Living Faith - Jimmy Carter
I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this book. Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States, and I knew he was (and is - as of writing he is still alive at age 96) a committed Christian and a peanut farmer. I also knew that this was a book written about his faith. But really, I knew next to nothing about him other than that.
I know much more now.
The thing I feel is most important to know about this book going in is that it is written by an American political figure. It is not written to a purely Christian audience, but to anyone who may have a passing interest in politics and/or faith. So, in terms of being a book about Jimmy Carter's faith journey, there are times it does not go as deep as some other Christian biographical works I have read.
But this is ok. Jimmy lightly touches on a number of topics while giving justification for his actions (particularly political ones), both to non-believers who may have been skeptical about a Christian leader, and to believers who may wonder why he chose particular stances on more 'controversial' topics.
For example, he admits to being anti-abortion as a Christian, but explains why he didn't try to legislate against abortion while President: "One of my fundamental political beliefs is that we should avoid modifying the Constitution in response to cyclical changes in American public opinion. Therefore, I opposed constitutional amendments that would have permitted mandatory prayer in public schools or totally prohibited abortions. However, the latter issue was one over which I had great concern. I have never been able to believe that Jesus would have approved the taking of a human life, but the difficult question then remained: When does a fetus become a human being? My duty was to comply with the rulings of the Supreme Court, but I did everything possible to minimize the need for and attractiveness of abortions." (page 126).
He also expresses concern over areas of American politics where fundamentalist Christianity is creeping in. Jimmy is not a fan of the ultra-literalist interpretations of the Bible, and points out the danger of those opinions shaping the political direction of the nation, especially towards citizens that do not share in the same beliefs. As someone who is fairly literal in my own interpretation of Scripture (more so than Jimmy claims to be) I nevertheless agree with him on this issue. As Jimmy states: "...when we attempt to use our government to force others to worship [or live] as we do, or treat those who differ as second-class citizens, then we are violating the basic tenets of a democracy." (page 185).
It's not all political arguments and justification however. Jimmy also delves into areas of his own faith journey more directly in places, highlighting seasons where he learned to evangelize, and even admitting when God has challenged him on his own faith-walk. Invited to speak at a men's group about his experience witnessing for Christ, Jimmy proudly calculated that he had witnessed successfully to about 140 people. "I wrote down the figure, but I guess the Lord must have been looking over my shoulder, because I immediately remembered the frantic 1966 political campaign, when Rosalynn and I had gone throughout the state and shaken hands with 300,000 Georgians, extolling my good points, and asking them to support me for governor. The difference between the hundreds of thousands of personal visits on my own behalf in a few weeks and the small number over a lifetime for Christ was a reminder of how little I had done compared with the potential of my religious life." (page 219).
This is an interesting book. It is more of a memoir than a biography (it is apparently Jimmy's 11th book) and more surface than some, and yet there are still a few patches that really do hit home and challenge the Christian reader on their own walk.
Completed 8 December 2020.
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