Barack Obama: Sermonizer-in-Chief at Notre Dame

Let others parse the pre-speech controversies and the fallout. If the presidency is supposed to be a bully pulpit, then in his first two commencement addresses, Barack Obama has delivered a pair of bully sermons.

Add a couple of references to the appropriate deity, and either speech (minus the jokes and local references) would serve in just about any worship service in the land. In fact, the Notre Dame speech might have enough God talk to serve without any change at all.

Most religious sermons follow the form "because we believe X, you should do Y." What makes them religious is either the explicit or implicit "because God says so." Obama uses the form to firmly and specifically connect the dots between what he considers essential American values and appropriate American behaviors.

Start with the speech he gave last week at Arizona State.

Here's the Obama sermon formula for this one: Because Americans believe in values that transcend materialism and the trappings of power, you should seek ways to make this world better rather than make yourselves rich.

Here are some nuggets that made those points:

The litany of sins:

"It's in chasing titles and status -- in worrying about the next election rather than the national interest and the interests of those who you're supposed to represent -- that politicians so often lose their ways in Washington. They spend time thinking about polls, but not about principle. It was in pursuit of gaudy short-term profits, and the bonuses that came with them, that so many folks lost their way on Wall Street, engaging in extraordinary risks with other people's money..."

An affirmation of values:

"We've become accustomed to the title of 'military superpower,' forgetting the qualities that got us there -- not just the power of our weapons, but the discipline and valor and the code of conduct of our men and women in uniform..."

The call to good works:

"Go start a company. Or why not help our struggling non-profits find better, more effective ways to serve folks in need. Did you study nursing? Understaffed clinics and hospitals across this country are desperate for your help. Did you study education? Teach in a high-need school where the kids really need you; give a chance to kids who can't – who can't get everything they need maybe in their neighborhood, maybe not even in their home we can't afford to give up on -- prepare them to compete for any job anywhere in the world..."

"But here's the thing, Class of 2009: It works the other way around, too. Acts of sacrifice and decency without regard to what's in it for you -- that also creates ripple effects: ones that lift up families and communities; that spread opportunity and boost our economy; that reach folks in the forgotten corners of the world who, in committed young people like you, see the true face of America: our strength, our goodness, our diversity, our enduring power, our ideals..."

Now for the Notre Dame speech. This one really is a sermon, with references to God and specific religions. And it ends with the secular equivalent of an altar call.

My best summary: That which unites Americans is more essential that that which divides us. Our essential common values should allow us to reach compromise where we can and remain at least civil as we discuss what cannot be compromised. True faith, true respect for religion, requires actions that make this world a better place.

Here are some key nuggets:

The litany of sins:

"Part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man -- our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin. We too often seek advantage over others. We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar. Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism, in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game. The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice. And so, for all our technology and scientific advances, we see around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times."

The transformational role of good works even in the realm of faith:

"And something else happened during the time I spent in those neighborhoods. Perhaps because the church folks I worked with were so welcoming and understanding; perhaps because they invited me to their services and sang with me from their hymnals; perhaps because I witnessed all of the good works their faith inspired them to perform, I found myself drawn -- not just to work with the church, but to be in the church. It was through this service that I was brought to Christ."

Defining the common values:

"For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the golden rule -- the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. To serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this earth.

And that "altar call" for action in accord with those values:

"But as you leave here today, remember the lessons of Cardinal Bernardin, of Father Hesburgh, of movements for change both large and small. Remember that each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we all seek the same love of family, the same fulfillment of a life well-lived. Remember that in the end, we are all fishermen.

"If nothing else, that knowledge should give us faith that through our collective labor, and God's providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other's burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that more perfect union. Congratulations, class of 2009. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America."

Back in college, I read the 1960 edition of Richard Neustadt's famous book "Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents," with its equally famous premise that the most important power of the president is the power to persuade. Neustadt wrote:

"Persuasive power, thus defined, amounts to more than charm or reasoned argument. These have their uses for a President, but these are not the whole of his resources. For the individuals he would induce to do what he wants done on their own responsibility will need or fear some acts by him on his responsibility. If they share his authority, he has some share in theirs. Presidential "powers" may be inconclusive when a President commands, but always remain relevant as he persuades."

George W. Bush often seemed to think that persuasion emerged primariy from the exercise of power. But from Obama's first two commencement speeches, in fact from his body of speechifying as president, it surely looks like he thinks Neustadt may still be right.