Synopses & Reviews
"My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side." —Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln led America through one of the most tumultuous times in our nation's history. Reading his words today, it is clear we still have much to learn concerning what it means to be on God's side.
Bestselling author, public theologian, and leading Christian activist Jim Wallis speaks directly into our current context, revealing the spiritual compass we need to effect lasting change in our society. He explains how the good news of Jesus transforms not only our individual lives but also our public lives. Jesus's gospel of the kingdom of God helps us recover a personal and social commitment to the common good and shows us — in concrete ways — how to be both personally responsible and socially just. Working together, we can reshape our churches, society, politics, and economy.
Releasing in the wake of the 2012 election cycle, this book seeks to move beyond the current media and political warfare and bring together a divided country. Wallis explores how Jesus's agenda can serve the common good, what it takes to sustain a lifelong commitment to social justice, and how reading the Bible as well as the culture can shape our lives for genuine transformation.
Review
"On God's Side provides an alternative to the 'me-first' ethos that has infiltrated the American consciousness. Jim Wallis weaves together Scripture, theology, and personal reflection to call us to a deeper spirituality resulting in a lived spirituality. This book is a prophetic call to the Christian community to live into the hope that our life together can be better."
Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism, North Park Theological Seminary; author of The Next Evangelicalism
Review
"At such a critical crossroads in our country's history, people are looking for commonsense voices on the right and left who are willing to ask difficult questions. Jim Wallis is one of those voices — winsome and reflective, yet forceful and unafraid. In On God's Side, Wallis again challenges Christians to think deeply about our world's greatest problems. You might not always agree with his conclusions, but every chapter of this book will stretch your mind, challenge your thinking, and push you to consider the hope summed up in its opening words: 'Our life together can be better.'"
Jonathan Merritt, author of A Faith of Our Own: Following Jesus beyond the Culture Wars
Review
"Without trust, no democratic society can survive. Trust is ultimately based on values. Jim Wallis's book On God's Side provides us valuable insight for our private and public lives."
Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman, World Economic Forum
About the Author
Jim Wallis is president and CEO of Sojourners and editor in chief of Sojourners magazine. He is a bestselling author, public theologian, national preacher, social activist, and international commentator on ethics and public life. Wallis has written ten books, including the New York Times bestsellers God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It and The Great Awakening, and is a frequent speaker in the United States and abroad. He has written for major newspapers and appears frequently on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, on shows such as Meet the Press, Morning Joe, Hardball, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The O'Reilly Factor, and on NPR. He also teaches at Georgetown University and has taught at Harvard University.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Inspiring the Common Good
1. A Gospel for the Common Good
2. The Lion, the Word, and the Way
3. Who Jesus Is and Why It Matters
4. Lord, Help Us to Treat You Well
5. The Good Samaritan Goes Global
6. The Beloved Community Welcomes All Tribes
7. Surprising Our Enemies
Part 2: Practices for the Common Good
8. Conservatives, Liberals, and a Call to Civility
9. Redeeming Politics
10. Economic Trust
11. A Servant Government
12. Making Things Right
13. Healthy Households
14. The World Is Our Parish
Epilogue: Ten Personal Decisions for the Common Good
Index