Reviewing The Faith of Barack Obama

My Perspective on the book

The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield

Had I not taken Michael Hyatt CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers up on his twitter offer to get a free copy of this book in exchange for a review on my blog, I likely would not have even read "The Faith of Barack Obama". I figured that this book was going to present the “faith” of Barack Obama as Christian. And this conclusion alone I completely disagree with.

However I did sign up for this, and am honestly really glad that I did.


This book arrived in my mailbox on Nov 5th! I had not voted for Obama. And thought Wow the timing of getting this book is important. This man is going to be our president. I must come to know what his “faith” consists of.

Immediately this Author grabbed my attention by saying “We must
Remember that if Obama ascends to the presidency in 2009, he
will be the first American president to do so having not been raised
in a Christian home!”

I learned a lot about Barack and the influences of atheism, folk
Islam, and humanism had on him as a young child.

Mansfield says eloquently speaking of young Obama “ His life was
a religious swirl. He lived in a largely Muslim country. He prayed
at the feet of a Catholic Jesus, He attended a mosque with his
stepfather and learned Islam in his public school. At home, his
mother taught him her atheistic optimism.”

Obama has written of his Mother, Ann Dunham: “ My Mother was
in many ways the most spiritually awakened person that I’ve ever
known.”

My particular thought there is how can one be “spiritually
awakened” when one is not even spiritually discerned? If Obama
is a Christian how can he say that a professing atheist is a “spiritual”
person at all?

The spiritual inconsistencies Barack grew up with just broke my
heart for him. “While living in Indonesia he was to live in a Muslim country but be taught by his stepfather’s example to ignore the most
fundamental teachings of Islam. He was to attend a Roman Catholic school, but regard Christianity as no more than superstition.”


Mansfield deals with the question regarding weather Barack is Muslim and the fact that if he is indeed - then an apostate - in some jurisdictions, marked for death.

Considerable time is given to Obama as a young adult and his personal crisis of faith.

And much history exposed surrounding the two decades that Obama spends at Trinity United Church of Christ and the controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright.

Mansfield does his research well taking great depth to try and explain how Wright’s theology was shaped and in later chapters
Seems even to defend him some.

I liked how it was written. And appreciated what I learned about Barack’s faith.


It is left to the reader to decided just what is the faith of Barack Obama.


However I walked away from this book more certain than ever to be in prayer for my country and our future President.

I feel that we have moved from the absolutes of the Word Of God and atoning sacrifice of the shed blood our Lord Jesus Christ into a social gospel where people pick and choose what they want from God’s Word.
A feel good spirituality where universal salvation is believed. No one wants to offend another so for the sake of unity truth is placed aside.

I wish Mansfield had been able to interview Barack. Because I believe he was fair and worked hard to get his information. I believe he would have ask the questions that would have helped us better define what Barack Obama believes his “faith” is.

From the book I find that” Barack made a decision to enter a faith by joining a people of faith, to come home to a community and so home to God.”

So when Barack “felt God’s spirit beckoning him and submitted himself to His will and dedicated himself to discovering His truth”

Was he born again?

Or was he officially beginning his search for Faith?

The Faith of Barack Obama is great read which I think will move many to a deeper level of prayer for Barack and for our country who’ve so quickly moved into this liberal understanding of faith and away from the Saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The Bible clearly says “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” Proverbs 14:12

And I am sad that our society is liberalized to the point of believing that
all sincere attempts lead to God. Because again the Word of God states in the book of John chapter 14 vs 6 “ Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”

Yes I am moved to prayer. Open his eyes Lord.. Grant mercy unto him, help him be able to answer with assurance when his children ask him about the hope of glory! God save this sincere yet lost man.