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The Soul of Politics. This title sounds similar to an oxymoron of some sort. Despite the awkwardness of this phrase that seems to assume that politics has a soul, Jim Wallis took the time and effort to write a book about it. Wallis starts the book off the way anyone dealing a problem should, he shows that there is a problem. The very beginning of chapter one is entitled Signs of a Crisis. Wallis provides three modern day examples of violence that have occurred in the United States. Then he presents an example from Palestine, eighth century B.C.E. explaining with Old Testament words that when everything in the land appears to be amazingly good it can actually be a doorway to violence and the disbanding of a community. The beginning sections that Wallis writes are similar to the overall setup of the book as a whole. It is as if he is conducting an experiment. First he labels the problems, he acknowledges that something needs to be done, and even if the desired result seems to be inaccessible he lists specific happenings that should give hope and encourage people to try to reach the seemingly unreachable happy ending. The first chapter also states that a wake-up call is needed. We as a society need realize that problems exist and moreover we need to awaken from our world of ignorant bliss and strive to start solving the problem. Chapter one clearly states the purpose for the book. Society has troubles and we need to fix them. This information is the concrete of the book because it sets the foundation for the point Wallis is trying to make from the book. His main point is that American society, from the lowest poorest ghettos to the biggest most expensive mansions, has problems and that with the right amount of work, dedication and hope we can begin to start solving and eliminating our problems and cleaning up our lives. Wallis’ arguments are all based on his understanding and situations that he has experienced. Nearly everything in the book starts off with a story from his lifetime that included him. Whether it he was experiencing his first earthquake or trips he has taken to political meetings everything he mentions leads into one of two things. The first thing he leads us to in his book is violence and the fact that it needs to be addressed. This is later followed with a form of understanding that he has gained or at times the happy ending to a troubling time. These two things lead us to ideas of hope, which eventually becomes the ending idea of the book. Wallis sets up his point very well. Looking for problems in our modern world is like trying to find a cowboy with a hat, no challenge at all.
Approximate Word count = 1821
Approximate Pages = 7.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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