day will take us on a path that will not line up with Republican or Democrat ideologies. This is one of three books I read this year that tackled this idea well (the others being American Gospel and Simply Jesus).
This isn't a perfect book. It's not well-edited. It's obvious he originally intended to publish this while Obama was still in office, because there are parts that imply he's still president as of the writing and parts where he's writing from the perspective of the current administration. He gets the name of a court case wrong. But this kind of book is very needed and I can look past the errors.
We need more books by actual Christians, actually doing God's work out in the world.
This was one of the more interesting books I read this year. Reclaiming Hope is one of many books written by staffers at the Obama White House, but this one was written from the perspective of a Christian, working in the Faith-Based Initiatives office. It's interesting to see some of the big events from that era through his eyes, and it's even more interesting to see a lot of the smaller things that his office tackled, many I had never heard about - court cases especially.
He's honest about the successes and failures during the Obama years, and he's clear about who was to blame, regardless of party. He didn't agree with the president on every issue (and his take on the president's own Christianity was very enlightening), but in his role was given a lot of opportunity to do good for the Kingdom of God.
Since our identity is not found in our politics, we are freed up to pursue unlikely alliances, consider other points of view, and love our political enemies. - Page 215
This book is a great reminder that Christians are not allowed to be aligned with a political party. Our mission, as he puts it, "is not victory, but faithfulness." Being obedient to God every day will take us on a path that will not line up with Republican or Democrat ideologies. This is one of three books I read this year that tackled this idea well (the others being American Gospel and Simply Jesus).
This isn't a perfect book. It's not well-edited. It's obvious he originally intended to publish this while Obama was still in office, because there are parts that imply he's still president as of the writing and parts where he's writing from the perspective of the current administration. He gets the name of a court case wrong. But this kind of book is very needed and I can look past the errors.
We need more books by actual Christians, actually doing God's work out in the world.
July 21, 2020
Michael Wear is a man I respect a lot after finishing this book. His thoughtful Christian engagement in politics transcends partisan politics and instead provides a model that I hope to emulate. He is alienated from both mainline parties by being guided by a consistent Biblical ethic rather than a spliced up politically expedient platform of both the Republican and Democratic parties.
If this type of Christian politician engagement sounds appealing, check out his organization The AND Campaign - doing great things. They also just came out with a book today (Compassion and Conviction) that I’ll be starting shortly!
If this type of Christian politician engagement sounds appealing, check out his organization The AND Campaign - doing great things. They also just came out with a book today (Compassion and Conviction) that I’ll be starting shortly!
March 17, 2025
“For Christians, one inescapable conclusion of this extraordinary command is that we are obliged to work for the benefit and the flourishing of all people, whether or not they see the world as we do or agree with us in any way. Christians' obligation is not to their "tribe," but to their God—a God who cares deeply for all people. If a Christian's political ideas and actions are not intended toward the good of their "enemies," their political witness is not Christian in its char-acter. When it is, the entire body politic benefits.”
frankly a micheal wear book never fails! still laughing at the jd vance review being the one to make the cover on a pro obama book … 2024 makes 2017 look so tame
frankly a micheal wear book never fails! still laughing at the jd vance review being the one to make the cover on a pro obama book … 2024 makes 2017 look so tame
June 15, 2018
Such an important book! Highly recommended.
March 4, 2020
I could not recommend this book more. On policy where I agree with Michael, I find him challenging me to be more kind and empathetic, to be more rounded in my political engagement and to consider my neighbor. Where I disagree, I find Michael charitable and considerate. He shows no preference and is honest to a fault with those he supports and those he opposes.
July 26, 2017
He seems reluctant to come out and say it, but I think that he believes he was snookered into working for a guy who claimed to be a Christian and often said all the right things, but when it came down to it, his actions invariably aligned with the Marxist (and frankly, anti-Christian) ideologues that now dominate his party. It is nevertheless a thoughtful and interesting read, as he reflects on how we can work together for good even with people with whom we may disagree.
Read
February 7, 2017I listened to this in the wave of resuscitating my political life, which I think is now dying again. Michael Wear was a staffer for Obama, pretty much the "Christian on Board" in the Obama Administration.
Well, he was very HOPEFUL, as you might expect. He sounded pretty young to me, so fresh, so enthusiastic. Poor guy. I hope he's okay post-election. The book just came out, so it would be interesting to hear him now.
The analysis was fairly lightweight, though the message was good.
