A confrontation of the hypocrisy of the evangelical right with a passionate defense, grounded in the Gospel, of inclusive Christian love.
Throughout his distinguished career, Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. has been a pillar of moral clarity for many overlapping communities: African Americans, religious scholars, Christians of all backgrounds, political leaders, journalists, and his many readers. Now, in these pages, he rejects the "anti-Christ" views of the American religious right that are corroding the faith from within. Devoting each chapter to a specific contemporary issue--from abortion rights to homophobia, from gun control to nativism--Hendricks invokes Biblical and theological texts to show how evangelicals are misreading the teachings of Christ. He denounces the moneyed, power-hungry interests who have led evangelicals astray with hollow promises of a Christian-centric government. And he calls for a return to the Christlike love and generosity that he grew up with in his family's Baptist community. Timely, inspiring, galvanizing, at once intellectually rigorous and broadly accessible, this is essential reading for anyone concerned about the moral direction of church and country. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. is a bestselling author, activist, religious scholar, and ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His previous books include The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus' Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted and The Universe Bends Toward Justice: Radical Reflections on the Bible, the Church and the Body Politic. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University in the Department of Religion and the Institute for Research in African American Studies, as well as a Visiting Professor at Union Theological Seminary.
