How Would Jesus Vote?

First off, I really have to apologize again for my lack of posting & for the last bunch of posts being all on books.  This isn’t a book blog but books are a part of my life and I have had a lack of inspiration on what else to post about. Although, Sarah did give me a bunch of great ideas in her comment on my last post!

Anyway, I had the opportunity to review How Would Jesus Vote by Dr. D. James Kennedy & Jerry Newcomb.  I greatly apprecciate the opportunity to review books and I am compelled to be honest with my thoughts on them.  I just hope that my thoughts do not keep me from reviewing books for publishers in the future

I also have to say that if someone were to attempt to classify my political alignment, they would undoubtedly come to the conclusion that I am conservative on almost all of the issues that they would want to discuss, the very big issues discussed in this book.

I was expecting this book to be a challenge to think theologically about my vote in this upcoming election and for that matter in all elections.  I was expecting to read thoughts from the authors about how we as followers of Jesus can think about the entire Story of God and how we can cast our votes in such a fashion that we in a little way can partner with God in where the Story is heading.

As I read through this book I found over and over again references to Old Testament passages that on the surface would lead someone toward what would typically be viewed as an “ultra-conservative” stand on the issues mentioned.  I was very dissapointed to find that the fewest Biblical references were pulled from the Gospels.  In a book that claims to answer the question on how Jesus would vote, one would think that the authors would have spent much more time in the Gospels, especially in light of the fact that Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of the old law and was constantly calling people to move beyond the old law to an entirely different standard.

At the end of each chapter, after a surface explaination of the issue that was to be explored in the chapter, the authors then attempt to conclude the chapter in a paragraph or two by proclaiming how Jesus would vote on the issue.  Everytime this happens the vote by Jesus is cast in an unashamedly “ultra-conservative” way.

I would suggest that you steer clear of this book if you value your time.  The book does not stir the reader to think about the spiritual implications of their vote but instead attempts to bully the reader into into voting for a particular political agenda.