Jim Wallis on What White People Can Do to Counter Christian White Nationalism

At my invitation, Jim Wallis recently spoke at Virginia Theological Seminary. I was especially struck by his answer to a question about what people can do to counter Christian White Nationalism.

I'd add two thoughts to what Jim said. First, in the time available between now and the election, we should probably focus on helping and encouraging people to vote. People who have strong opinions are unlikely to change their point of view in 25 days. Second, when we do talk with friends and family members with whom we disagree strongly, the time we spend listening is likely to be more influential than the time we spend talking.

You can watch Jim's lecture on the Virginia Theological Seminary YouTube page:

https://www.youtube.com/live/Ph71YMluTVI?si=DI8JH_OZDlrvYIHG

Jim Wallis tomorrow evening

You might want to connect (in person or via livestream) to Jim Wallis' presentation at Virginia Theological Seminary tomorrow, September 26, 7 pm (EDT).

Jim has been my friend and colleague for many years, but I think he may be having a bigger impact this year than ever before. He has focused on the threat that Christian White Nationalism poses to our democracy and to Christian faith in this country.

Most white Christians voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. That will probably be true again next year. To my way of thinking, this is strong evidence that much of Christianity in America has been corrupted.

Jim released his latest book, The False White Gospel, in early April. The timing couldn't have been better. Just a few days before, Donald Trump had released his "God Bless the USA" Bible, so there was a lot of chatter in the media about Trump's pretensions to religious leadership.

Last Thursday, Jim released a statement on Christian faith and democracy. It was signed by 200 diverse Christian leaders (me included). We discussed theological reasons for defending democracy.

I expect the next six months to be tumultuous. I'm hoping that Jim's talk tomorrow evening will include advice on practical ways that people of faith and conscience can serve God's purposes during this important time.

You can sign up for the event at the QR code above or at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rev-jim-wallis-faith-and-democracy-tickets-1003558168497?

God's Call to Action Against Racism and Poverty in 2024

Racism (as measured by an array of metrics) and poverty have both increased over the last couple years, and 76 Christian leaders are voicing God’s call to intensify our efforts to deal with these problems. This letter was organized by the Circle of Protection's leaders, who are shown below in the Vice President's formal office just before a meeting with her senior advisors last June.

The church leaders’ statement emphasizes the importance of anti-racism education in local churches and the urgency of Senate action on the Child Tax Credit expansion that the House has already approved  The statement and a new guide to anti-racism educational resources for local churches were posted this morning at circleofprotection.us.

We have sent the church leaders’ statement to the White House and every member of Congress. The Christian leaders who signed the statement will share it in their churches and networks, and Religion News Service has published a news report on this initiative (https://religionnews.com/2024/05/01/75-christian-leaders-urge-president-congress-churches-to-act-on-racism-poverty/).