Call to Renewal Address: Barack Obama

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In his 2006 “Call to Renewal Address”, Barack Obama gives his thoughts on the role of religion in democracy through a response to earlier accusations of his un-Christianness during his 2004 Senate race against Alan Keyes. He addresses both his accuser, who suggested that Obama's views disrespect his faith as a Christian, and his liberal supporters, who urged him to ignore these statements because “a literalist reading of the Bible was folly” (2). In his speech, Obama recommends a middle ground between these two views, in which “the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values” (7), as the only way to connect religion and politics in a “pluralistic democracy” (7). This attempt, motivated in part by the role of religion in his own upbringing, is his way to “bridge the gaps that exist and overcome the prejudices each of us bring” to debates in which “faith [is] used as a tool of attack, … to belittle [and] to divide” (8). However, contradictions in his speech prevent his vision from becoming a useful model for religiously-motivated political action. Moreover, the fundamental nature of religion, which he admits “does not allow for compromise” (7), makes such a vision impossible.
The motivations for Obama's views on religion and politics can be understood as a reflection of his personal religious journey. This journey is, according to Obama, a “realization that something is missing”, and the subsequent quest for “a sense of purpose, a narrative arc to our lives” (3). For Obama, born to a Muslim-turned-athiest and a skeptical child of non-practicing Baptists and Methodists, the journey began after college, when he went to Chicago to work as a community organizer for a group of Chri...

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...al religious journey provides a powerful narrative to support his ideas, and explains some of his beliefs regarding the role of religion in politics, such as the idea that religion can provide unique solutions to difficult problems. However, his failure to approach the public role of religion with the same uncompromising commitment as his personal beliefs leads to contradiction, which raises doubts concerning the effectiveness of his approach of compromise and calls into question the strength of his beliefs as a Christian. Furthermore, a closer examination of Obama's vision unveils the fundamental uncompromising nature of Obama's religion, which is incompatible with his idea of a pluralistic democracy. Because of these contradictions, Obama's vision of a democracy in which religion and politics are connected and function effectively together is ultimately impossible

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