Generous Justice
Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just
By: Timothy Keller
Slightly mixed feelings on this one. I think it mainly stems from the fact that I went into this book thinking it was going to be about something else. For some reason (because apparently reading the summary is too hard) I thought it was about how to give nonbelievers grace instead of acting from a framework of demanding justice. Nope- this was about social justice. Which is still a great topic to share and encourage in, it just wasn't what I was hoping to get out of the book.
That being said, Keller is always a good writer and backs up everything he says with Scripture. It did feel repetitive at times and some of the things he said felt idealistic instead of realistic solutions.
This topic has a tendency to become a topic of political division, but I liked how he addressed the fault in both the conservative and liberal stance on social justice. Conservatives blame the breakdown of families and the liberals blame racial prejudice and inequities. Keller points out that the Biblical reality is actually a balance of both, which is an important distinction to make of a politically polarizing issue.
The other thing Keller discusses which I think is vitally important to understanding and communicating about social justice is that 'justice' and 'freedom' do not mean the same thing to all people. “Our society is deeply divided over the very definition of justice. Nearly everyone thinks they are justice's side... The fact is that the word 'justice' does not have a definition in our culture that we can all agree on. So we just use it as a bludgeon. We self-righteously imply that those on the other side know they are simply being unjust. But they don't…We all agree that freedom should be curtailed if it harms people, but we can't agree on what harm is, because we have different views of what healthy, flourishing human life looks like.”
In addition, people's definition of these words, whether they admit it or not, stem from their deeply rooted views and beliefs of right and wrong, human nature, and happiness which essentially boils down to faith. People want to keep 'religion' out of the social injustice discussion but there's really no way to do that and get to the root of the dissension and the heart of the matter- justice is rooted in the character and being of God himself.
I'm still processing some of the ideas he had about situations in which people are consistently given financial aid or money that they habitually use for unnecessary things. I guess it's a good challenge to me to think about God's unconditional grace- that he has habitually been faithful to me even when I didn't deserve it- but at the same time I struggle with how that translates to the tangible things of functioning in society.
Anyway- good book overall, definitely worth a read, lots to mull over. It would be good to read and discuss alongside Kevin DeYoung’s book ‘What is the Mission of the Church?’
Meanwhile, here are some quotes:
“We do justice when we give all human beings their due as creations of God. Doing justice includes not only the righting of wrongs, but generosity and social concern, especially toward the poor and vulnerable.”
“Liberal theorists believe that the 'root causes' of poverty are always social forces beyond the control of the poor, such as racial prejudice, economic deprivation, joblessness, and other inequities. Conservative theorists put the blame on the breakdown of the family, the loss of character qualities such as self-control and discipline, and other habits and practices of the poor themselves. By contrast, the causes of poverty as put forth in the Bible are remarkably balanced.”
“Our first responsibility is to our own families and relations (1 Timothy 5:8), and our second responsibility is to other members of the community of faith (Galatians 6:10). However, the Bible is clear that Christians' practical love, their generous justice, is not to be confined to only those who believe as we do.”
“We all want to help kind-hearted, upright people. Whose poverty came upon them through no foolishness or contribution of their own, and who will respond to our aid with gratitude and joy...while it is important that our aid to the poor really helps them and doesn't create dependency, [John Edwards] makes short work of these objections: ‘Christ loved us, and was kind to us, and was willing to relieve us, though we were very hateful persons, of an evil disposition, not deserving of any good...so we should be willing of be kind of those who are very undeserving.’”
“We are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that remains alone. True faith will always produce a changed life.”
“We tend to try to develop a social conscience in Christians the same way the world does- through guilt... This doesn't work, because we have built in defense mechanisms against such appeals. Almost no one really feels wealthy... I believe, however, when justice for the poor is connected not to guilt but to grace and to the gospel, this 'pushes the button' down deep in believers' souls.”
“Many believe that the job of the church is not to do justice at all, but to preach the Word, to evangelize and build up believers. But if it is true that justice and mercy to the poor are the inevitable signs of justifying faith, it is hard to believe that the church is not to reflect this duty corporately in some way.”