Can’t we all just get along? (Plus: TUD media update)
For a couple years now, I’ve been on Jerry Falwell’s “Falwell Confidential” listserv, which was taken over by his son Jonathan after his death. Jerry’s weekly missives were typically devoted to attacking the left, and were decidedly aggressive in tone, but Jonathan (who has a Twitter!) seems to be using the listserv to promote a softer, gentler version of conservative evangelicalism. In last week’s Falwell Confidential, called “The Lost Art of Civility,” the younger Falwell sang the praises of The Civility Project, a new social initiative started by an evangelical Christian (and former assistant to Falwell Sr.) named Mark DeMoss, and Lanny Davis, a longtime Clinton associate. In these excerpts from Jonathan’s e-mail, I was shocked at how reasonable and…well…un-Falwellian he sounds:
…We have grown so divided and so suspicious of those who are on “the other side,” that we have largely lost focus of the issues, centering more on inconsiderate taunts or the belittling of our adversaries. Terms such as “left-wing whacko” or “right-wing fascist” have become commonplace, and they ultimately get us nowhere in terms of achieving real social/political resolutions.
…I see [civility] as a biblical concept. Consider I Peter 2:17: “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the King” (NKJV). (Notice that this verse does not say, “Honor the King, as long as he’s a pretty good guy,” nor does it say, “Honor all people, as long as they belong to your political party.”)
All in all, pretty fascinating stuff from the heir to the Religious Right. Read the whole thing here.
Of course, Jonathan Falwell doesn’t speak for all evangelicals, but combined with this week’s meeting of The Poverty Forum, a group of Christians from both ends of the political spectrum who have teamed up to address the upswing of domestic poverty in the economic crisis, I’m cautiously hopeful that the American culture war in the Age of Obama is becoming, if not less widespread, at least a little less obnoxious.
Oh, and real quick, a few of this week’s media hits:
- The Unlikely Disciple is on the book page of this month’s Details. (The one with Kanye on the cover.) Check out the review (they called it “sharp and balanced”) on stands, since I don’t know if it’s going online or not.
- My Marie Claire interview is now online, complete with hilariously mismatched photo of Pope Benedict. Read it here.
- Blog reviews are starting to roll in. Check out this one, from teen book site Reading Rants. (PSA: If you’re a blogger and want to review the book, e-mail me for a free review copy.)
