“The False White Gospel…rightly notes that the need for justice and equity is greater than ever and implores us to reclaim the Jesus of the Gospels in the face of the White Christian Nationalism that threatens our democracy, our faith, our common life.”

–The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, author of Love is the Way

Join Malcolm Clemens Young for a conversation with the Rev. Jim Wallis, the inaugural holder of the Chair in Faith and Justice at the McCourt School of Public Policy and founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, about his latest book, The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy.

This major new work by the New York Times bestselling author argues that the answer to bad religion is true faith that will help re-found democracy.

It is time, says Wallis, to call out genuine faith—specifically the “Christian” in White Christian Nationalism—inviting all who can be persuaded to reject and help dismantle a false gospel that propagates white supremacy and autocracy. We need to raise up the faith of all of us, and help those who are oblivious, stuck, and captive to the ideology and idolatry of White Christian Nationalism that is leading us to such great danger. Wallis turns our attention to six iconic texts at the heart of what genuine biblical faith means and what Jesus, in the gospels, has called us to do. It is time to ask anew: do we believe these teachings or not?

This book isn’t only for Christians but for all faith traditions, and even those with no faith at all. When we see a civic promotion of fear, hate, and violence for the trajectory of our politics, we need a civic faith of love, healing, and hope to defeat it. And that must involve all of us – religious or not. Learning to practice a politics of neighborly love will be central to the future of democracy in America. And more than ever, the words of Jesus ring, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Books will be available for sale. The Rev. Wallis is also preaching at the Choral Eucharist at 11 am.

Watch

Reverend Jim Wallis: Who’s the radical, Jesus or the pope?

The Forum will be posted on our Youtube and Apple Podcast channels.   

About the Guest

The Rev. Jim Wallis is the inaugural holder of the Chair in Faith and Justice at the McCourt School of Public Policy and founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, which advocates for racial justice and building a multiracial democracy, eradicating systemic poverty and peacemaking in the United States and around the world. Wallis is the founder of Sojourners, a progressive Christian grassroots movement that advocates spirituality and social change, and served on President Obama’s White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. A public theologian, Wallis is a New York Times bestselling author of twelve books, including Christ in Crisis, America’s Original Sin, God’s Politics and The Great Awakening. In 2022, Washingtonian magazine named Wallis one of the 500 most influential people shaping policy in DC.

About the Moderator 

The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young is the dean of Grace Cathedral. He is the author of The Spiritual Journal of Henry David Thoreau and The Invisible Hand in Wilderness: Economics, Ecology, and God, and is a regular contributor on religion to the Huffington Post and San Francisco Examiner.

About The Forum

The Forum is a series of stimulating conversations about faith and ethics in relation to the important issues of our day. We invite inspiring and illustrious people to sit down for a real conversation with the Forum’s host and with you. Our guests range from artists, inventors, and philosophers to pop culturists and elected officials, but the point of The Forum is singular: civil, sophisticated discourse that engages minds and hearts to think in new ways about the world.  More about Grace Forum Online.

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