Jim Wallis - The (Un)Common Good: How the Gospel Brings Hope to a World Divided

2013, 2014 by Jim Wallis

Published by Brazos Press

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 495166287

www . brazospress .com

Ebook edition created 2014

Ebook corrections 07.10.2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Originally published in hardcover in 2013 as On Gods Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasnt Learned about Serving the Common Good .

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4412-2182-7

Unless noted otherwise, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ASV are from the American Standard Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked Message are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

The internet addresses , email addresses , and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication . They are provided as a resource . Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence .

Author is represented by Creative Trust, Inc., Literary Division, 5141 Virginia Way, Suite 320, Brentwood TN 37027, www.creativetrust.com .

Personal/political, religion/politics, faith/power, ideology/pragmatism... Jim Wallis is a wrestler of values, ideas, and policies and how they interact to shape the world we live in. His deep, melodious voice is easy to listen to, but what he says takes a harder commitment to live by.

Bono , lead singer of U2; cofounder of ONE.org

Jim Wallis and I have a variety of differences on domestic and international policy, but there is no message more timely or urgent than his call to actively consider the common good.

Michael Gerson , op-ed columnist, The Washington Post

I love the work and books and existence of Jim Wallis. His is a profound and always-entertaining voice of reason, reconciliation, and passion for social justice and peace. Each of his books makes me wish I could get it into the hands of more politicians, right-wing Christians, left-wing Christians, secular humanists, economists, and regular peopleeveryoneso we could see how much we have in common and how much is at stake. Jim Wallis and I do not share many of the same political views, but we share the same heart and soul and love for God and all of Gods children. Plus, hes a marvelous storyteller.

Anne Lamott, author of Help, Thanks, Wow : The Three Essential Prayers

In low-key, almost seductively quiet and unpretentious prose, Wallis persuades more powerfully here than ever before. Arguing that it was the world that was missing in the theology of the church in which most contemporary Americans grew up and that a long-standing emphasis on a private-atonement gospel has obscured Christian allegiance to Jesuss gospel of the kingdom, he lays out the theology of the latter and then issues to all Christians a rallying cry to apply that theology both in private life and in the arena of public activity.

Phyllis Tickle , author of Emergence Christianity

I have read all of Jim Walliss books, books that call evangelicals to full conversion and an ecclesial faith that works. This is Jims best book; it is personal, pastoral, and prophetica summons to a deeper conversion, to bridge-building commitments to the common good, and to a family life that grounds active faith in a common, caring community.

Scot McKnight , professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary

This is the finest of all Jim Walliss writings. It reminded me that my actions as a citizen are a natural extension of my life as a Christian. Jims comprehension of how Scripture and political issues relate to each other is surpassed only by the number of bridges he builds so that we can all solve problems together. Reading this book will help you be more like Jesus, especially in the public square.

Joel C. Hunter , senior pastor, NorthlandA Church Distributed

Jim Wallis is this countrys major prophetic evangelical Christian voice. He has a sense of urgency and hope seldom seen in our cynical time. I hope and pray his voice resounds across this landand that we pay heed to it.

Cornel West , professor of philosophy and Christian practice, Union Theological Seminary

Jim Wallis is asking a question whose time has come. Are we pursuing a national agenda that seeks the common good or are we seeking to baptize our political agendas with faith? Leaders both religious and political must take Walliss challenge seriously when pondering the future of our life together.

Rev. Gabriel Salguero , president, National Latino Evangelical Coalition

For decades, Jim Wallis has been an instrumental voice in Gods movement toward a better world. Heres his latest gift to the movementa book that isnt just about where we went wrong, but about how we can join God in making things right again. And, thank God, its not just another book about God blessing us... its a book about us blessing God by caring for Gods people, especially the most vulnerable ones among us.

Shane Claiborne , author, activist, and recovering sinner; www.thesimpleway.org

Jim Walliss voice rings out on each page of this book, calling for a renewed global engagement in which the measure of success is the well-being of all. Following his prescriptions would result in approaching the true common good: good news for the 100 percent!

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS , executive director of the Roman Catholic social justice organization NETWORK

This sweeping tour de force by Americas most prominent religious social justice activist is at once deeply personal and powerfully universal. Rooting its progressive vision of American social justice in religious ideas that transcend both its Christian aesthetic and Americas vexing liberal-conservative divide, it is a must-read book for policy makers, religious leaders, and anyone looking for a moral basis to address Americas urgent problems.

Rabbi David Saperstein , director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

No one cuts through the confusion of our times with clarity and compassion like Jim Wallis. He is at his best in this bookbridging a cosmic vision of what humankind could be with a concrete plan for how we get there.

Eboo Patel , founder and president, Interfaith Youth Core; author of Sacred Ground

Jim Walliss new book elegantly summarizes key themes from his earlier work, but it also addresses with wisdom and clarity crucial issues that we must grapple with in the decade ahead: economics, ecology, polarization, peacemaking, the role of government, and more. And every page reflects the fact that this book was written during a sabbaticalemerging from a place of spiritual reflection and renewal, augmented by family, baseball, and fun. Arguably Jims best book ever.