Jim Wallis

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Jim Wallis

Reverend Jim Wallis (born June 4, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan) is a Christian writer and left-wing political activist, best known as the founder and editor of Sojourners magazine and of the Washington, DC based Christian community of the same name. Wallis actively eschews political labels, but his advocacy tends to focus on issues of peace and social justice, earning him his primary support from the religious left. Wallis is also known for his opposition to the religious right's fiscal and foreign policies.^[1]

Raised in a traditional evangelical family, as a young man Wallis became active in the civil rights movement. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he was President of Students for a Democratic Society and then went on to attend Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois where he joined with other young seminarians in establishing the community that eventually became Sojourners.

His books include God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It (2004), Faith Works: How Faith Based Organizations Are Changing Lives, Neighborhoods, and America (2000), and The Soul of Politics: Beyond "Religious Right" and "Secular Left" (1995). His writings are regularly published as op-eds in major media outlets, and he teaches a course in religion and politics at Harvard University. He is also the convener of Call to Renewal, an interfaith effort to end poverty. In discussing the 2004 American presidential elections, Wallis said "Jesus didn’t speak at all about homosexuality. There are about 12 verses in the Bible that touch on that question.....There are thousands of verses on poverty. I don’t hear a lot of that conversation." ^[2]

Jim was invited by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) to give the Democrat's weekly radio address on Saturday, December 2, 2006. He spoke about the importance of moral leadership in Washington, and touched on a variety of social concerns. The text of his address is at: http://www.beliefnet.com/blogs/godspolitics/2006/12/jim-wallis-we-need-greater-moral.html

[edit] References

^ Stephen Bates, "US right has hijacked religious vote, says evangelical," The Guardian [1]. Last accessed 10 October 2006.
^ Michal Lumsden, "God's Politics: An Interview With Jim Wallis," MotherJones, [2]. Last accessed 10 October 2006.