Social justice is term that alternately suggests economic redistributionism, on the one hand, and freedom from oppression, on the other. It’s loaded, which is why it is so often used by those looking for a rhetorical weapon with which to convey their indignation over a real or imagined evil. After all, who can be for an unjust society?
Dr. Cal Beisner has written a thorough review not just of what social justice is and is not but of the Bible’s understanding of justice itself. FRC has just published his “Social Justice: How Good Intentions Undermine Justice and Gospel,” in order to bring clarity to this important issue.
Many young Christians are enamored of “social justice,” as their hearts are compassionate and their minds romantic. For them, social justice has the joint ring of nobility and insurgency, a wedding of youthful idealism and youthful rebellion. Yet, does that understanding comport with the Bible’s teaching about true justice in a fallen world?
Cal argues that “the sad and unintended consequences of redistribution” in the name of justice stems from confusion not only over the role of the state but the very nature of, and difference between, justice and grace.
You will seldom find such a combination of careful political thought and biblical exposition in a single, short volume. You can download “Social Justice” at no cost by going to www.frc.org or by clicking on the link above.