Defending the Faith The Great Awakening by Jim Wallis

Last updated on: May 9, 2013 at 6:09 am by Faithful Democrats

Defending the Faith The Great Awakening by Jim Wallis 2013-05-09T06:09:08-06:00 Faithful Democrats

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Interestingly, my pastor recently asked the question in our small

group, “Today, who’s defending the faith?” The first name that came to
my mind was Jim Wallis, but I knew my pastor and no one in the room
other than my wife were familiar with Jim so I blurted out Billy Graham.

I never mentioned Jim Wallis during our small group discussion;
however, he is an unwavering biblically-based and progressive
evangelical that is defending our faith. I first discovered Jim Wallis
and his commentary during the ’04 Presidential election cycle as I
stumbled upon the Sojourners website, and shortly after, I bought Jim’s
book, God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It.

I read some parts from Jim’s upcoming book The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America.
Dr. Richard Land of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
summed up Jim’s efforts nicely: “Despite our significant public policy
differences, I commend Jim Wallis for advocating religious belief as an
invaluable resource in addressing the urgent moral and social crises of
our time.”

The book, The Great Awakening, walks the reader through past
spiritual revivals and explains how revival creates both inward
spiritual change and outward public change for justice and compassion.
The book recalls leaders of previous revivals such as John Newton. John
Newton wrote the words we all know, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.” Well, Newton was a slave trader or a
wretch in his own words, and his life was transformed by Jesus Christ.
John Newton’s spiritual conversion eventually helped to end slavery in
England. The great awakening for John Newton was personal but helped to
produce national social and political change.

So I titled this post “Defending the Faith.” The Great Awakening
contains a chapter called, "How to Change the World, and Why". Included
in this chapter is a very thought provoking sentence which reads, “Faithfulness comes before effectiveness.”
In other words, 'what would Jesus do?' does matter. Jim Wallis often
quotes Martin Luther King, Jr., and he paraphrases King to support his
statement, “those being faithful to their convictions are more crucial
to a society than those who conform to the culture in order to be more
‘effective’”. Our faith matters, and it is the faith of a mustard seed
that moves mountains. Guess what? We have some big mountains to move.

You can read more about the book, The Great Awakening, at www.sojo.net/greatawakening.

Orignally published @ adamparish.org

Reader Blogs

Previous Post

January 24, 2008

Despising Democracy

Next Post

January 30, 2008 "Give-Em-Hell" Harry Remembered

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category About Us About Us Action Center Advertise Ask a Theologian Ask a Theologian Blogs Books Campaign Blog Candidate Spotlights Commentary Donate Facebook Featured Writers Fellows Fellows From the Pulpit General Information Hillary Clinton Interfaith Blog Latest Media Center Media Center Media Center MyBlog MyBlog News Newsflash Newsflashes Our Team Reader Blogs RSS Sermon of the Week Shop Social Networking Static Items Support Talking Points Test blogs The Basics Theology Uncategorized YouTube

Select a Month November 2020 October 2020 February 2020 August 2019 July 2018 July 2017 March 2017 February 2017 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 January 2006 August 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the main Christian group in Ethiopia called?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Baptist Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Assemblies of God Pentecostal

Defending the Faith  The Great Awakening by Jim Wallis

What is the main Christian group in Ethiopia called?

Defending the Faith The Great Awakening by Jim Wallis