Irony of Barack Obama
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A01=Peter B. Josephson
A01=R. Ward Holder
Agnostic
American presidential leadership
ARRA
Augustinian political thought
Author_Peter B. Josephson
Author_R. Ward Holder
Black Liberation Theology
Category=JP
Category=JPH
christian
Christian political ethics
Christian Realism
Christian realism in US politics
Christian Realist Tradition
Christian Statecraft
Comprehensive Doctrines
Dynamic Rebalancing
Eden Theological Seminary
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eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
faith
faith and public policy
Good Life
Great Awakening
moral realism in governance
niebuhr
Niebuhr's Account
Niebuhr's Christian Realism
Niebuhr's Thought
Niebuhr's Work
niebuhrs
Niebuhr’s Account
Niebuhr’s Christian Realism
Niebuhr’s Thought
Niebuhr’s Work
Obama's Faith
obamas
Obama’s Faith
Political Prophets
progressive political theology
realism
reinhold
Safe Guards
Secretary Of State
statecraft
Superb
Superb Guide
thought
Trinity United Church
Two-fold Test
White America
works
Young Man
Product details
- ISBN 9781138273092
- Weight: 430g
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 28 Nov 2016
- Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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Drawing on the political theology of Reinhold Niebuhr, described by Barack Obama as 'one of my favourite philosophers', this book assesses the challenges facing the President during his first term. It evaluates his success in adhering to Niebuhr's path of 'Christian realism' when faced with the pragmatic demands of domestic and foreign affairs. In 2008 Candidate Obama used the ideas of 'Hope' and 'Change' to inspire voters and secure the presidency. Obama promised change not only regarding America's policies, but even more fundamentally in the nation's political culture. Holder and Josephson describe the foundations of President Obama's Christian faith and the extent to which it has shaped his approach to politics. Their book explores Obama's journey of faith in the context of a broadly Augustinian understanding of faith and politics, examines the tensions between Christian realism and pragmatic progressivism, explains why a Christian realist interpretation is essential to understanding Obama's presidency, and applies this model of understanding to considerations of foreign and domestic policy. By combining this theological and political analysis the book offers a special opportunity to reflect on the relationship between Christian faith and statesmanship, reflections that are missing from current popular discussions of the Obama presidency. Through consideration of Niebuhr's models of the prophet and the statesman, and the more popular alternative of the political evangelist, Holder and Josephson are better able to explain the president's successes and his failures, and to unveil the Augustinian limits of the political life.
R. Ward Holder is Professor of Theology and Peter B. Josephson is Associate Professor of Politics at Saint Anselm College, USA