I think listening to it has contributed, however, to my disenchantment with politics. I hope I don't go through this obsession/disintegration cycle every twenty years (I left my non-lucrative political "career" about twenty years ago). Right now, we're also binging on "The West Wing"--which we've never seen. All of it combined interests me immensely, but saddens me too. The overall effect might be a bad taste in my mouth.
I'm blown away by the attention paid to polling, by the way people make a big deal out of stupid things, by the way politics seems to take over a person rather than the person taking over politics. It's hard to be good in this milieu.
Wear is a good guy. I genuinely appreciated his liberal concerns, as--hey--they're probably mine too. (This election put the Scarlet L on my chest.) I think it's pretty tough to reconcile Christianity with the two parties, so he tries to make sense of his leftist heart.
But it's a little unconvincing? That's okay. We could use more guys like him in politics.
My favorite part was towards the end, where he surprisingly takes on heavy-hitter/Real Deal Ta Nahesi Coates for his theories. I read Coates last year, and I agreed with the analysis. Coates, who is NOT lightweight, abandons hope. He decries "The Dream," the hope of a Promised Land. Paraphrasing him, Coates has said that a philosophy married to hope is divorced from Truth. Yikes.
Wear bravely rejects this, and makes the case for hope.
Also of note: Wear identifies two major issues that challenge us. Race and religious liberty. I think he's right.
Well, he was very HOPEFUL, as you might expect. He sounded pretty young to me, so fresh, so enthusiastic. Poor guy. I hope he's okay post-election. The book just came out, so it would be interesting to hear him now.
The analysis was fairly lightweight, though the message was good.
I think listening to it has contributed, however, to my disenchantment with politics. I hope I don't go through this obsession/disintegration cycle every twenty years (I left my non-lucrative political "career" about twenty years ago). Right now, we're also binging on "The West Wing"--which we've never seen. All of it combined interests me immensely, but saddens me too. The overall effect might be a bad taste in my mouth.
I'm blown away by the attention paid to polling, by the way people make a big deal out of stupid things, by the way politics seems to take over a person rather than the person taking over politics. It's hard to be good in this milieu.
Wear is a good guy. I genuinely appreciated his liberal concerns, as--hey--they're probably mine too. (This election put the Scarlet L on my chest.) I think it's pretty tough to reconcile Christianity with the two parties, so he tries to make sense of his leftist heart.
But it's a little unconvincing? That's okay. We could use more guys like him in politics.
My favorite part was towards the end, where he surprisingly takes on heavy-hitter/Real Deal Ta Nahesi Coates for his theories. I read Coates last year, and I agreed with the analysis. Coates, who is NOT lightweight, abandons hope. He decries "The Dream," the hope of a Promised Land. Paraphrasing him, Coates has said that a philosophy married to hope is divorced from Truth. Yikes.
Wear bravely rejects this, and makes the case for hope.
Also of note: Wear identifies two major issues that challenge us. Race and religious liberty. I think he's right.
September 25, 2017
This was an interesting book when read as an insider's take on the Obama White House and some of the hot-button social issues that played out during that administration. But for me, it was also an uncomfortable book when read (as I had to read it) as a fellow Christian presenting a picture of Barack Obama that is dramatically different than my own. So while it was not easy, it was good for me to read this book and consider the perspective of a believer who is outside my insular little faith world.
In his early chapters, Michael Wear characterizes himself as a political neophyte, eager and earnest. In my view, he was far to quick to accept Obama's words about faith, as those words seem to me to be brought into question by many of Obama's actions during his presidency. Still, Wear makes a good case that Obama at least used more direct Christian language than many other politicians have dared to do and that an attempt was made (whatever the motives may have been) to find a place for faith in government, at least during Obama's first term.
Wear does seem to hint at feelings of disillusionment with Obama over certain decisions, most notably the president's "evolution" on the question of "same-sex marriage." But it appears that Wear deals with these issues forthrightly, not attempting to sweep the administration's actions under the rug.
At the end, Wear makes a case for maintaining hope as believers engage in the American political process, and for that I applaud him. We certainly need people of principle, faith, and hope in government.
In his early chapters, Michael Wear characterizes himself as a political neophyte, eager and earnest. In my view, he was far to quick to accept Obama's words about faith, as those words seem to me to be brought into question by many of Obama's actions during his presidency. Still, Wear makes a good case that Obama at least used more direct Christian language than many other politicians have dared to do and that an attempt was made (whatever the motives may have been) to find a place for faith in government, at least during Obama's first term.
