My skepticism renders me unable to fully agree or disagree. This brings me to the point that much of what Keller has to say in regards to solutions for poverty has to do with reforming social systems and not individual choices or behavior.Īs a conservative who studied the heavily-liberal influenced discipline of Sociology, I wanted to both nod my head in agreement and gasp at this idea. Having surveyed the Bible on these texts numerous times, I have concluded that the emphasis is usually on the larger structural factors.” Elsewhere he emphasizes that the focus of just actions in Scripture are those directed toward the poor. In chapter 2, Tim Keller has this to say, “ The three causes of poverty, according to the Bible, are oppression, calamity, and personal moral failure. If the Church participates in God’s mission then they will inevitably be involved in acts of justice.įocus on Injustice of Systems and Abuse of Power, Not Individual Piety: Reforming Systems Additionally, that justice is an inherent aspect of God’s mission in redeeming this world. Keller finds a happy medium in demonstrating that those who have a full understanding of the grace by which they have been saved are compelled to seek justice in and for the communities in which they minister. Others will say that concern for social justice is a form of Gospel proclamation through deeds not words, and that lack of concern for justice is contrary to the heart of the Gospel. One person will say that the sole focus of the Church is to evangelize (share the Gospel) with the lost, and that social justice concerns are secondary at best, and a distraction at worst. The biggest disagreement on this topic in the Church has to do with the priority of evangelism against acts of justice. The following are highlights that may not necessarily be major points of Keller’s, but are those which I found the most interesting. That is, he considers how Scripture illustrates the concept of justice how it is that God defines and instructs justice for His people in the OT and NT.įollowing the theological framework Keller lays out in the first half of the book, in which he makes the compelling argument that justice is an inherent aspect of God’s mission, he then offers a model for how individuals, but more importantly, churches can actively seek justice in the communities in which they live and minister. His approach, he argues, to understanding the situation and dialogue is a Biblical approach. In particular, in this book he addresses the hot-button issue of racial justice. Generous Justice is Tim Keller’s response to a growing concern among many people for social justice issues. Genre: Non-Fiction, Theology, Social Justice It would result in a world defined by shalom, a comprehensive peace, a world in which human beings flourish.Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just Generous Justice is the best book I’ve ever read about putting Christian faith into action… Were all Christians to respond to Keller’s understanding of Biblically based justice, it wouldn’t simply result in more social programs, food and shelter and health care for the needy. Justice skeptics and justice proponents alike will learn from Generous Justice. This is the most biblically informed and intellectually careful (read the footnotes!) “social justice” book I know of. Here is a book for believers who find the Bible a trustworthy guide as well as those who suspect that Christianity is a regressive influence in the world. In Generous Justice, Keller explores a life of justice empowered by an experience of grace: a generous, gracious justice. Isn’t it full of regressive views? Didn’t it condone slavery? Why look to the Bible for guidance on how to have a more just society?īut Timothy Keller sees it another way. It is commonly thought in secular society that the Bible is one of the greatest hindrances to doing justice.
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