I just finished Daniel Dennett's Breaking the Spell.  Dennett, an avowed atheist, has written a book about applying scientific analysis to the origins of religion.  There is much to criticize in this book, as several published reviews have; but, there is also much to praise in looking at an intellectual approach to religion in our rapidly changing world.

The thing that ended up shocking me the most from reading this book was a bell ringing in my own personal views of Wallis and his movement.  Specifically, although Dennett never mentions Wallis or even anything like Wallis' movement within Breaking the Spell, one of his conclusions leaves little doubt in my mind as to what he feels about Wallis' activities.  Dennett makes this conclusion toward the end of his book.  He specifically challenges the moderates in all religions to challenge and fight the fanatics who are spreading toxic memes.  He challenges the moderates to counter the literalist interpretations of various religious texts.  

This makes sense to me.  And it also gives cover to Wallis.  Wallis, is nothing if not a moderate.  He is doing exactly as Dennett challenges us to do.  Ironically, the balance of attacks that Wallis uses also goes directly against  the Daniel Dennett's of the world (the secular left).  But I think Dennett, and most atheists, are used to such attacks and shrug them off easily.  For atheists, it's not the attack on themselves that they most fear, it's the unbridled rantings and creating of memes from religious fanatics that they don't trust.  Moderate religionists use reason along with faith when considering their beliefs.  It's the absence of reason within the fanatics that concern Dennett the most.

So... I accept and support what Jim Wallis is doing now.  I still have some concerns about his tactics and approach, but let's just say that his heart, and his mind, are in the right place.