Meticulously researched and excellently documented, Stephen Mansfield’s latest book provides some necessary insight into the faith of Barack Obama. I’m not sure if the book makes a persuasive argument for an Obama presidency—this doesn’t seem to be the author’s intention—it does however, clear up Internet rumors and offer an objective look into Obama’s childhood and time at Trinity United Church of Christ.

The book is called “The Faith of Barack Obama,” but for many the big question will be, “In what exactly does Barack Obama have faith?” Is Obama a Christian? He’s certainly not Orthodox, nor even orthodox with that small “o.” Obama clearly states, “I am rooted in the Christian tradition…I believe that there are many paths to the same place and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.” Mansfield observes, that “for Obama, Christianity is but one religious tree rooted in the common ethical soil of all human experience.”

This doesn’t jive with any sort of traditional understanding of Jesus’ words, “No one comes to the Father except through me,” but, I believe, is the overarching opinion of most Americans who call themselves Christians. His willingness to consider the validity of other religions sets up Obama as a realistic reflections of many voters of faith who Mansfield describes:

“Religiously, the majority of America’s young are postmodern, which means they do faith like jazz: informal, eclectice and often without theme. They think nothing of hammering together a personal faith from widely differing religious traditions, and many acquire their theology in the same way they catch colds: through casual contact with strangers.”

For those readers who long for some sort of guarantee Obama has Jesus in his heart and will always act with Christian’s best interests in mind or want a source of evidence for their belief that this man is a Muslim Manchurian candidate, Manfield’s blog offers this observation:

“How did it become bad news to Christians in America that a young black man who was exposed to Islam and secular humanism early in his life later chose Jesus Christ? This should be good news to us and if he isn’t the brand of Christian some of us would prefer, we should follow the example of our Lord by loving Obama, praying for him, and hoping for a deeper work of the Spirit in his life. Hating him, by the way, is not an option.”

I still don’t know who I’m voting for this November. It was about time I did a little more research into the personal background of one of the major candidates. After reading the book, I felt I understood not just Obama’s policies, but got a brief look at his person. In many ways (though not the obvious ones) I identify with a large number of his struggles. My development of a sense of self, of my role as a woman of ambition in a post-modern, post-feminist society, has been in constant conversation with my desire to understand how I should live as a wife, a mother and a Christian. I haven’t worked out all the answers and I respect others in the same situation.

I believe that Obama is not one to shirk from these types of difficult internal conversations, neither does he seem to be one closed to the possibility of personal and emotional evolution. This quality is difficult to find and seems even more rare in the realm of elected office. Is it the right thing for the president of the United States in 2008? Perhaps. Or perhaps we’re not ready for it.

One of the things that initially piqued my interest in Obama was my perception that he had the ability to heal some of the red state/blue state divisions that plague American politics. Have you noticed the hatred Democrats and Republicans seem to have for each other? It needs to stop. Now. But, as the campaign continues, I’m less and less convinced that we’re ready as a nation to engage in the difficult process of healing. If Obama can’t bring people together because of his commitment to extremely liberal policies (it breaks my heart to read Obama’s voting record on abortion) or for some other reason, I don’t see him being an effective leader.

On the other side of the aisle, I have a difficult time understanding John McCain, and not just because he canceled an appearance at my high school during the 2000 primary race. McCain belongs to a radically different era than I do—perhaps one better suited to the running of this country. Regardless, I can’t relate to McCain and am not convinced he has the foresight to deal with the rapidly changing global culture. McCain doesn’t strike me as someone who can embrace the new America Obama described in his Sojurner’s Speech to progressive Christians:

“Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.”

I love being an Orthodox Christian, but I make a tremendous effort to continually recognize that I’m a minority. For this country to proper beyond our capacity for spending dollars or producing products, we need to recognize that some of the more conservative evangelical opinions that framed the major social debates of the last few years may have done significantly more harm than good.

All this said, my vote, like so many other Americans, doesn’t really count. California’s electoral college votes are going Democrat baring any major, major snafu. In a way, this is slightly relieving. I won’t be called upon to make the decision but I suppose, in the grand scheme of things, I am accountable for my actions and that include votes that don’t count.

I’ll keep you posted.