Father Ed Reese gives the invocation on the third night of the Republican National Convention. Notice the recurring theme from this week: relief for the Gulf region, which was affected by Hurricane Gustav this week.
This morning I was all set to write a post about how hard it is to blog about faith at the Republican Convention. After all, there hasn't been any video or transcripts of religious panels or prayer invocations or benedictions or anything of the sort. So I was pleasantly surprised to get a point in the right direction from Dan Gilgoff at God-o-meter and Reuters' Ed Stoddard.
Calling it "a very Christian convention," Dan says
The Democratic National Convention may have gone to extraordinary lengths to showcase its new faith-friendly ways last week. And John McCain has often seemed tone-deaf on matters religious. But make no mistake: evangelical Christians are still a huge and growing force in the GOP. The Republican Party might not be issuing press release after press release about it, as are the Democrats, but just turn to C-Span and see for yourself.
Thanks Dan. Interesting that it was explicitly Christian, as were some but not all of the prayers at the Democratic convention. We'll be on the lookout for nods to pluralism. Here's some of that C-Span footage -- prayer and remarks on Hurricane Gustav, humility and character by evangelist Miles McPherson:
One might call it a faithy morning at the Republican National Convention. At 9:30 am (Central), the party's Jewish Advisory Board is meeting, and the Catholic Working Group meets at 11:00 am (Central). In addition to symbolizing religious inclusiveness, this schedule highlights the importance of Jewish and Catholic voters in the election. As I've blogged about numerous times, Catholic voters might be the most vigorously courted religious group in this election because of their enormity and their habit of picking the winner (in that respect, if Catholics were a state they'd be Missouri). Jewish voters, while fewer in number, have the potential to swing key states such as Pennsylvania and Florida.
Both groups are traditionally associated with particularly contentious issues such as abortion and Israel, but also with a long history of working for social justice. You can't talk about the common good from a theological perspective without drawing on Tikkun olam and Catholic social teaching. And in flashbacks to my education in civil rights history, I always recall Viola Liuzzo, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner among the many who died in the movement. Whether these traditions are appealed to at the RNC is an interesting question. Hopefully so.
In case you missed the invocations and benedictions at the Democratic Convention this week -- which would have been easy to do given that the cables talked over or went to commercial during every single one (one more reason to stick to CSPAN) -- we've rounded them up for you below.
We'll do the same with the prayers next week at the GOP Convention. Will be interesting to observe how they differ -- both in who delivers them and what they say.
The choices that a political party makes in picking those who will offer the prayers at their convention reflect who it wants to reach out to the faith community. The Dems clearly went for racial and religious diversity -- these folks are white and black evangelical, white and Latino Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Asian American Methodist and reform Jewish leaders. (Their opening Interfaith Service also included Muslim representation.)
Pastor Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor of the 12,000-member Northland Church in Florida, who has been a real hero for the environment and was a questioner at the Compassion Forum, delivered last night's benediction:
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, described by the Washington Post as the “quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hil," delivered last night's invocation:
Donald Miller, popular speaker, writer, and best-selling author of his spiritual memoir Blue Like Jazz, delivered Monday night's benediction:
Sister Catherine Pinkerton, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph of Cleveland, lobbyist on Capitol Hill for national Catholic social justice organization NETWORK for more than twenty years, and FPL Board member, delivered Wednesday night's benediction:
We'll add video of the prayers from (click each name for the transcript of their prayers) Rev. Cynthia Hale, Revs. Jin Ho Kang and Yoougsook Kang, The Honorable Polly Baca, and Archbishop Demetrios as soon as we get it.
Christianity Today has a side-by-side comparison of the issue planks in the two major party platforms of interest to many Evangelical voters. Since the Compassion Issues are well-represented, plus a few of the more traditional "values" issues, we thought you'd like to check it out: Comparing the Platforms.
