Londons Falling

Makes You Think Outside of the Box- Just Like All Good Books Do

Rating: 4/5
Comments:
The Politics of Jesus by Obery M Hendricks, Jr. is really really fascinating as it includes excellent uses of reference, gives an author's perspective, and then bounces into a more academically formulated reading of Jesus and his role in past and modern day politics and policies.

Part One: This part of the book is excellent from the standpoint of someone who is just getting into personal study of religious history, especially the earlier times of Christianity and theology. Its one of those rare books that actually cites information from the Bible and history and extends to the reader a good chronological story of the origins of Christianity and Judaism in an objective manner. The different historical facts are brought to life in this portion of the book and can make everyone you know think outside of the box in regards to our modern day concepts of Christianity. It attempts to make sense of some of the contradictory passages of the Bible and may explain to the reader the type of political undercurrents (different outsider occupations of Israel and Jerusalem) going on during Christ's time on Earth to propel him and his teachings into the spotlight. This book also touches a little about the Jesus' Resurrection which also serves a mind bending paradigm shift for most Christians.

Part Two: Part two tends to be a summation of the author's thoughts. Because Obrey is an ordained Elder in his church, one may see this section as him preaching from the pulpit. With sections entitled "Treat The People's Needs As Holy" or "Give A Voice To The Voiceless" and lastly "Save Your Anger For The Mistreatment of Others" gives you insight into what this author has deemed the most important of all Jesus' teachings in his personal life and in current political times.

Part Three: Is where Conservatives may drop the book and burn it and Liberals may dust a place off their fireplace mantel for it. This section may appear to be highly biased but is actually written in a very good academic fashion. However, that does not explain the author's apparent bias towards one political party over another.
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All-in-all what I took away from this book is that EVERYONE should read it. This book reinforced my notion that most/all religions have been edited over time and for those who feel that their subscribed religious belief has been untainted from its fundamental tenants, this book will make you think otherwise. For those who are atheist this book will make you think yeah, religion has a lot of flaws but at best the scriptures are a reflection of human frailty and the Bible serves to be a decent record of history. For those who are religious it makes you question what exactly are you religious about. Furthermore, this book should make people less prejudice towards other religions as it points to those gaping holes in Christianity to show to us Christianity isn't exactly perfect either.

Good History, but Not Much Else

Rating: 2/5
Comments:
I really wanted to like this book. I am a firm believer that modern Christianity has lost much of the revolutionary nature of the original message of Jesus. However, this book fails to encapsulate a fully biblical view of that revolutionary message.

First, I do want to point out something that I really appreciated: the author's addition of historical context. If nothing else, the first 70 pages provide context for the life of Jesus and his message. It will help put parts of the life of Jesus and his teachings in a much fuller perspective. It really does open up a new dimension to parts of His teachings.

However, after around the first 75-80 pages the author begins to dismiss any part of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus himself that do not fit his personal views. The most glaring problem came when he dismisses verses from several epistles, but these verses are essentially PARAPHRASES of what Jesus taught in the Gospels. That would be a big enough problem except he is claiming that these verses OPPOSE the message of Jesus. It is clear that the author wants Jesus to be a certain way whether or not that is historically or biblically accurate.

The concept of a book that fully recognizes the revolutionary and political nature of Jesus truly excited me, but this author fails to put aside his modern political views long enough to fully realize a solid book. It's disappointing to agree with the premise of a book so much, but be so let down by the execution. In reality, this author is no better than those he claims to oppose.

Discovering The Complete Jesus

Rating: 5/5
Comments:
This is an extraordinary, sold five star book aimed at revealing exactly where Jesus stood on the political scale of his time. Through careful analysis of quotes from the New Testament, author Obery Hendricks discovers a politically liberal, even radical Jesus who worked tirelessly and risked his life daily to organize the poor and protest against their oppression by a brutal Roman occupation thoroughly aided by self-serving high priests and an all-too-greedy Jewish aristocracy.

This is the political Jesus that today's Christian Right doesn't want you to know about. Obery compares Jesus' own words to Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and other luminaries of the politically Conservative Right and definitively demonstrates how their political thinking and actions are not in support of the teachings of Jesus, but actually in opposition to the Jesus they praise.

Clear definitions of what it means to be Conservative or Liberal and carefully drawn lists of the political accomplishments of both Liberals and Conservatives from the founding of America to the present are put forth, and the reader can decide among today's followers of Jesus who are the hypocrites, the liars, the unfortunate misguided, and who are the real followers of the whole and complete Jesus.

Of course Jesus was morally conservative on personal piety, and of course, this is a vital part of Jesus' message. However, ignorance of the politically liberal and radical nature of Jesus' mission is as dangerous today as ignorance of the politically liberal and radical nature of the thought and actions of most of our Founding Fathers. Obery has put together a wonderful case for continuing on with Jesus' liberation theology; treat the people and their needs as holy. If you're tired of Jesus meek and mild, find out here who the complete Jesus is. This is Obery's Jesus and mine, too.