The Universe Bends Toward Justice: Radical Reflections on the Bible, the Church, and the Body Politic

by Obery M. Hendricks Jr.

In these passionate and wide-ranging essays Obery Hendricks offers a challenging engagement with spirituality, economics, politics, contemporary Christianity, and the abuses committed in its name. Among his the gap between the spirituality of the church and the spirituality of Jesus; the ways in which contemporary versions of gospel music sensationalize today s churches into social and political irrelevance; how the economic principles and policies espoused by the religious right betray the most basic principles of the same biblical tradition they claim to hold dear; the domestication of Martin Luther King s message to foster a political complacency that dishonors King s sacrifices. He ends with a stinging rebuke of the religious right s idolatrous patriotism in a radical manifesto for those who would practice the politics of Jesus in the public sphere.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Theology, Politics, Justice, Social Justice, Christianity

254 pages, Paperback

First published October 19, 2011

About the author

A former Wall Street investment executive, professional musician, and competitive martial artist, Obery Hendricks is the immediate past president of Payne Theological Seminary, the oldest African American seminary in the United States. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Professor of Biblical Studies at New York Theological Seminary.

Reviews

[Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, I'll start with a disclaimer: I'm an Obery Hendricks fan ... so this review is starting from a friendly - but deserved - place. I read and loved his previous book, The Politics of Jesus (which is also reviewed here on Goodreads) ... and now I've read and loved this book. Here's why:

Simply put, this book is a clarion call to us, reminiscent of Old Testament prophets whose piercing spiritual insight and passionate commitment to our collective betterment led them to "speak the truth to power with power" as someone once said. In this work, Professor Hendricks does not explore theoretical Christian spirituality but its far more rare and needed counterpart, applied Christianity. In so doing, he finds us largely lacking in our knowledge of and commitment to the actual theology, practice and charge of Jesus, our ostensible Patron and Savior. What follows, then, is an examination of our societal behavior and then a comparison and contrasting to the actual guidance of the Jesus whom so many claim to follow but clearly hardly know.

An example: One of the most intriguing parts of the book is an examination of our politics today, especially that type that claims to be conservative in nature and based on/in Christian principles. The author convincingly and at length reviews the actual practice of so-called Christian conservative politicians and then compares it to what Jesus instructed us to do. To be kind, it rarely correlates and many times is in direct contradiction to Christ's imperatives. It's this purposeful and cynical hijacking of true Christianity that brings out Professor Hendricks's most passionate and compelling elucidation of the "radical" doctrine practiced by Jesus to which, he exhorts us convincingly, we must return, especially His directive that we love our neighbors as ourselves.

Another powerful moment: near the conclusion of the book, he offers a quote from a leader espousing Christian values in terms that are eerily similar to the rhetoric of the Christian Right that we hear today. Suffice it to say that history records an awful legacy thereafter, which establishes his point about the artifice and powerfully destructive impact of purposeful 'Christian' distortion in a sadly haunting and incontrovertible way.

Is the book perfect? No? (For instance, there are a few passages in which the author moves away from his typically conclusive real-world observations and proofs into the realm of pure faith that are less convincing.) Is it close to perfect/great/incredible? Absolutely yes! As with his previous book, The Politics of Jesus, this tome is a passionate and piercingly insightful wakeup call for us as human beings and, for most of us, as people of faith. In sum, Professor Hendricks teaches us what priniciples actually underlie the faith in which we have been raised and supposedly espouse and then challenges us to emulate this, the 'radical' Christianity of its ostensible Founder and Source, Jesus Christ. What I'm really clear on is that whether one is a Christian or not, this is great guidance about how to live a meaningful, contributory life - both as individuals and collectively as a society - which makes it a most valuable, powerful and momentous contribution indeed....

[AMIRI B HOOKER · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third read is the key!

I read this book when it first came out and it seemed to be following inline with the first and I loved the take. However retreading this text in light of what has happened to the church in the time of a Trump Presidency and the Bastardization Of the Evangelical Church has mad this an even more necessary read for every follower of Jesus.

[Heidi]

Read for class so no rating or review, but this was a wonderful and thought-provoking read that inspired me to think about my role in advancing social justice.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that when I first picked up this book a couple years ago I stumbled reading his first chapter that focuses on the demise of Black sacred music. This time, upon picking it up, I jumped to chapters three and four which form a single thought unit on the economics of Jesus. Hendricks blew off my socks and so I went back, re-read sections and came to see his work is a call that culminates in a manifest that concludes his book.

This is a work to which I will repeatedly return for its rich analysis and probing challenges—especially to those of us who have enjoyed the relative ease of middle or upper class existence.

I have made it a purposeful decision to read more theological works from non-white and non-mainstream authors. I am so glad to have bought this book a few years ago and highly recommend it to all. Be prepared to be deeply challenged. Come with a humble and open heart. The church desperately needs to hear the voice of Zoberi Hendricks, for in his analysis, we will find ourselves confronted by the Jesus of the Bible, a peasant prophet who was the very incarnate God, challenging and dying at the hands of the elites of his day, and whose resurrection not only threw their verdict on its head, but calls into question the elitist approach to Christianity that plagues the west today.

[Carol]

I saw the author on TV and he really intrigued me so I bought the book on my Kindle. Still early in the book but very good so far. Keep you posted...