Justice

When churches love and serve people through works of mercy, they are often treating a symptom of the disease of injustice. Salvatierra argues that in addition to loving mercy, Christians must do justice. She lifts up Faith-Rooted Organizing model as a way to engage Christians with a theology of justice that is engages a compassionate attitude with a systemic understanding of injustice. Salvatierra ends by calling on readers to become prophets proclaiming a common vision for our world, working against the cause of the illness, not just the symptoms.

The church is at an important juncture in its public life. How will it respond to the cries for justice bubbling up from the various marginalized sectors of our society?

​In a time of moral ambiguity surrounding discussions of drone warfare, Peters invokes Luther’s “Sin Boldly!” to urge people to adopt a “responsibility ethic” that puts the neighbor’s needs at the forefront of ethical deliberation. ​In our broken world, can we avoid sin? No. Therefore, Peters asks the question–“Should we try?” For him, the answer is no. In order to best serve our neighbors, we need to accept that doing our best is better than doing nothing at all.​

How can a story without women speak to women? Sarras explores the circumstance of the prophet Jonah and how his experience can speak to Palestinian women today. ​ She examines the story and language of Jonah’s story and compares to the oppression Palestinian Christian women endure today, while suggesting how the church can strengthen these women in their justice work.​​

Vasko, Elisabeth T. Beyond Apathy: A Theology for Bystanders. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015, 192 pages, $29.00

Hoch, Robert P. By the Rivers of Babylon: Blueprint for a Church in Exile. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2013. $18.00

Paul S. Chung, Ulrich Duchrow, and Craig L. Nessan. Liberating Lutheran Theology: Freedom for Justice and Solidarity with Others in a Global Context. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2011, 292 pages.

[1] Since the sixteenth century the argument has been made, and is made today, that any Christian participation in the public square is properly personal and private altogether. The business of the church, as the corporate body of Christ on earth, is to be concerned with matters reflecting the kingdom of God’s right hand. The […]

Aaron D. Conley. We Are Who We Think We Were: Christian History and Christian Ethics (Minneapolis, Fortress: 2013), 224 pages, $59.00. Emerging Scholars Series

Jenkins, Willis, The Future of Ethics: Sustainability, Social Justice, and Religious Creativity. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2013. Paper, viii + 340 pages. $34.95.