Wear does seem to hint at feelings of disillusionment with Obama over certain decisions, most notably the president's "evolution" on the question of "same-sex marriage." But it appears that Wear deals with these issues forthrightly, not attempting to sweep the administration's actions under the rug.
At the end, Wear makes a case for maintaining hope as believers engage in the American political process, and for that I applaud him. We certainly need people of principle, faith, and hope in government.
April 11, 2017
I appreciated a new perspective on Obama's White House. I didn't follow politics closely in 2008 (or 2012, really), and so a lot of the details/controversies passed me by. While I didn't fully align with the vehement opposition, my conservative roots didn't allow me to side with him either. I appreciated learning more about his positions and actions during Wear's tenure. Although Wear obviously supported the President enough to campaign for him (twice), I thought this was a pretty even handed approach to the topics. He both defends and questions.
The concluding chapters were compelling enough for me to consider buying the book. Wear dives right into the questions of Christian engagement with politics, religious freedom, race, and what now.
Can't imagine recommending this book to a die-hard Obama supporter, but for the moderates and conservatives, it is a thoughtful and balanced book that will hopefully cause the reader to question presumptions even while it may affirm other conclusions.
The concluding chapters were compelling enough for me to consider buying the book. Wear dives right into the questions of Christian engagement with politics, religious freedom, race, and what now.
Can't imagine recommending this book to a die-hard Obama supporter, but for the moderates and conservatives, it is a thoughtful and balanced book that will hopefully cause the reader to question presumptions even while it may affirm other conclusions.
May 10, 2024
This was definitely an interesting read. It was a small peak into how campaigns and administrations were run when working on certain issues. The 2008 election was the first one I voted in so I was really intrigued to hear what an insider, who was also a christian, had to say. As it was published a few days before Trump's inauguration it lacks a lot of the current political issues that we're facing now. The last chapter is about reclaiming hope and, while some of his suggestions seem correct, I'm having a hard time imagining some of them working in our deeply divided communities. However, I know it just taking one person making the first move to change things, and with God nothing is impossible.
March 18, 2019
The majority of this book is about the authors time working for the Obama administration. I expected to be more interested in this part than I was. The last few chapters are gold though and would be helpful to any person of faith struggling to find their voice in the political landscape. A favorite quote from the book:
“For Christians, one inescapable conclusion of this extraordinary command is that we are obliged to work for the benefit and the flourishing of all people, whether or not they see the world as we do or agree with us in any way. Christians’ obligation is not to their “tribe,” but to their God - a God who cares deeply for all people.”
“For Christians, one inescapable conclusion of this extraordinary command is that we are obliged to work for the benefit and the flourishing of all people, whether or not they see the world as we do or agree with us in any way. Christians’ obligation is not to their “tribe,” but to their God - a God who cares deeply for all people.”
June 30, 2017
Great look at faith in the Obama administration. Wear recounts both the highs and lows of the Obama White House's dealings with faith, providing a nuanced perspective about where American Christians stand today in relation to government. He possesses a skilled writing style that's enjoyable to read and leaves you thinking long after you've finished reading.
March 10, 2023
“So Christians are led to politics by this logic: we know that we are to seek the good of our city and nation, and we are therefore motivated to seek the good in our politics as well.”
May 3, 2018
Read this book as part of a JBU book club (thanks Dan Bennett!) two weeks before a campus visit from author Michael Wear. Really informative look about the politics of faith (for Democrats in particular) from someone with the credentials to talk seriously about such things. Wear's honesty about the tough times in the Obama White House, as well as the victories gleaned, made it a worthwhile read.
July 3, 2019
A very important read - regardless of which side of the aisle one is on. An inside look into the role faith played in the Obama administration - both the contributions and the mistakes along the way. There are lots of lessons to be learned from this book for how Christians - and all people of faith - can and should engage politics as a concrete way to "love our neighbor."
July 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this and really appreciated his candor.
March 9, 2017
An interesting look at religion in the White House. I don't agree with everything he says, but it's worth the read.
March 2, 2017
This made me feel a lot of feels about faith and politics.
March 7, 2017
To some extent, people may read this book and take from it only what is consistent with what they believe. That would be too bad.
The essence of this book is that only hope rooted in Christ is trustworthy. This doesn't mean Christian's shouldn't participate in the political forum, actually, Mr. Wear states the opposite point, but that our hope should not be put into politics, the president or anything else.
