Examining America's Political Pulpit

In her new book, "When Sorrow Comes: The Power of Sermons from Pearl Harbor to Black Lives Matter," Melissa M. Matthes argues for two claims. First and most fundamentally, that Protestant ministers should assume a more active public role addressing political and legal affairs, and that, in doing so, they should be met with greater acceptance as national and community leaders whose guidance truly matters. Second, that Protestant clergy espousing theological liberalism provide the greatest opportunity to enlighten public discourse and strengthen the common good. Her work succeeds admirably on the first score, but is open to a more ambivalent assessment on the second.