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Reviewed by Cedrick Bridgeforth, Superintendent of the Los Angeles District in the California-Pacific Annual Conference The Audacity of Faith: Christian Leaders Reflect on the Election of Barack Obama Edited by Marvin A. McMickle At a time when all that we have known has changed and shall continue to change at a more than rapid pace, it is imperative for the scholars and practitioners of our communities, chapels, and institutions of higher learning to characterize and categorize these moments for us. As we are upon the anniversary of the historic election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, I found most thoughts within these sermonic essays could have been written just as poignantly before the election as they have been scripted since the election. Each contributor points to the necessity of the election and the rise of change and symbols of hope as being appointed for such a time as this. Otis Moss III challenges the critical thinker and the theologian alike, saying “do not confuse promised moment with the Promised Land.” Brad R. Braxton highlights how “hope” has been a present and driving force for the most effective and revered leaders of movements that have had greatest impact in setting the stage for the election of Barack Obama. Wil Gafney cautions American consciousness concerning responsibility for caring for the dreams as well as the dreamers who are born everyday. Carolyn Knight and Emilie Townes point to personal encounters and communal experiences that challenge all of society to see Barack Obama’s election as another step along the journey, not the finish line. Emilie Townes asserts, “We no longer have the Martins and Malcolms and Ellas and Fanny Lous to lead us. We are who God’s got and we have the ability to shake the foundations with our witness.” In each essay, there is a call and a response to what the Civil Rights leaders and rhetoric of the past championed, somehow balanced by the wave of change and chants for hope that preceded and followed the Obama bandwagon across this nation. As most essays in this volume address the notion of “not expecting this election in our lifetime,” there is an awesome sense of expectancy and urgency to respond faithfully now that it has occurred. Ken Fong illumines that by noting “Obama’s election was a breakthrough that some thought would never come…Moses died knowing they had gotten where God pointed them.” Although the leader who envisioned the promise was not present to lead the march into the Promised Land, he was present to ensure those who followed and those who would lead were headed in the right direction. Valerie Elverton Dixon’s essay, “Barack Obama and the American Civil Religion” appears in Part IV of this volume: Barack Obama and a Postracial America. She writes, “Barack Obama preaches American exceptionalism…. By drawing attention to the work of the people of the United States and calling the election victory our victory, he made the connection between the virtue of the people and the virtue of the country.” Each contributor shares personal testimony, questions, and commentary that draws from a variety of faith and cultural traditions. This volume is one filled with food for thought and thoughts for sharing in small group conversation, church newsletters and general opinion based literature. It is a must-read for any conscious trained or armchair theologian, preacher, and scholar. 
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