Let me just state for the record that this discussion is unsuited for stenographic or quick liveblogging. Relaying the multilayered view of faith, politics and our moment in history needs digestion, reflection and conversation. I'll be on the hunt for video, but can't guarantee it'll turn up. I am a little more enlightened (or a little less unenlightened) than I was before this discussion started. We ranged from witch hunts to opinion research, from the religious right to Jeremiah Wright, and there wasn't an ounce of acrimony amongst the incisiveness. It was civil, illuminating and thoroughly enjoyable.
Marianne, Celinda and Jim point to the flagging energy of religious right politics, suggesting that we are at a critical moment at which extremism can be marginalized by a deeper political engagement.
Derrick says that resonant issues of inequality and poverty are now being talked about in more palpable terms than ever before, pushing the conversation forward so that "we become something that we were not the day before." He says it both resonates with and transcends the African-American community.
Marianne says Democrats (and possibly Republicans) "are loathe to look within their own houses." She senses that now there is a serious need for the Democrats to end the acrimony within the party in order to be spiritually healthy. [Civil dialogue is important within parties as well as between them.]
Ron to Celinda: "Is there such a thing as a values voter?"
Celinda -- "I don't think there's such a thing as a voter who isn't a values voter" at the presidential level. Issues matter less than values and character because voters don't know what issues a president will face. Voters' top values, according to opinion research: 1) freedom [wins across all demographics] 2) equality 3) justice, liberty, personal responsibility 4) morality. I really want her handout. Issues at top include healthcare, economic security, gay marriage was far far down the list. "Let's not assume that because the right has won the dialogue, that they have won the hearts and minds of voters."
We're at the Sea Change Ideas Forum at Denver's Starz FilmCenter, and FPL organizing director Ron Stief is introducing a New Faith Voters dialogue with Jim Wallis, polling expert Celinda Lake, bestselling author and radio commentator Marianne Williamson, and Rev. Derrick Harkins. The small theatre has directors' chairs and soft, almost-sepia lighting and perfect acoustics. TV cameras mill around in the lobby following people I vaguely recognize as famous (also, Wyclef Jean). The Ideas Forum series, as its name indicates, is the place at the convention for dialogue that transcends the political.
First question goes to Jim Wallis -- "what is this ground that we are standing on with faith voters, compared to '04? Who are these new values voters?"
Jim: "At the Democratic convention, faith has become cool." He doesn't mean that in a braggy way; it's comedic. Seriously though, he says media looks at the shifting religious poverty through the lens of Democrats' faith outreach, but that the sea change within the faith community is what's really driving it. He talks of Ban Ki Moon's visit to the NAE's board last fall to discuss climate change and the Millenium Development Goals.
Likens the religious right to men standing in a river telling it to stop as the water flows right past them. Notes -- correctly -- that as these believers leave the religious right they are not becoming liberal, rather unaligned.
Marianne Williamson -- Notes that the spiritual community is having a deeper discussion about how humans relate to the earth, who constitutes the neighbor. Says that religious/spiritual people must play the conscience role. Religious life is about the transformation of the heart, and people who seek and undergo this have an important and unique role to play in politics. Says that the deeper faith community must lead in calling on the nation to repent its sins.
Derrick Harkins -- "the tradition from which I come has a holistic perspective" of what constitutes one's faith journey, including the historical role of slavery and enduring disparities. In reference to Trinity UCC, says calling to account is a central part of the prophetic tradition. "Faith must speak truth to power." The episode earned Barack Obama's campaign a sense of authenticity. This has resonated in the black community and the nation at large and shaped the moment we are in here in Denver, he says.
Celinda Lake -- Has data on religious voters. "The voters have been way ahead of the elite dialogue in either party for a long time." Notes that candidates now don't jump into policy, but rather start in with shared values first -- polls show that voters want it. Finding a comfortable mode of expression, along with growing cynicism about the religious right's use of religion, has created a unique moment. NOTE: Celinda will be emailing me the handout she is walking the panel through right now. Breaks down votes by numerous factors, such as church attendance, comfort with candidates' religious beliefs, and many more. I really want to see this handout. Notes that voters are evenly split between candidates on "shares my values," and that hot-button wedge issues are carrying less weight than in recent decades.
