Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth

Every now and then, I come across a book whose title is so good that I know I’m going to like what I find inside. Thaddeus J. Williams’ new book Confronting Justice without Compromising Truth is one of those books.

Williams, who teaches systematic theology at Talbot School of Theology, wades into the most divisive social problems of our day with a clear biblical orientation combined with a keen sense of cultural trends. His sound biblical perspective enables him to frame the questions well and therefore provide wise, biblically-based guidance for thinking about how Christians can respond thoughtfully and wisely to social controversies.

As if the title alone didn’t clinch it for me, the table of contents only confirmed my initial impressions: Williams has thought carefully about social problems. He divides his treatment into four broad sections, with three specific questions in each section. You can see by the way he frames the questions that his treatment is the kind of thinking that can come only by careful, deep reflection, what I’ve heard called “the simplicity on the far side of complexity.”

Each chapter in the main section (Parts 1-3) is followed by a brief vignette, where we hear a first-person account of someone who was at one time confused about the topic of that chapter.

Table of Contents

Foreword by John Perkins

Why Write about the Most Explosive, Polarizing, and Mentally Exhausting Issues of Our Day?

What is “Social Justice”?

Part 1: Jehovah or Jezebel? Three Questions about Social Justice and Worship

The God Question: Does our vision of social justice take seriously the godhood of God? Eddie’s Story

The Imago Question: Does our vision of social justice acknowledge the image of God in everyone, regardless of size, shade, sex, or status? Walt’s Story

The Idolatry Question: Does our vision of social justice make a false god out of the self, the state, or social acceptance? Becket’s Story

Part 2: Unity or Uproar? Three Questions about Social Justice and Community

The Collective Question: Does our vision of social justice take any group-identity more seriously than our identities “in Adam” and “in Christ”? Edwin’s Story

The Splintering Question: Does our vision of social justice embrace divisive propaganda? Suresh’s Story

The Fruit Question: Does our vision of social justice replace love, peace, and patience with suspicion, division, and rage? Michelle’s Story

Part 3: Sinners or Systems? Three Questions about Social Justice and Salvation

The Disparity Question: Does our vision of social justice prefer damning stories to undamning facts? Samuel’s Story

The Color Question: Does our vision of social justice promote racial strife? Monique’s Story

The Gospel Question: Does our vision of social justice distort the best news in history? Ojo’s Story

Part 4: Truth or Tribes Thinking? Three Questions about Social Justice and Knowledge

The Tunnel Vision Question: Does our vision of social justice make one way of seeing something the only way of seeing everything? Neil’s Story

The Suffering Question: Does our vision of social justice turn the “lived experience” of hurting people into more pain? Bella’s Story

The Standpoint Question: Does our vision of social justice turn the quest for truth into an identity game? Freddy’s Story

Social justice is not the gospel

The two best chapters are “What Is ‘Social Justice’?” and “The Gospel Question: Does our vision of social justice distort the best news in history?”

In the chapter entitled “What Is ‘Social Justice’?” Williams makes a helpful distinction between a view of justice informed by Scripture (what he calls “Social Justice A”) and a warped understanding of social justice that owes more to propaganda than it does to Scripture (“Social Justice B”). He continues to develop this vital distinction throughout the book.

In his chapter on the relationship between the gospel and social justice (“The Gospel Question: Does our vision of social justice distort the best news in history?”), Williams grapples with the essential question of what role social justice plays in the gospel.

Is social justice the gospel?

No.

Williams’ language is precise here. The gospel is indicative, not imperative; that is, it tells us not what we should do but what Christ has done on our behalf. It is a distortion of the gospel to reduce gospel proclamation to the imperative of righting wrongs.

Is social justice therefore optional for those who believe the gospel?

Again, no.

Scripture makes it abundantly clear that people who love, fear, and obey God must care about justice. But working for justice is not the gospel; it is an imperative (and not the only one) that springs from the gospel.

The point is not to confuse the indicative of the gospel with the imperative for God’s people to care about and work for justice.

Epilogue and Appendices

Williams wasn’t satisfied to give us such rich content in the chapters. The last 100 pages are comprised of the Epilogue, seven appendices, footnotes, and a good general index.

Epilogue: 12 Differences between Social Justice A and B (a chart)

Appendix A: Abortion and the Right to Life

Appendix B: Black and White

Appendix C: Capitalism and Socialism

Appendix D: Defining Sexuality

Appendix E: Ending the Culture War

Appendix F: Fragility and Antifragility

Appendix G: “Good News to the Poor”

Will every Christian who reads this book agree with everything Williams says?

Of course not. In fact, feathers are sure to be ruffled. I raised my eyebrows a few times as I read. That is inevitable when a writer deals with controversial issues in such emotionally charged times.

My main concern with the book is that while Williams wants to provide biblically solid footing for Christians navigating these troubled times, his main critique is aimed at the social justice movement on the Left (“Social Justice B”). A full treatment of the warping influences of our times would have to address the threat from the Right. “Christian nationalism” – that toxic confusion of American patriotism, God’s covenant with Israel, right-wing politics, and end-times prophecy – is surely as much of a threat to God’s church as a warped view of social justice. But that would be another whole book, not the book Williams set out to write.

Regardless, every Christian will find in this volume a rich treasury of thinking shaped not by social media or Fox News or the liberal elite but by the ancient truths of the Scriptures.

I can tell this is a resource I’ll turn to many times for as long as our nation continues to be embroiled in raging controversy (which could be a while). And I can heartily recommend this book for classes and small groups who want to explore the issues with a wise, biblically-minded guide.

Persevere,
Paul Pyle
Discipleship Pastor