While I was away, NRO ran my review of Stephen Mansfield’s book, The Faith of Barack Obama. Mansfield, I strongly suspect, is a better author than this book – a hardcover pamphlet, really — shows.

For about one chapter, how Obama’s vision of church and state and the interaction between the two, we’ve got some real meat to chew on. But a lot of it is warmed-over biographical information covered in greater detail in other books, and recent events — the revelation of Jeremiah Wright’s sermons, “I could no more disown him than I could disown my own grandmother,” the National Press Club speech, the pulpit ranting of Michael Pfleger, Obama leaving his church, Obama’s suddenly changed account of his attendance at Trinity United — even Oprah’s decision to part ways with Trinity United offer fascinating material, if the author is willing to get into areas that may be unflattering to the candidate. Instead, we get a very sunny account of Obama and his faith, with some factual errors that jumped out at me. The book looks and feels rushed, and it’s a shame; this topic deserved more.