The FP Interview: Carlos Stouffer of Jesus Politics

FP: Who is Carlos Stouffer?

CS: I'm an internet addict and used book peddler living in Los Angeles. Before this I was in Chapel Hill, North Carolina teaching Portuguese as a graduate student and in Miami, Florida.

FP: When and why did you start your Blog, Jesus Politics?

CS: Last spring I was spending an excessive amount of time on the
Internet reading political articles and blogs and forwarding anti-Bush articles to some pro-Bush members of my family. I started blogging in early April as it seemed like a good way to channel what I was already doing anyway.

FP: Your Blog says, "My interest in Jesus goes back to when I was
born in Brazil where my parents were Southern Baptist missionaries." How did that experience of being a Protestant missionary in a very Catholic country shape your own perspective and views on the place of Christianity in society?

CS: We were in Brazil to convert the Catholics to our Southern Baptist way of practicing Christianity. But of course in subtle ways Brazilian
Catholic culture also ended up converting some of our Southern Baptist ways. I think our experience in Brazil would had been richer though if we were more open to a dialogue with the various and interesting religious expressions there. I imagine that it would had been possible for Baptists to create common cause with Catholics if there was more effort at building bridges.

FP: What does the phrase Jesus Politics mean to you?

CS: It is just a quick way of expressing the various issues involved at the intersection of religion and politics.

FP: Are you a regular church go-er these days? If so, are you still a Southern Baptist? If not, why not?

CS: My wife, Susan, who is finishing up her Ph.D. in Occupational
Science,is very involved in our local combo United Methodist/Presbyterian USA church. I attend and support her work. We might have attended a Baptist church but the only progressive Baptist churches in California are located around San Francisco.

FP: Who are your favorite thinkers and writers in the area of politics,religion and theology?

CS: Here is a small list of influential Southern Baptist progressives who are unfortunately too often forgotten today:

Clarence Jordan

Will Campbell


Carlyle Marney


Henlee Barnette

FP: Many people feel frustrated by both the perception of religious
people and the Bush Administration--what can they do to change things?

CS: I like to contrast the political Christians on the Christian Right with the political Christians on the Jesus Left. The Christian Right focuses on an orthodox and institutional interpretation of the Christian Faith whereas the Jesus Left focuses on fresh ways to honor the life and spirit of the historical Jesus. Even though some political Christian leaders are loud, I am pretty sure the vast majority of Christians in the US are not that interested or engaged in politics.

As more Christians get involved and become better informed, I think they will start to question the assumptions of these loud political Christians. I think the Christian Rightists are particularly vulnerable when Christians begin to wake up and discover what is going on in the name of Jesus.

FP: Are there a couple of posts you are most proud of?

CS: The best part of the blog are the contributions from several
commenters. We have a good conversation going now at: Jesus Politics Destroying Judeo-Christian Politics

FP: See also:

Sick to death of being told to respect religion

What's on Jesus i-Pod