God’s Politics: Why the American Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It is the title of a book by Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners. It is written from a religious perspective and argues that religion has been hijacked and distorted by the religious right in the USA. His criticism is not reserved for the right. In his call for a progressive, faith-based politics of the centre, Wallis contends that the left has lost out by ignoring the religious dimension of US politics. Pointing to the impact of the civil rights movement, which was inspired by religion, he urges both right and left to think again.

He rejects the notion that believing in God and having moral values makes you pro-war, pro-rich and pro-Republican. He also rejects the notion that promoting and pursuing a progressive social agenda with a concern for economic security, healthcare and educational opportunity mean you have to put God aside.

Wallis urges US churches to shift their focus from protesting about things they don’t like to proposing something better. He argues that the church, like the peace movement has failed to offer viable policy alternatives to militarism and war. He points out that America’s separation of church and state does not require banishing moral and religious values from the public square. In fact, he argues, the very survival of America’s social fabric depends on such values and vision to shape its politics - a dependence the nation’s founders recognised.

This book challenges religious communities and government to be pro-justice, pro-peace, proenvironment, pro-equality, pro-consistent ethic of life (beyond single-issue voting), and pro-family (without making scapegoats of any group).

Jim Wallis is a leading figure at the crossroads of religion and politics in America today. He is the founder of Sojourners, a US network of Christians working for justice and peace. A bestselling author, his columns appear in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times.

An interesting book. Well worth a read.