Ever feel like the version of Jesus you hear about on the news is basically a mascot for a political party? Honestly, you’re not alone. One of the most piercing voices calling this out isn't just some random commentator; it’s a guy who used to spend his days staring at stock tickers on Wall Street. Obery M. Hendricks Jr. is the name you’ll keep running into if you start digging into why modern American Christianity feels so fractured.
He’s not just a professor. Cornel West famously called him "the knife" because his analysis doesn't just skim the surface—it cuts.
The Career Pivot Nobody Expected
Before he was a heavy hitter in the world of biblical interpretation, Hendricks was a Wall Street investment executive. Imagine that transition for a second. He was at Kidder Peabody, making the kind of money most people dream about, but he felt his spirit withering. He’s been open about how, at 33, he looked at the world and realized he couldn’t see people as anything other than their financial value.
That’s a heavy realization to have while you're climbing the corporate ladder.
The turning point came at his father's funeral. Standing in the pulpit to give the eulogy, something clicked. He walked away from the money and dove headfirst into the world of theology, eventually earning his Ph.D. from Princeton.
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What Obery M. Hendricks Jr. Actually Argues
Most people know him for his powerhouse book, The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted. Basically, Hendricks argues that we’ve "spiritualized" Jesus so much that we’ve ignored the fact that he was a political threat to the Roman Empire.
He lays out seven specific strategies Jesus used to challenge the status quo:
- Treating people's needs as holy. This isn't just about being "nice." It's about viewing the lack of healthcare or food as a literal sin against God.
- Giving a voice to the voiceless. 3. Exposing the workings of oppression.
- Calling a "demon" by its name. (Think: identifying systemic racism or corporate greed as the actual problem).
- Saving your anger for the mistreatment of others.
- Using non-violent social protest.
- Judging every policy by the yardstick of love and justice.
It’s a radical list. It makes people on both sides of the aisle uncomfortable because it doesn't fit neatly into a "liberal" or "conservative" box. Hendricks often points out that there’s no such thing as a "conservative prophet" in the Bible because prophets, by definition, are there to change the status quo, not preserve it.
The "Christians Against Christianity" Conflict
If you’ve seen him on CNN or MSNBC lately, he’s likely talking about his more recent work, Christians Against Christianity. It’s a blistering critique. He argues that right-wing evangelicalism has basically become the antithesis of what Jesus actually taught.
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He doesn't hold back. He calls out what he sees as the "worship of false gods," like Christian nationalism and partisan politics. For Hendricks, the alliance between certain religious leaders and power-hungry politicians is a repeat of the "court jesters" of old—priests who told the King whatever he wanted to hear just to keep their seats at the table.
Why His Background Matters
Hendricks grew up in the middle of the struggle. His family moved from Virginia to New Jersey after his home county literally closed all the public schools rather than desegregate them. That kind of history stays with you. It’s why his scholarship isn't just academic; it's personal.
He’s served as the president of Payne Theological Seminary (the oldest African American seminary in the U.S.) and currently teaches at Columbia University. He isn't just writing books; he's been in the room with the State Department and the DNC, trying to push these ideas into the actual halls of power.
Is He Right?
Look, his work is controversial. Some critics argue he’s just trading one political ideology for another. They say he’s making Jesus a "left-wing" revolutionary instead of a "right-wing" one.
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Hendricks would probably tell you that Jesus doesn't care about our modern labels. He’d say that if your religion doesn't start with the needs of the poor and the marginalized, you're not practicing the religion of Jesus—you're practicing the religion of the empire that killed him.
It’s a lot to chew on. Whether you agree with him or not, you can't deny that Obery M. Hendricks Jr. has forced a conversation that a lot of people would rather avoid.
Actionable Ways to Engage with His Work
If you want to understand the intersection of faith and politics beyond the 30-second soundbites, here is how to actually dive in:
- Read "The Politics of Jesus" specifically for the Seven Strategies. Don't just read it for the "revolutionary" bits; look at how he applies those strategies to modern issues like immigration and economic policy.
- Audit his "Yardstick of Love." The next time you see a piece of legislation being debated, try to apply Hendricks’ rule: Does this policy treat the needs of the most vulnerable as "holy"?
- Watch the C-SPAN special. There is a 90-minute deep dive featuring Hendricks at the Center for American Progress that covers the "Class, Politics, and Christianity" lecture. It’s a great way to hear the tone of his voice and the nuance he brings that often gets lost in print.
- Check out his commentary on the Gospel of John. If you're a bit more academically minded, his Ph.D. work on "A Discourse of Domination" explores how language in the Bible has been used to marginalize people for centuries.
Ultimately, Hendricks asks a question that sticks: If Jesus returned today, would he recognize the movement that uses his name?