Some faith bloggers are taking a second look at Rev. Wright, in light of his weekend appearances.

Pam's House Blend writes:

Wright's litany of grievances -- including a perceived attack on the black church, the conspiracy theories about the government and 9/11, or inflicting AIDS on blacks (referencing the Tuskegee experiment) -- reveal a very real thread of beliefs in a segment of the black community of a certain generation who lived under the thumb of Jim Crow and in-your-face bluntly institutionalized white privilege.

Making light of this kind of thinking diminishes the fact that it comes from an element of truth, and that white privilege, though not as boldly naked as in generations past, is alive and well. It also illuminates the lack of black cultural competence in the dominant culture.

Rev. Chuck Currie adds:

After reading over Rev. Wright's Q & A session at the press club - in which he acted far differently than he did in his PBS interview, I have to say that I agree with Rev. Hinkel's comments and those made today by Senator Obama.

My natural instinct is to want to support Rev. Wright, with whom I share a denomination. He has built a great church in Chicago that continues to do good work. But this week Rev. Wright made the issue not the gospel or the church but himself and we don't have room in this election for that. There is a war to end, a broken health care system to fix, a climate change crisis to address, and a world to reconcile.

Jeff Sharlet disagrees:

The NYT's Bob Herbert (writing in the opinion pages, at least), joins the liberal elite's outrage over Jeremiah Wright. Yes, I just said "liberal elite"; there is no other term with which to describe the big media Obama backers distressed by the fact that Wright would have the gall to defend himself from what they'll admit was essentially a massive, national, racist smear job. How dare he! Obama's trying to move us beyond race! But, as Herbert writes with indignation, "Rev. Wright is roaming the country with the press corps in tow, happily promoting the one issue Mr. Obama had tried to avoid: race." No points for the press corps here, by the way. The only justification for the anger of Herbert and Stanley (below) is their recognition, from within the belly of the media beast, is that none of their colleagues give a damn about Wright's words on race. No, they're gathered round Wright, one eye on Obama, whispering like kids in a schoolyard: "fight, fight, fight!" If they were listening, they'd be hearing that "national debate about race," the media always says it wants. But they can't hear it, can't see it; all they see is two African American man, and one of them is -- shudders of indignation among the elite, of voyeuristic joy among the media's working stiffs -- angry and cracking wise.

Not blogging at Newsweek, Richard Wolffe terms this, Sen. Obama's Sista Souljah moment.

The Rev. Anne Howard writes:

At one point, Jeremiah Wright, thrust onto the national stage by the viral spread of video clips, offered all Americans an opportunity to engage in a serious national conversation about racism. A few took the opportunity to engage in such conversations, including his former parishioner.

But that opportunity's been squandered by both the preacher and the press.

Looking at the preacher, I see a man relishing his sudden capture of the spotlights and headlines. He's so good at what he does. But what he does is not good. It's clever and cynical and self-serving.

Looking at the press, well, once again, I just see laziness: It's deadline time and thank God we don't have to worry about what the voters might be thinking. We don't have to make notes about the complexities of high gasoline prices, gas taxes, mortgage foreclosures or any other aspect of the economic realities that face American voters. War? what war? It's much easier to quote Jeremiah Wright and run a few more video clips. Cheap news.

Even the saint of all journalists, Bill Moyers, who attempted to dig to the back story on Rev. Wright, seemed not to be immune from the kind of celebrity journalism he's deplored. His interview offered some insight, but also a good deal of awe before the oracle.

I've been an advocate of Jeremiah Wright and his strong preaching, his powerful witness in the pulpit. But now that he's taken to the spotlight to grab new headlines, I do not hear a powerful witness to the liberating love of God. I do not hear "differentness" honored, but rather mocked. And I wonder if we can ever talk about American's Original Sin of slavery and racism, or if we are all still in bondage to it.

Even Anne Lamott and Stephen Colbert discuss the issue: