The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield was an intriguing idea for a book but a bit difficult to get through at times. Mansfield has authored several other books on the faith of notable political and historical figures, including Winston Churchill, Booker T. Washington, and George W. Bush.
 
Albeit, the book was written in the midst of the election, so the author's perspective is unique, but I think such a point-of-view actually kept the work more pure. Mansfield writes like a journalist, and so at times, this short, nonfiction book in your hands feels much longer. Nonetheless, he gives a fair and unbiased overview of our current president's religious beliefs and how he arrived there.

The Faith of Barack Obama describes what it was like for Obama to grow up under the strange mixture of religious influences: agnostic humanism from his mother, Islamic superstition from his Indonesian stepfather, and nominal Methodism from his grandparents. His unique upbringing and mother's influence seemed to have also contributed to some of his liberal political views.

According to Obama, he does not claim to grow up in a religious household nor was faith a significant part of his early adulthood. His journey with Christianity really began when he became a community organizer in Chicago and saw the social and political power of inner-city churches.
 
Of course, much of the book is dedicated to (and most likely in reaction to) Obama's relationship to the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Mansfield describes a close relationship between Obama and Wright (he was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago for two decades), telling stories of Obama's decision to come forward in response to an altar call and his baptism.
 
Regarding what Obama specifically believes, that's still a bit amorphous. At one point, he has been quoted saying, "I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ." And yet, at other times, he expresses a particularly low view of the inspiration of the Bible. That is to say, that he seems to believe that some parts of the Bible are true, while others could be flawed.

Mansfield's stance on the matter is that Obama may not be an evangelical Christian in the same sense that James Dobson is, but he is, nonetheless, a follower of Christ in the process of learning and growing in his faith.
 
After reading this book, I have more sensitivity to our current president's faith and what is hopefully motivating his decisions. There were times when I was downright floored by what he said and did - things that were of no political benefit for him. Nonetheless, I have to take a pragmatic approach to this issue. If Obama is a Christian, then that will be evident in the decisions he makes. Jesus said, "By their fruits, you will know them."
 
While we can all make mistakes that we learn from, I believe that our president's faith will be tested and shown over the next four years. Mansfield's The Faith of Barack Obama certainly gives us plenty of insight into how Obama has come to believe in his religious beliefs; however, where he will take them, in my opinion, is still yet to be seen.