International Journal of Servant-Leadership
Abstract
Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., an accomplished biblical scholar, began this analysis of the political dimension of Jesus with a description of his frustration with his early education, when he was taught about only the meek and otherworldly Christ, the "long-suffering Jesus who was concerned with the things of heaven, with little thought for the matters of this world, matters like social injustice, racial and gender inequities, or the systematic oppression of the poor" (p. 3). He could not square this interpretation with what he was reading in scriptures about the Christ who opposed the Pharisees and other oppressive forces in Israel with vehement words and fierce actions. He found himself asking questions such as, "What did Jesus mean by sayings like 'I have come not to bring peace, but a sword'?" (p. 2). Throughout his early years, though, he did not encounter any preacher or other believer who talked about this Jesus, "a Jesus who cared not only about our souls but about our earthly circumstances, too." He was so distraught and disappointed, he wrote, that "in my early teens, I left the Church altogether, vowing never to return. Famous last words" (p. 4).
Recommended Citation
Cummins, Richard
(2009)
"Book Review: Political Leadership and Jesus’ “Best Test”: A Review of The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of the Teachings of Jesus and How They Have Been Corrupted,"
International Journal of Servant-Leadership: Vol. 5, Article 23.
DOI: 10.33972/ijsl.228
Available at:
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/ijsl/vol5/iss1/23
Copyright Information
Copyright 2009 The Author(s). All rights reserved