Did you see the bit on Newsweek’s website last week about “Faces of the Christian Right“? The piece purports to list several individuals who are emerging leaders in the Christian Right. Guess who’s on the list. Here it is: Robert George, Jim Daly, Maggie Gallagher, Matthew and Nancy Sleeth, Melissa Rogers, Marjorie Dannenfelser, Tony Perkins, Jim Wallis and Joel Hunter.
Tony Perkins? Check. Robbie George? Check. Jim Daly? Check. Jim Wallis? [Cue sound of needle scraping across record here.] Not so much. This has to be one of the most horrid pieces of religion reporting that I have ever seen.
In what universe would anyone identify Jim Wallis, Joel Hunter, and Melissa Rogers as a part of the Christian Right? I find myself scratching my head and asking the same question Sarah Pulliam Bailey asks: “So leaders of the Christian left are now part of the Christian right?”
I think Newsweek may need to rehire Jon Meacham to edit their religion reporting because somebody fell asleep at the stick on this one.
4 Comments
Tom1st
Well, since ‘right’ and ‘left’ are words that mean almost nothing anymore, I can’t say I’m surprised or even bothered by this.
But, undoubtedly, even Jim Wallis wouldn’t want to be identified as ‘right.’
(Of course, I’m using the terms in the political, not theological, spheres.)
Donald Johnson
The fine print said Wallis was from the Christian left.
Darius
Donald is correct. So I’m not sure what the point of the article was if it can’t even keep the terms straight.
Ryan K.
This is all just silly and show how poor the journalism has become at Newsweek.
This Getreligion.org post does a good job picking this apart.
http://www.getreligion.org/2010/12/um-jim-wallis-as-a-face-of-the-christian-right/