Although I don't share Michael Wear's political party, there isn't much in this book that I disagree with. This is an important book that I hope will be read by many people, with an open mind. Our opinion on many topics should be driven by our core principles and moral beliefs, more than our political affiliation. Unfortunately, this often is not the case.
Recommend
The essence of this book is that only hope rooted in Christ is trustworthy. This doesn't mean Christian's shouldn't participate in the political forum, actually, Mr. Wear states the opposite point, but that our hope should not be put into politics, the president or anything else.
Although I don't share Michael Wear's political party, there isn't much in this book that I disagree with. This is an important book that I hope will be read by many people, with an open mind. Our opinion on many topics should be driven by our core principles and moral beliefs, more than our political affiliation. Unfortunately, this often is not the case.
Recommend
February 20, 2017
While there's much to appreciate about Reclaiming Hope, I found the timing unfortunate. The book was released too early to comment on Trump's cataclysmic election, and too late to do anything about it. That said, Wear's vision of a world in which Christians would work for the good of all is an admirable one; unfortunately, I can't see the people who really need to hear the message ever reading the book.
March 20, 2017
For years I considered myself apolitical. Yet I have found, as I have gotten older, that to not be political is to be political. It's difficult to be part of either political party when neither holds firmly to the beliefs that I do. In many ways, I'm conservative and, in others, I am liberal (particularly in regards to social justice). I have never voted straight party ticket but have thoroughly investigated and checked the stances on specific issues for each candidate and then voted according to my conscience and after much prayer.
Growing up in a very conservative Republican and Protestant home, the closest my family had to a saint was Ronald Reagan. My mother's ideal for me was to be like Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox's character on the TV show Family Ties). I was taught that I was:
1. A Christian
2. An American
3. Southern
4. Republican
And all of those things were blessings of God.
This is how I was raised yet, as I got older and the more I read my Bible, I began to question. Yet I struggled to find a candidate who I could fully support.
In 2008, a candidate ran on the platform of hope and the dignity of all. Despite the odds, Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States. It was an historic election that made many wonder if our country had turned a corner, particularly in regards to race.
Now, over eight years later, we have watched as all of that has changed into fear, distrust and discrimination. During this last election, I, like many, grew weary of the polarizing divisiveness of American politics and of the system itself. Many are losing hope. The author, Michael Wear, writes, " . . . I believe it is an error to identify Barack Obama - or any candidate or political movement - as the source of our hope. But at the same time, I do not want to dismiss his 2008 campaign as an illusion, to reduce it to a cautionary tale of the dangers of political commitments. There was real promise in that moment. Many hundreds of his campaign staff would say he changed their lives. For thousands of volunteers, first-time voters, and all who felt their voices were finally heard in our political process, the Obama campaign affirmed their dignity. If only politics did this all of the time."
At the age of twenty-one, Michael Wear served in the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships under President Obama. Reclaiming Hope is part memoir, part political observation and a book of ultimate hope and faith. Wear writes candidly and honestly about the highs and lows surrounding that administrations achievements. He also writes openly of something many overlooked or dismissed: President' Obama's strong faith. Seldom did the media cover it, partly because many in the White House did not want them to just as there were many in the Democratic party who were unhappy that Obama continued the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership (which was started under Bush and many on the left felt should've been abandoned). Obama championed vocally for the inclusion of not only that Office but voices of faith to be heard. He was disappointed when many in the Evangelical Church either doubted his Christianity and falsely labeled him "Muslim."
Wear writes, "In 2010, respected academics David Campbell and Robert Putnam concluded in their landmark book, American Grace, that partisan politics were directly to blame for the rise of religiously unaffiliated Americans. 'The growth of the nones,' Campbell argued, 'is a direct reaction to the intermingling of religion and politics in the United States.' Evangelical writer Jonathan Merritt was more blunt in his assessment: 'As American Evangelicals have become more partisan, American Christianity has suffered as more shy away from the faith."
Yet, despite many people's claims to the opposite, President Obama's Christian beliefs showed up again and again in his speeches, especially those given at each National Prayer Breakfast. He referenced his Christian faith more than the sainted Ronald Reagan. He spoke of how his beliefs shaped so much of how he viewed the world, others, and reaching out to help those in most desperate need. He spoke of being the Good Samaritan and he was "... the politician who injected the phrase 'I am my brother's keeper' into the political lexicon."
