faith: personal not private

Jim Wallis at Sojourners has revised and updated The Call to Conversion: Why Faith Is Always Personal But Never Private.

Originally published more than 20 years ago, this classic helps establish the theological framework behind the national best-seller God's Politics - and is remarkably relevant and contemporary for a new generation of readers.

If you enjoyed God's Politics, then The Call to Conversion will take you deeper to find the biblical and theological foundations for social justice and peace.

The Call to Conversion offers a prophetic appeal for our times - times marked by a growing gap between rich and poor, shocking images of extreme poverty revealed by Hurricane Katrina, and outrage over a government that spends billions on war while pushing tax cuts for the rich and program cuts for the poor - despite record budget deficits. Where do we find hope? Jim Wallis critiques modern culture and politics, offering inspiring stories and vision to challenge our way of thinking.

I read this book, when it first came out. I think the time is right for revisiting it. We used to say that the 1980's was the "me" decade and then we had "coccooning" [another type of "me-ism") I'm not sure we are any different today.

The evangelical church by and large misinterprets "personal" as "private". At the risk of sounding harsh - that is a lie straight from the pit of hell. Faith in Jesus Christ is personal, but when Jesus saves us, he brings us into his family; he also says you are my witness, my salt, my light in this world.