Tim Bayly blogging (with his brother David) at BaylyBlog posts this interesting item:Obama: One More UCC Syncretist
Here's an article from the New York Times on Senator Barack Obama's church and pastor. The piece is fascinating, both for the glimpses it gives into the origin of Sen. Obama's theological commitments, and the way the Times treats matters of religious faith. Over the years it's always seemed the Times' Great White Fathers can't speak of the tiniest aspect of religious faith without displaying the howlingly ludicrous combination of supercilious ignorance.
Sen. Obama attends the largest church of the UCC -- what my friend, Donald Bloesch (also a member of the UCC), tells me stands for "Unitarians Considering Christ." More official sources, though, say it's the United Church of Christ.
Like clockwork, the piece has Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton's colleague, Jim Wallis, pawntifuscating as a self-styled "progressive evangelical." While we're on the subject, I assume everyone knows Jim Wallis' alma mater is Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and that he continues to lecture at their invitation? Also, that Random House just bought out Multnomah Publishers?
But I digress. Back to the Times piece for my favorite quote:
Generally, Mr. Obama emphasizes the communal aspects of religion over the supernatural ones.