Christianity Today's politics blogger Sarah Pulliam caught up with Donald Miller, best-selling author of his spiritual memoir Blue Like Jazz (a read I recommend highly), before he gave Monday night's benediction at the Democratic National Convention.
In the first minute and a half of this clip from her interview, Miller gives one of the best articulations I have heard lately of why we should -- and must -- all be working together to find common ground on abortion. It's all about getting past rhetoric and getting to work on reduction.
The Democratic party's first-ever faith caucus began this afternoon, with Jim Wallis moderating two panels -- one on the meaning of the common good, the other on faith-based initiatives and community partnerships.
The former included FPL board member Sue Thistlethwaite, Rev. Jennifer Kottler, Rabbi Jack Moline, Rev. John Hunter, former Congressman Tim Roehmer, and Rev. Wilfredo DeJesus. Each speaker touched on different aspects of the faith community's common good, common ground agenda. They tackled high-profile compassion issues such as immigration reform and abortion reduction (from both pro-choice and pro-life perspectives) but also spoke about economic justice, criminal justice reform and education from a faith perspective.
The second panel featured Rabbi David Saperstein, Rev. Otis Moss III and John DiIulio, and provided the most incisive commentary I've heard about the government's involvement in and funding of faith-based initiatives.
I found the diversity of ideas encouraging. Sue and Tim disagree with each other about abortion, but their different emphases and beliefs inspire similar goals. Some speakers, such as Tim and Obama campaign religious outreach chair Joshua Dubois, were overtly partisan, while others, such as John Hunter, focused more closely on particular issues but complimented Obama's stance on them, and still others such as Jim Wallis, David Saperstein and John DiIulio were assiduously nonpartisan.
The audience was as interesting as the panel. Five rows to my right was Congressman Bobby Scott, four rows behind me sat Tony Campolo, and Michael Lerner sat between me and the stage. At the end of the caucus, Joshua asked all clergy to stand, and no less than twenty rose from their seats. He then asked everyone who worked for religious nonprofits to rise and be recognized, and just as many stood. As interesting as the content of the gathering was, the auspicious crowd reflected that the fact of the event was far more significant.
An expert panel moderated by Amy Sullivan just kicked off the week of discussions at The Big Tent. Just as the first event of the convention was a religious service, the first panel deals with faith and politics. Participants were FPL Director of Organizing Strategy Ron Stief, MoveOn alum and New Organizing Institute founder Zack Exley, Beliefnet's Steven Waldman, Catholics In Alliance For the Common Good executive director Alexia Kelley, and Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith, and the discussion centered on the ferment in the religious community as people of faith embrace a broader, common good agenda and weight the appeal of both parties.
I'll be blogging about the full slate of religion and politics events in Denver this week. Stay tuned!
This afternoon marked two beginnings: the kickoff event of the 08 Democratic National Convention, and the first time the convention launched with a religious service. I was one of 2,000 on hand as convention CEO Leah Daughtry introduced an interfaith worship including a diverse and inclusive spate of religious leaders and musicians: black and white and Latino, Jewish and Christian and Muslim and Buddhist, international and local.
It was passionate and prophetic. Worshipers rose to their feet as Richard Smallwood and his chorus shouted and sang with fervor and beauty that must be experienced to be understood. Party officials probably felt a measure of discomfort as nuns, bishops, rabbis and imams challenged the Democrats on issues ranging from abortion to poverty to health care to criminal justice. The speeches and sermons were surprisingly spare in their praise for the party, and I doubt that most people in the audience agreed with everything the speakers said. To me that was a mark of the event's integrity.
The 90-minute program drew international media, which underscored the significance of the event. I strained to keep from looking into the camera lens as a photojournalist took aim at me from 15 yards away during a choral performance of Oh Freedom, and TV camera crews followed faith leaders throughout the auditorium as the crowd dispersed. Reporters with voice recorders leaned forward as activists described their reactions to the service.
Later this week, delegations will wave signs and cheer, deals will be cut over cognac at steakhouses, balloons will drop, and speeches will echo through the rafters and energize delegates determined to win in November. I'm sure it'll be impressive in that conventional election-energized way. But today, just for a moment, it felt different. It felt like church.
