Mansfield's The Faith of Barak Obama is an excellent read. I began the book with some skepticism, expecting an attempt to make Obama say something that he hasn't or twist his own words against him. What I found was a refreshing surprise. Instead of seeking to provide a definitive answer in regards to Obama's spiritual state, Mansfield provides a helpful survey of the spiritual influences - family, church, and political - that have shaped the faith that Obama holds today. His purpose is to "...understand the religious life of Barack Obama and the changes in American religious history that he has come to represent." (p.xxiii) His chapter on Trinity United Church of Christ beautifully portrays the tension between the gospel and political liberation as seen in black theology and is worth the price of the book alone. Mansfield understands that Obama's description of his conversion to Christianity is frustrating to American evangelicals for its lack of clarity. But rather than pick Obama's wording apart in order to verify true conversion, Mansfield is content to let the ambiguity and uncertainty stand. If you’re seeking the definitive answer about Obama’s eternal destiny this book will disappoint. But if your goal is to better understand both why Obama frames his faith in the way he does and the fascinating relationship between faith and American politics, this book is well worth your time.
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