{"id":38312,"date":"2024-09-17T08:00:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T15:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=38312"},"modified":"2024-09-17T06:11:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T13:11:05","slug":"my-washington-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/my-washington-post\/","title":{"rendered":"My Washington Post: 3 Inspectional Reviews and Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The two authors represented in this post, come from very different backgrounds. Brett Fuller has served as a Senior pastor in his church for 30 years and he has served as an advisor to Republican president, George Bush. Jim Wallis is a theologian and political activist and has served as a spiritual advisor to Democratic president, Barack Obama. Both men have evidence of a love for Jesus, a commitment to the church, and have actively engaged in US politics as Christians. I anticipate the opportunity to hear their unique opinions on the challenges of leadership in America today.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Brett Fuller, Dreaming in Black and White<\/em><\/p>\n

Fuller wrote this book in 2020, at a time when racial tension was particularly heightened in America. This book is about reconciliation of the races. Fuller\u2019s dream for the church and the world is rooted in Jesus’ prayer for unity, found in John 17, and a vision of the heavenly throne room from Revelation. While sharing his journey, Fuller describes himself as a man who has always lived between the two worlds of black and white, having to translate the experience of one to the other. He has helped people understand one another. This has shaped his perspective of how reconciliation occurs. Fuller’s key argument in this book is that deeply understanding the experience of others is crucial before there can be true reconciliation. He makes the appeal to both groups of people to listen to one another, to seek to understand one another, and to forgive one another. The epilogue of the book reveals his belief that the battle being fought is ultimately spiritual. A battle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. He calls Christians to fight this battle prayerfully, lovingly, humbly and strategically. While, he believes that politics plays a role in legislation, true reconciliation can only take place through those who fight the battle with spiritual weapons.<\/p>\n

Questions<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. As someone who has stood between both worlds and acted as a translator, what has been most difficult for you?<\/li>\n
  2. Your argument is wonderfully based on biblical principles, what role could politics play in healing the racial wounds in America?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Brett Fuller, High Ceilings<\/em><\/p>\n

    In this book, Fuller proposes a hybrid egalitarian-complementarian position. This is a third way to view male and female relationships. He proposes, marriage as the place in which complementarian relationships are most appropriate. His key argument for a complementerian marriage is based on the fallen nature of relationships, with authority now designated to the man. However, the authority was not to be abused, but rather exercised in a sacrificial way to help the woman flourish. His argument for an egalitarian church is based on giftedness rather than gender. The lines of authority applied within marriage, do not apply to relationships outside of the context of marriage. Thus, women are free to assume any role of authority within the church. In brief, the only ceiling for a woman is that of giftedness, as it is for a man.<\/p>\n

    This is a brief read, 42 pages in my Kindle edition. It is not a theological treatise but rather a pastoral approach to these gender issues that seem to trip the church up regularly.<\/p>\n

    Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. If men are the authority in the home and women assume more traditional ways of being in marriage, how does the egalitarian-complementarian model not give way to a male-dominated leadership in the church?<\/li>\n
    2. How has the third way been received by people on both sides of the debate? Is there a view that struggles with your position more than the other? Why do you think that is?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Jim Wallis, God\u2019s Politics<\/em><\/p>\n

      In God\u2019s Politics, Jim Wallis writes about the unique interplay between religion and politics. Wallis sides with neither of the two US parties but challenges the political landscape. He argues that the role of religion is not to side with a party but rather to act as a prophetic voice to both. He notes that the privatization of religion has driven it underground and weakened its ability to speak publicly to those in power from a solid moral ground. This trend has forced religious people to pick a side based on issues rather than truth. The right ignores the issues of justice while the left dismisses faith. The book is divided into six sections. The first section identifies the current problem between faith and politics and then casts a vision to change the script. The next five sections outline a prophetic approach for the church on key political positions and policies. Wallace doesn\u2019t tell the reader what to think on these issues but helps them to think critically and biblically. This honest and comprehensive book is filled with hope and a compelling vision for the church beyond partisan politics. I found it refreshing.<\/p>\n

      Questions:<\/em><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. If you wrote this book today, how would it be different?<\/li>\n
      2. Are there other factors, since you wrote the book other than the privatization of religion, that have further weakened the prophetic voice of the church? What do you think they are?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        The two authors represented in this post, come from very different backgrounds. Brett Fuller has served as a Senior pastor in his church for 30 years and he has served as an advisor to Republican president, George Bush. Jim Wallis is a theologian and political activist and has served as a spiritual advisor to Democratic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":204,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3011,3208,3250],"class_list":["post-38312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dglp03","tag-fuller","tag-wallis","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/204"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38312"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38312\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38506,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38312\/revisions\/38506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}