The Faith of Barack Obama, book review

The Faith of Barack Obama

Stephen Mansfield

2008, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-59555-250-1 (Hdbk)

147 pp. plus Notes and Bibliography

Every Christian needs to read this book, to understand our new president and to know specifically how to pray for him, as God commands.

Mansfield has written a respectful, but honest book about Obama’s faith journey. Parts of that journey should encourage Bible-believing Christians, but others will concern them deeply.

Mansfield calls Obama a man at the vanguard of a new era of American spirituality. Obama claims salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for his sins. But he also rejects certain scriptures and says that many ways lead to God.

The Bible clearly states that all scripture is God-breathed and that unbelief in His word labels God a liar. I hope that our President-elect, like all of us, is still on his spiritual journey and will better understand God’s word as Americans faithfully pray for him. The alternative is increased judgment on the USA for our national sins, things Obama does not yet consider sin. To his great credit, Obama strongly supports social justice, a concept far too many American Christians neglect. Well written and easy to read, the book portrays but does not judge the Christianity the author heard in Barack Obama.