People pack churches to hear Shane Claiborne talk about "Jesus for President," the book he co-authored.The dreadlocked Christian activist from Philadelphia and his team parked a black school bus around the back. The hand-painted gold letters on the side read "Jesus for President."
The bus runs on vegetable oil and, yes, it's a political statement.
"It'll be a long time before we fight a war over used veggie oil," says Claiborne with a sly smile.
Claiborne is touring the country, packing churches and community centers, in support of the book he and Chris Haw co-authored, "Jesus for President."
"This whole project is about the political imagination of what it means to follow after Jesus," Claiborne said. "The language of Jesus as Lord and savior is just as radical as it would be to say 'Jesus as our commander in chief' today."
- Story Highlights
- Shane Claiborne co-authored "Jesus for President"
- People flock to hear author, who travels in bus that runs on vegetable oil
- Young evangelicals not a lock for Republicans as their parents were
- Author asks people to endorse what is at the heart of Jesus
But these voters say views on abortion and homosexuality won't define them in November. The environment and social justice are moving to the forefront of their discussions.
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About 26 percent of the United States identifies itself as evangelical Christians in the Protestant tradition, according to the latest U.S. Religious Landscape study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. In 2004, more than 75 percent of evangelicals cast their vote for George W. Bush.
"They delivered for him in some key states, like Ohio, without which he could not have won," said CNN's Bill Schneider, senior political analyst. "It was the rallying of the evangelical base that Karl Rove developed as a strategy, maximizing turnout among your base voters, not worrying about independents or swing voters."
But polls have shown that evangelicals as a whole, following national trends, are disaffected with
Republican leadership and increasingly up for grabs.
Thursday was the fifth night of the tour and it has already seen hundreds show up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Indianapolis, Indiana.
It was a hot, muggy June day in Pittsburgh. About 250 people came through the doors to find there was no air conditioning in the old church-turned-community center. They ran out of chairs so people took to the floors and leaned against the walls.
There were voters from across the board: Republicans, Democrats and independents. Most were young, Christian by background, evangelical in theology, and they say they're hungry for something more than partisan politics.
Steph Walker and Amanda Widing had to settle for seats in the back.
Evangelical movement touts 'Jesus for president' By Eric Marrapodi and Kate Bolduan CNNPITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- They're spiritual misfits. Rabble-rousers. They packed the shell of the old Baptist church on Negley Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to hear author, Christian activist and fellow misfit Shane Claiborne stump on the campaign for a third party candidate, Jesus.
People pack churches to hear Shane Claiborne talk about "Jesus for President," the book he co-authored.
