A Voice in the Wilderness

Meet the evangelical statesman who chose principles over partisanship.

What does it look like when faith gives a politician the independence to follow his conscience rather than march in lockstep with his party? In A Voice in the Wilderness, award-winning historian and New York Times bestselling author Randall Balmer tells the remarkable story of Mark O. Hatfield—a Baptist, an evangelical, and arguably the last liberal Republican in America. Drawing on archival research and oral histories, Balmer offers more than a biography. He offers a counternarrative to the alignment of evangelicalism with right-wing politics—and a portrait of the principled public servant our moment so badly needs.

Throughout his thirty years representing Oregon in the United States Senate, Hatfield never lost an election and never stopped following his conscience. He was the first prominent Republican to oppose the Vietnam War and the first prominent evangelical to oppose legalized abortion after Roe v. Wade. Widely regarded as a man of principle and integrity, Hatfield found that holding fast to his convictions often placed him at odds with fellow Republicans and with fellow white evangelicals, who were drifting rightward during his career. Yet he sought to maintain cordial relations even with his adversaries. As Bill Clinton observed at Hatfield’s retirement, “Because he has tried to love his enemies, he has no enemies.”

A Voice in the Wilderness will appeal to readers interested in the intersection of religion and politics, devotees of American political history, and anyone who wonders whether deep spiritual integrity in public service is possible.