That would be my advice to Duncan Black if he knew I existed. Over at Eschaton, Black writes this post, in which he is irked by something Wallis has written. I have never been a fan of Wallis, as I explain here and here. I find Wallis to be little more than a self-promoting media-whore, and I find the following he has among liberal and progressive Christians troubling. Perhaps it is because, in the wilderness years, he was the only liberal Christian voice one heard, even if only softly in the distance. The problem, however, is that Wallis began to see himself as some sort of "leader", and the media began to tout him as one. Wallis' comments that Black quotes are evidence enough that he is behind the curve, and seeking to reserve a place of privilege in public discourse not only for religious liberals generally, but for himself specifically. Rather than defend himself, he does not want his sincerity or liberal bona fides questioned.
Wallis is a media creation, whose "leadership" has produced no lasting movement, or even temporary results. Wanting to paint himself as some prophetic voice, he is more like the right-wing preachers he excoriates than a true prophet. I find him unctuous, and I do not countenance what he says as anything worth heeding, because he is a mirror image of Falwell and Robertson, and personifies much of what I detest about the religious dimension of our social life.
So, I hope Black does not take too much to heart what Wallis has to say. His position is eminently more reasonable, and in keeping with American traditions, than anything Wallis has ever offered as a substitute.
5 comments:
Oh, I don't know. The Apostle Paul woulda been on Oprah. Jesus hisself would've been put on local cable at least.
A "media sensation" is the modern version of a voice from a boat a little way out, skitting across the water onto the hills and back over a gathered crowd. IMHO.
Jim Wallis is better than Falwell because what he says is better than what Falwell says, I think.
What I object to in Wallis is something he said, and that I quoted last summer - he wants to "be the leader of a movement". Well, as a minister of Christ's church, I thought he was! I lived in DC for four years, and Wallis held press conference after publicity stunt, trying to jump start an alternative to the Christian Coalition, and all of them failed miserably - precisely because, in my view, he was trying to do the same thing as the right, instead of forging a different path. His rediscovery by the media has lent him the aura of a prophet, but I think he is a shill, for himself.
BTW, Oprah would not treat St. Paul well.
I hope you have time to read this story on Talk2Action about Wallis. It is very clear about what he is really saying and the historical background of his position.
Actually, I was writing about it even as you were commenting! Great minds and all that . . .
Well, as a recovering Southern Baptist, Wallis is a breath of fresh air to me. A good friend and fellow recovering Southern Baptist introduced me to Wallas and Sojourners. ... We all have callings, and we all manage to screw them up, one way or the other. I, myself, am blessed because Jim Wallis is an answer to James Dobson in the marketplace of religious ideas.
BTW, Paul would have some splainin' to do were I able to have him over for supper, too. :-)
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