The post below is by Theo Calderara, editor at OUP.
Evangelicals in politics get a lot of attention these days, much of it focusing on issues like abortion. But while everyone’s watching what James Dobson is doing in America, they’re missing what Rick Warren is doing in Africa.
Last night, Michael Lindsay spoke about his new book, Faith in the Halls of Power, at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. One of the many fascinating things the crowd heard is that while everyone thinks evangelicals have a lot of influence on domestic issues, they’re really making an impact abroad.
Evangelicals, he said, are “the new internationalists.” A new generation of evangelical leaders is branching out to take on issues like debt relief, AIDS in Africa, and religious freedom. And they’re forming some surprising alliances. The National Association of Evangelicals and the National Organization for Women joining forces to combat human trafficking? It sounds strange, but it happened.
Michael’s talk—like the book—was full of fascinating inside information like this. The real evangelical power players may not be the ones you see on TV. And the issues on which they get results may not be the ones about which people shout the loudest—personal friendships and quiet conversations are often more effective than mass-mobilization.
Many thanks to our always-gracious hosts at the Carnegie Council for putting on a great event.
The picture above is Michael Lindsay answering questions from guests.
[…] Andrew Clarkson wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptBut while everyone’s watching what James Dobson is doing in America, they’re missing what Rick Warren is doing in Africa. Last night, Michael Lindsay spoke about his new book, Faith in the Halls of Power, at the Carnegie Council for … […]