I think this book is extremely relevant to our times, and is appropriate for people from all political backgrounds or persuasions. I like how the author speaks to issues faced by everyone in our society.

I was part of this book launch to read a book I probably would not otherwise have read. I am glad I did read it and for the awareness this author brings to the subject. He is an Christian author and he comes from a scriptural view point. He is a professor so he speaks like one. For me, some of it was over my head with terms I am not familiar with but, the jest of his writing is that we should look at all people as Image bearers of God and treat them with that respect. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a Christian perspective on Justice and Truth.

You don’t have to be on social media for long to realize the fruits of much of what is called justice today often include anger, hatred, bitterness, and wrath. The modern idea of “social justice” is typically either uncritically embraced or vilified within the church, but rarely defined or explained. Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth takes a step back from the madness to provide clarity to the conversation. It doesn’t make the mistake of minimizing our need for justice or flatly dismissing claims to oppression. Instead, it provides a nuanced, even-handed analysis of today’s hot button issues.

“The most pressing cultural and political issues of our day are, fundamentally, worship issues.”

The book aims to, and succeeds in, providing the reader with a perspective on justice firmly rooted in Scripture. It uses twelve questions to illustrate that not everything labeled “social justice” is biblical, evaluating the ideology by things like its attitude towards the gospel, the role of God, the effect of propaganda, the group identities it creates, and the impact on those it seeks to help.

This book’s greatest strength is that it repeatedly emphasized that justice without God is actually injustice, reaffirming that “all injustice is a violation of the first commandment.” Everybody wants to call themselves pro-justice. But when people become their own arbiters of truth, their vision of justice becomes distorted as well.

“Love God, the ultimate Other, and you will give those who bear your Beloved’s image the respect they are due...Had the Aztecs loved the actual God more than they loved the sun and water, they would not have wanted to treat people like chopped meat. Had the conquistadors loved the actual God more tahn they loved gold and power, they would not have wanted to treat the Aztecs like rats to be exterminated, sex toys to be exploited, or property to be owned.”

By providing examples both from history and modern-day, Thaddeus Williams broadens our scope beyond the particulars of specific issues, hitting on the worldview assumptions at the heart of our debates.

“It would inspire us to see history not purely through the perspective of the oppressed but also through the lenses of the oppressors. Why? Because the same human nature in the Aztec slayer, the Atlantic slave trader, and the Auschwitz executioner resides in us too. If we don’t seriously reckon with that uncomfortable truth, then we can all too easily become the next round of self-righteous oppressors.”

Few Christian books have taken the time to address social justice from a biblical perspective, so this book fills a unique void. For me, that was a breath of fresh air. Every Christian should read it to equip themselves to speak truth and do justice in a culture that misunderstands both. I hope those who do pick it up will be encouraged to tackle difficult problems and go into the culture with the courage to bring light as past generations of Christians did when they rescued discarded babies in Rome, worked to abolish slavery, and stood up for the downtrodden.

“The kingdoms of the world play the self-defeating game of tribalizing, retaliation, and escalation, running up body counts in the name of “justice.” The kingdom Jesus invites us into does not play by those rules.“
Quote from the book
Thaddeus Williams does a wonderful job along with 12 other people and their perspectives on different types of injustices, to help Christians navigate how to discern what the world says about justice and what the Bible says of it. Quite honestly, one of the best books I have read in 2020. This is a must read for anyone who is unsure about what people are calling justice and injustice.
I graciously received an advance e-copy from netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

In the last few years there are a spate of books on social justice, and a few of them written by Christians. This book by Thaddeus Williams is the best in that category so far. It is winsome, accessible, and relentlessly God-honoring. I recommend pairing this title with Cynical Theories for a solid overview of critical theory and what’s at stake.