The Politics of Jesus

📖 The Politics of Jesus by Dr. Obery Hendricks is a groundbreaking work that challenges traditional views of Christianity by revealing Jesus as a radical figure who spoke truth to power, confronted systems of oppression, and called his followers to live out a faith rooted in justice and liberation. The book has inspired countless readers to see the Gospels not just as spiritual texts, but as a call to action in public life.

🎙️ Building on this powerful foundation, The Politics of Jesus Podcast—cohosted by Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack—takes the message from the page to the people. Each episode explores the intersection of faith, politics, and justice in today’s world, featuring thought-provoking conversations with leaders, activists, and visionaries who are putting these principles into practice.

🌍 This show speaks to one of the most urgent needs of our time: reclaiming faith as a force for truth, equity, and social transformation. In a moment when religion is too often misused to divide or oppress, The Politics of Jesus Podcast offers a bold, relevant, and necessary perspective that equips listeners to engage their faith in ways that heal communities and inspire change.

Meet Your Hosts


  • Author, The Politics of Jesus

    Dr. Obery Hendricks is the most widely read and perhaps the most influential black biblical scholar in America today. He is the author of the contemporary classic, The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted, which has been hailed by Sojourners magazine as one of the best Faith and Justice books of the twenty-first century. A former president of Payne Theological Seminary, he teaches Religion and African American Studies at Columbia University.

  • Founder, Rethinking Church Strategies

    LaKesha Womack is a strategist, author, and community leader with over two decades of experience helping organizations, businesses, faith-based institutions, and political campaigns grow through visionary branding, leadership development, and strategic planning. She is the owner of Womack Consulting Group, Chief Strategy Officer for ASPIRE Community Capital, and serves in multiple civic and faith leadership roles.

Season One - The Politics of Jesus Podcast

  • Join us for an exclusive sneak peek into the brand-new season of The Politics of Jesus Podcast with Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack. In this special prelaunch show, we’ll share the vision behind the podcast, what you can expect from upcoming episodes, and why these conversations matter now more than ever.

    Tune in to hear about the powerful topics, dynamic guests, and thought-provoking discussions that will challenge, inspire, and invite you to see the intersection of faith, justice, and public life in new ways.

    📅 Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look—your chance to get ready for a season that promises to spark meaningful dialogue and ignite action.

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  • Donald Trump and his MAGA Christo-nationalists are daily attempting to push America into full-blown fascism. Yet when thinking of anti-fascism, what usually comes to mind are the grassroots resistance movements in Europe that opposed Hitler and Mussolini. In this powerful episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, the renowned Baptist minister and political commentator, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, joins hosts Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack to discuss an alternative to Eurocentric anti-fascist ideations: “The Black Tradition of Resistance to Fascism,” and the resources that Black culture offers for the struggle against Trump’s fascist onslaught. Using the work of the literary titan, Toni Morrison, Dr. Dyson will discuss the anti-fascist strategies and traditions of black folks, the religious and cultural power and activist traditions that empowered them, and how they can be used to fight the creeping fascism plaguing America today. 

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  • Why does the same Bible lead to such different political convictions in Black and white churches? How do white MAGA Christians justify their support of Donald Trump?

    In this illuminating episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha sit down with respected religious scholar Robert P. Jones, author of the highly acclaimed book, White Too Long, to explore the deep-seated historical and theological factors that have resulted in the radically different, even oppositional ways that black and white Christians engage in politics and practice their faith.

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  • In this compelling episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, Rev. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund, joins Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack to examine how today’s political climate impacts the lives of children, particularly those living in poverty. Drawing on his extensive experience as a community leader and child advocate, Wilson explores the systemic challenges—ranging from education inequities to healthcare gaps, food insecurity, and housing instability—that affect vulnerable children every day, and offers bold, actionable strategies for alleviating them.

  • The church is changing — not because the Gospel has changed, but because the world we’re called to reach is shifting. But is it changing quickly enough to make a real difference in society?

    From affirming same-gender marriage to expanding the language of inclusion to keeping up with cultural trends, this conversation asks: Can the church evolve and still be holy? What does it look like to pastor a people and a moment — without compromising either?

    On this timely episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack are joined by the deeply insightful Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown — acclaimed homiletician, AME historian, and leading prophetic voice in Black church life — to explore the church’s role in responding to cultural change with theological integrity and spiritual courage.

  • What does it mean to live out the commandment to “love your neighbor” in a society marked by division, hostility, and indifference?

    In this powerful episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack have a timely conversation on the radical call to advocacy and love in action.

    This episode challenges listeners to consider the cost of authentic discipleship and the transformative power of advocating for those who may never return the love.

  • In this thought-provoking episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, Dr. Renita J. Weems—renowned biblical scholar, minister, and author—joins Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack for an unflinching discussion of Black women’s ongoing struggle for justice within both the church and the broader political landscape.

    Dr. Weems sheds light on the double burden of racism and sexism Black women confront, examining how faith traditions, sacred texts, and political systems are used to both oppress and empower black women. The discussion unpacks the prophetic role Black women have played in movements for justice, the cost of their leadership, and the urgent need to dismantle patriarchal structures that silence women’s voices in church and society.

  • In December 2020, members of the violent extremist group, the Proud Boys, intruded on the grounds of the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC, to tear down its Black Lives Matter banner. In February 2025, the church won a default judgment against the racist cult.  In this episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, Rev. William H. Lamar IV joins hosts Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack for a timely and thought-provoking conversation on a particularly pressing issue: the rise of white supremacist attacks on the black community and black churches. Rev. Lamar brings his prophetic voice and pastoral insight to bear on how racial extremists target our communities, why they pose such a danger to civic life, and how faith leaders and everyday people can respond to them with courage and clarity.

  • Voting is not just a civic duty — it's a spiritual responsibility.

    In this urgent and inspiring episode of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, Dr. Obery Hendricks and Rev. LaKesha Womack welcome Senator Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church and U.S. Senator from the state of Georgia, for a powerful conversation about the moral imperative to make our voices heard in the body politic through the act of casting our votes.

    Senator Warnock reminds us that every ballot can be a vote for justice and for policies that alleviate the struggles of those in need. Grounded in the legacy of prophetic Black faith, this episode speaks directly to people of conscience who need to be moved beyond apathy and disillusionment to embrace their moral and civic duty to help shape the policies that determine whether our country will serve the needs of the many or the vested interests of the few. For in a democracy, silence is not neutrality — it's complicity. And faith without action is dead.

  • In the season finale of The Politics of Jesus Podcast, co-hosts Rev. LaKesha Womack and Dr. Obery Hendricks sit down with Jesse Jackson Jr. to unpack this week’s election results.

    From the impact on marginalized communities to the intersection of faith and civic engagement, this conversation offers timely insights on how politics, justice, and spirituality intersect in today’s world.

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