Michael Wear's book is balanced in his assessment of his former boss. He writes of watching the President change his position of gay marriage, as well as his attempt to find common ground between those who are Pro-Life and Pro-Choice to create ways to lessen the number of abortions in the United States. He also writes of achievements such as including the adoption tax credit and making human trafficking a major priority for his administration. This is an honest appraisal that balances both the highs and lows of being a Christian in the center of the public square.
Instead of the politicization of religion that so many in office use as a way to get elected, Michael Wear rights of the compelling need of real faith to intersect with politics. For those who have abandoned hope, this book is much needed and one will rediscover the reason for hope in the last two chapters. This is the hope that is more than a political slogan or bumper-sticker.
As we see our political system so mired down in ugliness and we seem more and more divided on issues, we should heed the words President Obama spoke at the 2010 National Prayer Breakfast:
"At times, it seems like we're unable to listen to one another; to have a serious and civil debate. And this erosion of civility in the public square sows division and distrust among our citizens. It poisons the well of public opinion. It leaves each side little room to negotiate with the other. It makes politics an all-or-nothing sport, where one side is either always right or always wrong when, in reality, neither side has a monopoly on the truth. And then we lose sight of the children without food and the men without shelter and the families without health care. So what's the answer? Empowered by faith, consistently, prayerfully, we need to find our way back to civility."
Yes, our political system desperately needs civility.
Our social media needs to be open to polite discourse that, while it does not always have to agree, it should always be respectful without breaking down into coarse, vulgar and incendiary comments.
All of us needs to truly and prayerfully be "empowered by faith."
Faith in what?
Not in a political candidate or party. As Wear writes in the introduction, "Politics is causing great spiritual harm and a big reason for that is people are going to politics o have their inner needs met. Politics does a poor job of meeting inner needs, but politicians will suggest they can do it if it will get them votes. The state of our politics is a reflection of the state of our souls."
Indeed.
Wear offers us more than politics, more than false hope and how we can truly reclaim real and lasting hope.
It doesn't matter whether you're Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal, there is something in this book for everyone. This was one of the books I was most excited about this year and it did not disappoint. It's no wonder that it's gathered endorsements from J.D. Vance, Tim Keller, Russell Moore, Ann Voskamp and Sara Groves among others.
Growing up in a very conservative Republican and Protestant home, the closest my family had to a saint was Ronald Reagan. My mother's ideal for me was to be like Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox's character on the TV show Family Ties). I was taught that I was:
1. A Christian
2. An American
3. Southern
4. Republican
And all of those things were blessings of God.
This is how I was raised yet, as I got older and the more I read my Bible, I began to question. Yet I struggled to find a candidate who I could fully support.
In 2008, a candidate ran on the platform of hope and the dignity of all. Despite the odds, Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States. It was an historic election that made many wonder if our country had turned a corner, particularly in regards to race.
Now, over eight years later, we have watched as all of that has changed into fear, distrust and discrimination. During this last election, I, like many, grew weary of the polarizing divisiveness of American politics and of the system itself. Many are losing hope. The author, Michael Wear, writes, " . . . I believe it is an error to identify Barack Obama - or any candidate or political movement - as the source of our hope. But at the same time, I do not want to dismiss his 2008 campaign as an illusion, to reduce it to a cautionary tale of the dangers of political commitments. There was real promise in that moment. Many hundreds of his campaign staff would say he changed their lives. For thousands of volunteers, first-time voters, and all who felt their voices were finally heard in our political process, the Obama campaign affirmed their dignity. If only politics did this all of the time."
At the age of twenty-one, Michael Wear served in the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships under President Obama. Reclaiming Hope is part memoir, part political observation and a book of ultimate hope and faith. Wear writes candidly and honestly about the highs and lows surrounding that administrations achievements. He also writes openly of something many overlooked or dismissed: President' Obama's strong faith. Seldom did the media cover it, partly because many in the White House did not want them to just as there were many in the Democratic party who were unhappy that Obama continued the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership (which was started under Bush and many on the left felt should've been abandoned). Obama championed vocally for the inclusion of not only that Office but voices of faith to be heard. He was disappointed when many in the Evangelical Church either doubted his Christianity and falsely labeled him "Muslim."
Wear writes, "In 2010, respected academics David Campbell and Robert Putnam concluded in their landmark book, American Grace, that partisan politics were directly to blame for the rise of religiously unaffiliated Americans. 'The growth of the nones,' Campbell argued, 'is a direct reaction to the intermingling of religion and politics in the United States.' Evangelical writer Jonathan Merritt was more blunt in his assessment: 'As American Evangelicals have become more partisan, American Christianity has suffered as more shy away from the faith."
