goldengirl13's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the book for the most part. The author takes a pretty balanced view of almost everything that went on, but at times, it seems like he was a little hard on President Obama, especially since it sounds like he didn't have a whole lot of contact with him. This seems to be the case particularly with the change of stance on gay marriage; it seems like the author was personally hurt by the change in stance of the Obama administration on this topic, and because of that, I feel he was a bit harsh on Obama, particularly by disbelieving that Obama's stance had changed, as he claimed, and accusing him of holding that view the whole time. (Of course, working in the administration, the author may have had information that we aren't aware of that made him believe this, but if he did, he didn't disclose this to his readers.) I did definitely enjoy reading about Obama, his administration, and his campaign, particularly in regards to religious matters.
hannahelise's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting perspective for anyone interested in the intersection of faith and politics and how it actually bears out in the modern day. Wear answers a lot of questions I often got as a Christian working in Democratic politics. Obviously I don’t agree with all his takes but appreciated his candor on tough subjects.
davehershey's review against another edition
4.0
This book provides a glimpse into the Obama White House by a man who worked on relations with faith groups. Wear shares his story of how he came to evangelical faith and joined the hope filled Obama campaign in 2008. He talks about his work not just on the campaign, but also in the administration. This includes everything from the annual prayer breakfast to the contraception mandate and Obama's "evolution" on same sex marriage. Wear points out both the positives and the negatives of working in government in general and the Obama white house specifically.
The biggest negatives, for Wear, were seen in the shift from a hope-filled bridge-building campaign in 2008 that sought to include all Americans to a defensive, attack-filled campaign in 2012 that seemed to shut people out who did not agree on all the issues. Wear argues that the demand in recent years for everyone to agree on everything within a party is not good for the parties or for America. It leads to a hardening of parties as those who do not agree on everything walk away which in turn puts the two major parties further apart (as only the fringe remains) and contributes to our warring political discourse. In the end he remains hopeful though and the book ends on a hopeful note, a hope driven by his own faith in the God of hope who is working in history (as MLK said, the arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice).
The biggest negatives, for Wear, were seen in the shift from a hope-filled bridge-building campaign in 2008 that sought to include all Americans to a defensive, attack-filled campaign in 2012 that seemed to shut people out who did not agree on all the issues. Wear argues that the demand in recent years for everyone to agree on everything within a party is not good for the parties or for America. It leads to a hardening of parties as those who do not agree on everything walk away which in turn puts the two major parties further apart (as only the fringe remains) and contributes to our warring political discourse. In the end he remains hopeful though and the book ends on a hopeful note, a hope driven by his own faith in the God of hope who is working in history (as MLK said, the arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice).
yakihammer's review against another edition
4.0
A refreshing book from a Christian who worked in the Obama White House.
lmbartelt's review against another edition
5.0
A book about politics isn't usually first on my list, but I heard a fascinating conversation with Michael Wear on a podcast recently, so I picked up the book as well. The idea that faith and President Obama and the White House could be topics in one book might surprise some, but I found the book to be an interesting behind-the-scenes look of some of the former president's policy decisions, as well as a closer look at his personal faith. Wear paints a realistic, not an idealistic, picture of how faith and politics work together and sometimes clash. And he offers challenges to Christians in both political parties to engage in the political process. I started reading the book just after our new president was elected, and it has served as a reminder of how important it is to be involved in the political process, not just to advance some kind of moral agenda, but because doing so can be a way to love my neighbor.
shiltebeitel20's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
gaetkoguy's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhat difficult to get through. I appreciate the call for Christians to step away from zero-sum politics, but didn’t receive the full picture of hope I was looking for.
andeez's review against another edition
5.0
I needed this book. I heard about Michael Wear's work before the election. Little did I know then the sinking feeling in my gut I'd have over 2 months later. I'm losing hope.
Wear's book shares what it was like to work in a faith office under President Obama. I appreciated his reports of the good and the bad during Obamas 8 years. There are matters I had forgotten; such as the meetings with evangelical leaders Obama held at the beginning of his first term. Hearing some evangelicals talk about Obama today, you can imagine why this memory is so distant. Wear talks about Obamas movements in faith, in abortion/adoption numbers, in healthcare, and more.
But the hope...the hope for me came at the end of the book. Wear reminds me that "Christians have an obligation to be involved in politics, but we do not belong to our politics.". It's true. And while I am so overwhelmed by national politics at the moment, he gives advice in participating locally.
The election did not turned out as I'd hoped. But it did give me energy to do something about it. "Reclaiming Hope" motivates me further.
Wear's book shares what it was like to work in a faith office under President Obama. I appreciated his reports of the good and the bad during Obamas 8 years. There are matters I had forgotten; such as the meetings with evangelical leaders Obama held at the beginning of his first term. Hearing some evangelicals talk about Obama today, you can imagine why this memory is so distant. Wear talks about Obamas movements in faith, in abortion/adoption numbers, in healthcare, and more.
But the hope...the hope for me came at the end of the book. Wear reminds me that "Christians have an obligation to be involved in politics, but we do not belong to our politics.". It's true. And while I am so overwhelmed by national politics at the moment, he gives advice in participating locally.
The election did not turned out as I'd hoped. But it did give me energy to do something about it. "Reclaiming Hope" motivates me further.
alltheradreads's review against another edition
4.0
This book is an incredible read. I didn't vote for Obama and wasn't a fan for a while, but as time went on and as the political climate has changed dramatically, I've come to appreciate and respect Obama so much more. I've been interested in the intersection of his faith and politics for a while (since listening to a podcast with his faith advisor Joshua DuBois a while back) and this book was really a brilliant read. I learned a lot, was inspired and encouraged, loved the behind-the-scenes stories, and really appreciated the thoughtfulness and relatable nature of how Wear crafted this. Highly recommend this one if you're at all curious about how faith and politics coincide, if you're an Obama fan or someone who doesn't know much about the man, or if anything about the presidency interests you.