Book Review
“Of making many books there is no end. . . “ Ecclesiastes 12:12 NRSV
Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter
by Randall Balmer (New York: Basic Books, 2014)
Reviewed by Darold Morgan
Published almost simultaneously with President Carter’s book,
A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power, is an excellent new biography by Dartmouth Professor Randall Balmer, which brings a unique approach to Carter’s life and values. Not only is this biography exceptionally well-researched and written, it succeeds in the difficult assignment of writing about a person still very much alive and active.
The two books should be read one after the other. This will provide a solid adventure in reading and will give the reader a fuller and deeper understanding of Jimmy Carter and his continuing contributions both as a former president and as an individual with deep religious convictions and determination far beyond that of the average person in solving some of the problems of this confused and pluralistic world.
Balmer helps us to understand far more graphically the religious dynamics of the 1970s when Carter was president. This is the timeframe when American evangelicals moved into the political arena, sadly impacting in a negative way both the religious and political structures of America. There is the hint that this move may be a contributing factor in the gradual diminishing of American church life today. The author handles this area with objectivity and a keen analysis, resulting in some fresh material to consider about Carter’s political career and the directions he and Mrs. Carter have taken in the ensuing years.
Redeemer is perhaps a strange title, but the book brings us a fresh perspective, warts and all, of Jimmy Carter. It is a brilliantly written account of a recent period of American life that needs understanding and correcting. This book gives us a fresh appreciation of a toughminded, compassionate, and involved Baptist from Georgia.