Yet, despite many people's claims to the opposite, President Obama's Christian beliefs showed up again and again in his speeches, especially those given at each National Prayer Breakfast. He referenced his Christian faith more than the sainted Ronald Reagan. He spoke of how his beliefs shaped so much of how he viewed the world, others, and reaching out to help those in most desperate need. He spoke of being the Good Samaritan and he was "... the politician who injected the phrase 'I am my brother's keeper' into the political lexicon."
Michael Wear's book is balanced in his assessment of his former boss. He writes of watching the President change his position of gay marriage, as well as his attempt to find common ground between those who are Pro-Life and Pro-Choice to create ways to lessen the number of abortions in the United States. He also writes of achievements such as including the adoption tax credit and making human trafficking a major priority for his administration. This is an honest appraisal that balances both the highs and lows of being a Christian in the center of the public square.
Instead of the politicization of religion that so many in office use as a way to get elected, Michael Wear rights of the compelling need of real faith to intersect with politics. For those who have abandoned hope, this book is much needed and one will rediscover the reason for hope in the last two chapters. This is the hope that is more than a political slogan or bumper-sticker.
As we see our political system so mired down in ugliness and we seem more and more divided on issues, we should heed the words President Obama spoke at the 2010 National Prayer Breakfast:
"At times, it seems like we're unable to listen to one another; to have a serious and civil debate. And this erosion of civility in the public square sows division and distrust among our citizens. It poisons the well of public opinion. It leaves each side little room to negotiate with the other. It makes politics an all-or-nothing sport, where one side is either always right or always wrong when, in reality, neither side has a monopoly on the truth. And then we lose sight of the children without food and the men without shelter and the families without health care. So what's the answer? Empowered by faith, consistently, prayerfully, we need to find our way back to civility."
Yes, our political system desperately needs civility.
Our social media needs to be open to polite discourse that, while it does not always have to agree, it should always be respectful without breaking down into coarse, vulgar and incendiary comments.
All of us needs to truly and prayerfully be "empowered by faith."
Faith in what?
Not in a political candidate or party. As Wear writes in the introduction, "Politics is causing great spiritual harm and a big reason for that is people are going to politics o have their inner needs met. Politics does a poor job of meeting inner needs, but politicians will suggest they can do it if it will get them votes. The state of our politics is a reflection of the state of our souls."
Indeed.
Wear offers us more than politics, more than false hope and how we can truly reclaim real and lasting hope.
It doesn't matter whether you're Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal, there is something in this book for everyone. This was one of the books I was most excited about this year and it did not disappoint. It's no wonder that it's gathered endorsements from J.D. Vance, Tim Keller, Russell Moore, Ann Voskamp and Sara Groves among others.
February 20, 2024
SUMMARY: In the introduction to Reclaiming Hope Michael Wear provides a fitting definition of reclaim which includes recovering a wasteland. Most Americans, no matter where they stand on the political spectrum, would agree that our current political climate is a wasteland. The means always justify the ends--especially if it humiliates and defeats the opponent. Compromise is blasphemy. Partisanship is king. Simply put elected officials and the voting public have lost hope.
"Our moral imaginations have shrunk. Our self-confidence, nagged by the suspicion that what we need most might be outside ourselves, has limited our capacity to dream," Wear writes.
Reclaiming Hope is part memoir and part theological exhortation for Christians to get involved in politics. Wear details his time working for Barak Obama's administration where he helped get the Illinois United States Senator elected in 2008 and then worked for the president as a staffer for faith outreach for four years. Wear candidly discusses the highs and lows of working for the Obama administration. He details the negotiations, the lessons learned, the emotional highs and the lows, the frustrations, and the friendships forged.
Unlike many political memoirs, Wear does not focus on bashing former colleagues. Nor does he have any salacious stories. Wear admires Obama and is proud of the work he did during his time, but he does not hold back on where the administration tripped up. It is a forthright glimpse into the inner workings of an administration from the vantage of one of the many staffers who keep the wheels of government moving.
Wear recalls a handful of times during Obama's first term when the hope was palpable. For example, the Obama administration started an initiative to work with leaders from a variety of faiths to help kids in foster care. Through the program, the program was able to cut the number of kids in foster care in half. And yet Wear, although not explicitly stating it, started to lose hope during the campaign to reelect Obama in 2012. The hopeful feeling and willingness to compromise from the first election campaign was gone replaced with partisanship and a desire to win no matter the cost. Wear places part of the blame on "data drive politics"-- a feature of our current political climate that is wreaking havoc on voters across the United States.
