Product Description

Get inside the mind and soul of Barack Obama

In The Faith of Barack Obama, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Mansfield takes readers inside the mind, heart, and soul of presidential hopeful Barack Obama—as a person of faith, as a man, as an American, and possibly as our future commander in chief.

America faces looming inflation, climate change, a national credit crisis, war in the Middle East, threats to security and liberty at home, and skyrocketing oil and gas prices.

With all of these threats to our security, prosperity and freedom on the horizon, it has never been more important to choose the right leader for America.

“If a man’s faith is sincere, it is the most important thing about him, and it is impossible to understand who he is and how he will lead without first understanding the religious vision that informs his life,” writes Mansfield.

In The Faith of Barack Obama, Mansfield holds back nothing to share that vision and explain its roots, including:

• Obama’s upbringing in a non-Christian home
• the influence on his life from his agnostic mother and Muslim father
• his remarkable turn to Christianity after working in the inner cities of Chicago
• his years at the controversial Trinity United Church of Christ
• his association to the radical teachings of Rev. Jeremiah Wright
• the source of Obama’s relentless optimism and hope for America

Every American voter concerned to know more about Obama’s beliefs, both religious and political, and how the two intertwine should read this book, as should every thinking person who continues to shape and evolve his or her religious beliefs.

Barack Obama, according to Mansfield, is “raising the banner of what he hopes will be the faith-based politics of a new generation . . . and he will carry that banner to whatever heights of power his God and the American people allow.”

“You must read this perceptive and well written book. Then you will know why Barack Obama has such a passion for justice and equity, such a gift for filling people of different generations with a newfound hope that things can and will change for the better.”

—ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #73072 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

About the Author
Stephen Mansfield is the New York Times bestselling author of The Faith of George W. Bush, The Faith of the American Soldier, Benedict XVI: His Life and Mission and Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill, among other works of history, biography and contemporary culture. His interest in First Amendment religion issues arises from his decades of work among American churches and his efforts on behalf of religious liberty in the Middle East. Stephen lives in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Beverly. For more information, log onto www.mansfieldgroup.com.

Customer Reviews

Quick Review - Faith of Barak Obama
When I finished reading the book I couldn't help but wonder about the title. Yes, the book has as centralized theme of Senator Obama. However, I found that particularly in the center sections, that Mansfield would seem to lose his focus and he would be off on an expose about the Reverend White and what he believes and teachers, or in another section what McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Bush believe. He does weave Obama into these sections but it is almost secondary. It felt to me as if Mansfield wanted to write a book about faith in politics but didn't have enough material so he wrote the book about Obama and then added these other materials throughout.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Since faith in politics is a common theme in our elections I think it is important to cut through the rhetoric and really try to understand what the candidates believe. Obama himself believes that faith ought to influence governance, and Mansfield does a good job at describing the faith that Obama is bringing to the political arena. A faith that by Obama's own admission, should be considered in the election since it will influence the way he governs.

The Faith of Barack Obama-well worth the read
The Faith of Barack Obama

At first look I was not sure what to expect out of this book. Was it the unauthorized religious biography of President elect Obama or would it have enough dept to allow readers around the world a chance to understand this man's religion?
What I found was a solid offering from author Stephen Mansfield. Although a bit formulaic I found this book to be a quick and thought provoking read. It is short, less than one hundred and fifty pages and only six chapters.
Mansfield does a nice job of explaining the wonderful mixed-up upbringing of Barack Obama, Catholic primary school with Mass every morning, Islamic services on the weekends and a professed atheist as a mother, all things that have lead this man to be more than a little wary of organized religion. Most of one chapter dispels the current urban myth of Obama as a Muslim, now or in the past, it just never happened. In the early eighties his heart lead him to become a member of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's, "United Church of Christ." The church fit him both personally and professionally and likely benefited him politically. This part of the book is a must read and a real eye opener to people from mainstream WASP environments. It does a fine job of explaining the feelings of a very educated, very complicated leader like Jeremiah Wright.
The fifth chapter of this small book is of interest to anyone that takes more than a passing interest in politics/religion in America. This chapter entitled, "Four Faces of Faith," focuses on the religious beliefs of the four big political players in this year's presidential race; President Bush, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and President elect Obama.
Although the book may not do anything to convince evangelical Christians that he is the right person to lead America it will at least give hope to the far right that he is not anti-Christian, anti-American or anti-white. The only bad taste left for the far right may be Mr. Obama's unyielding stance as a pro-choice liberal, a section that Mansfield covers very well in this book.
Overall this book is an excellent read, showing a side of our next president that most Americans will embrace. It is a truly open look at a man that has already lead a truly extraordinary life.

Illumination and Revelation
Mansfield's work is engaging and illuminating. I learned so much about a candidate that I had closely followed. I learned more about the state of religion in post-modern America. I am grateful for all that Mansfield includes here on Jeremiah Wright and the state of the Black Church, providing a helpful corrective to the media persecution of one who has consistently preached the Gospel in the prophetic manner of the the original Jeremiah. Indeed, in order to understand Obama, a large section of this book is devoted to Trinity and the Rev. Wright.

What we discover is not a faith that fits with American civil religion, but one that is very familiar and understandable to those who are committed to Jesus Christ above everything- including country. It is no surprise to those who have followed Obama's candidacy that he fits with the Sojourners Red Letter evangelical Christians. It is a surprise to learn here that, until now, we've never had a President raised in a non-Christian home. Which means until now, we've never had a President who made a full-on conversion to Christianity, rather than simply being raised in the faith. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it's rather mind-blowing to realize that, for the first time, we'll have a President who fully chose the faith of Christianity.

If you hate Obama or love him, if you are a woman of faith or a man who sneers at those under such delusion, you should read this book. This is about the man who is soon to be the most powerful man on Earth. It's not just about his private or personal faith. It's about the first Democrat who believes that faith should actually influence his leadership and decisions.