"Data-driven politics is incompatible with aspirational politics," Wear writes. "It is willing to sacrifice a broader coalition for a few bucks, a dozen hours of free airtime, and an angrier base."
At the end of 2011 when he is finished his work with the Obama administration, he finds himself in his favorite restaurant in Washington D.C. reflecting on what he experienced. One feels that Wear is on the precipice of taking a step back from politics. And yet he finds hope, not in the Obama administration or the Democratic party, but in the hope of Jesus and his coming kingdom, and this hope propels him to stay involved in politics.
In the final chapter, Wear makes a strong argument for Christians to get involved in politics. He argues that it is not only our civic duty but is a tangible way to put our faith into action by loving our neighbor. As Christians, we simply do not have the option to disengage. In fact, Wear believes that Christians should stay involved in the Democratic or Republican parties as being involved in a political party is the most effective way to get our voice heard and can help temper the extremes on each side.
"In a two-party system of government, in a party-based system of government of any kind, to become an independent is to check out of the system," Wear argues. "It is to unilaterally disarm, to give up one of the primary levers we have as citizens to influence our political system. Withdrawal is not a prophetic message that those in power ought to shape up. They are not listening. Your voice is not heard when you don't show up."
So, whether you are beat down and a Republican, disenfranchised and an Independent, or frustrated and a Democrat, Wear implores Christians of all political persuasions to show up and hope.
"Hope is always reclaiming; it is always transforming that which was a wasteland, which was previously thought unfit for use, into something that can be cultivated, which can yield a harvest. When the pundits and prognosticators say we should withdraw, that there is no way forward, hope gives us the eyes to see new possibilities. It is this new vision, a gift from hope, that will allow us to see our politics anew."
Hope is a commitment to the political process. Hope is pursuing justice rooted in the image of God and love of neighbor. Hope is engaging with humility and respect. Practically this means voting, writing a letter/e-mail to your representatives, volunteering, and investing time, money, and talent in political advocacy organizations.
"Withdrawal from politics and our political parties is not the answer. The Republican Party needs now more than ever Christians advocating from within for a position, for example, on immigration reform that respects human dignity and takes the consequences of deportation on families seriously. The Democratic Party needs now more than ever Christians advocating from within for a recognition, say, that abortion is not a moral good, that it is not how a just society addresses unintended pregnancies, and that a respect for human dignity and a sense of protecting the vulnerable extends to those not yet born.
"The Christian's duty is the same as every citizen: to affirm what is good and speak out against that which is not."
KEY QUOTE: "Christians have an obligation to be involved in politics, but we do not belong to our politics. Since our identity is not found in our politics, we are freed up to pursue unlikely alliances, consider other points of view, and love our political enemies. In hope and humility, we can partner with and learn from people of different faiths, backgrounds, an ideological perspectives and across racial boundaries. Hope opens these doors. Hopeful politics are inclusive, because hope is open to possibility. We look for it everywhere."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
"Our moral imaginations have shrunk. Our self-confidence, nagged by the suspicion that what we need most might be outside ourselves, has limited our capacity to dream," Wear writes.
Reclaiming Hope is part memoir and part theological exhortation for Christians to get involved in politics. Wear details his time working for Barak Obama's administration where he helped get the Illinois United States Senator elected in 2008 and then worked for the president as a staffer for faith outreach for four years. Wear candidly discusses the highs and lows of working for the Obama administration. He details the negotiations, the lessons learned, the emotional highs and the lows, the frustrations, and the friendships forged.
Unlike many political memoirs, Wear does not focus on bashing former colleagues. Nor does he have any salacious stories. Wear admires Obama and is proud of the work he did during his time, but he does not hold back on where the administration tripped up. It is a forthright glimpse into the inner workings of an administration from the vantage of one of the many staffers who keep the wheels of government moving.
Wear recalls a handful of times during Obama's first term when the hope was palpable. For example, the Obama administration started an initiative to work with leaders from a variety of faiths to help kids in foster care. Through the program, the program was able to cut the number of kids in foster care in half. And yet Wear, although not explicitly stating it, started to lose hope during the campaign to reelect Obama in 2012. The hopeful feeling and willingness to compromise from the first election campaign was gone replaced with partisanship and a desire to win no matter the cost. Wear places part of the blame on "data drive politics"-- a feature of our current political climate that is wreaking havoc on voters across the United States.
"Data-driven politics is incompatible with aspirational politics," Wear writes. "It is willing to sacrifice a broader coalition for a few bucks, a dozen hours of free airtime, and an angrier base."
At the end of 2011 when he is finished his work with the Obama administration, he finds himself in his favorite restaurant in Washington D.C. reflecting on what he experienced. One feels that Wear is on the precipice of taking a step back from politics. And yet he finds hope, not in the Obama administration or the Democratic party, but in the hope of Jesus and his coming kingdom, and this hope propels him to stay involved in politics.
In the final chapter, Wear makes a strong argument for Christians to get involved in politics. He argues that it is not only our civic duty but is a tangible way to put our faith into action by loving our neighbor. As Christians, we simply do not have the option to disengage. In fact, Wear believes that Christians should stay involved in the Democratic or Republican parties as being involved in a political party is the most effective way to get our voice heard and can help temper the extremes on each side.
"In a two-party system of government, in a party-based system of government of any kind, to become an independent is to check out of the system," Wear argues. "It is to unilaterally disarm, to give up one of the primary levers we have as citizens to influence our political system. Withdrawal is not a prophetic message that those in power ought to shape up. They are not listening. Your voice is not heard when you don't show up."
So, whether you are beat down and a Republican, disenfranchised and an Independent, or frustrated and a Democrat, Wear implores Christians of all political persuasions to show up and hope.
"Hope is always reclaiming; it is always transforming that which was a wasteland, which was previously thought unfit for use, into something that can be cultivated, which can yield a harvest. When the pundits and prognosticators say we should withdraw, that there is no way forward, hope gives us the eyes to see new possibilities. It is this new vision, a gift from hope, that will allow us to see our politics anew."
Hope is a commitment to the political process. Hope is pursuing justice rooted in the image of God and love of neighbor. Hope is engaging with humility and respect. Practically this means voting, writing a letter/e-mail to your representatives, volunteering, and investing time, money, and talent in political advocacy organizations.
"Withdrawal from politics and our political parties is not the answer. The Republican Party needs now more than ever Christians advocating from within for a position, for example, on immigration reform that respects human dignity and takes the consequences of deportation on families seriously. The Democratic Party needs now more than ever Christians advocating from within for a recognition, say, that abortion is not a moral good, that it is not how a just society addresses unintended pregnancies, and that a respect for human dignity and a sense of protecting the vulnerable extends to those not yet born.
"The Christian's duty is the same as every citizen: to affirm what is good and speak out against that which is not."
KEY QUOTE: "Christians have an obligation to be involved in politics, but we do not belong to our politics. Since our identity is not found in our politics, we are freed up to pursue unlikely alliances, consider other points of view, and love our political enemies. In hope and humility, we can partner with and learn from people of different faiths, backgrounds, an ideological perspectives and across racial boundaries. Hope opens these doors. Hopeful politics are inclusive, because hope is open to possibility. We look for it everywhere."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
February 4, 2020
A refreshing book from a Christian who worked in the Obama White House.
February 5, 2017
Michael Wear's excellent book, exploring faith and politics, as a faithful Christian who served in the Obama White House. Wear provides helpful insight into the political quagmire in DC, giving both appropriate affirmation and critique of the priorities of the Obama Administration and how political calculations on both sides have contributed to the current climate. Grounding his work in a deep faith in Christ as our true hope, he reminds us of the good that political engagement can be.
Personally this was helpful for me as I have given up on politics and just feel angry and frustrated most of the time when it comes to the political climate today.
Personally this was helpful for me as I have given up on politics and just feel angry and frustrated most of the time when it comes to the political climate today.
March 7, 2017
A timely book that will encourage and challenge Christians of various political persuasions. Wear doesn't shy away from either his Christian or Democratic convictions and retells his story with a hopeful and critical eye. This intellectual honesty and integrity is welcomed and strengthens the final chapters of the book where he discusses his ultimate source for hope. It's a well written, easy read, that is worth your time.
June 8, 2018
Loved it!
August 8, 2020
I loved this and thought the subject material was interesting, but it wasn't a life-changing book, by any means, and the writing was pretty basic. It is worth reading to hear Wear's perspective on Obama's religious initiatives, as well as his emphasis at the end on a Christian's hope not residing in any political party or leader. A good reminder.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews