Q&A: What is biblical social justice?

In our Mission Essentials series, we are currently in the topic, "Mission: Is it justice, compassion or evangelism?"

This week, we talk with James Casler, director of the J.V. Morsch Center for Social Justice at Trevecca Nazarene University. Casler tackles our questions on biblical social justice and how the Body of Christ can live this out in practical ways.

Engage: How do you define social justice? 

Casler: The term “social justice” is a buzzword that is pregnant with a vast array of definitions and meanings. The J.V. Morsch Center for Social Justice (MCSJ) draws upon the biblical story of a just and righteous God who created a just world in Genesis 1-3. As a result of the fall of mankind, which breeds individual and social sin and brokenness, God longs to restore, redeem and reconcile His creation back to its created order: a spiritually just people, community and world.

Matthew 22:37-39 is a key scripture passage that further defines the mission of the center: to train students to live out the calling to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” (NIV)

God calls us into a love relationship with Him and our response is to accept His gift of salvation and then to allow God’s redeeming grace to flow in and through us into a broken and fallen world as a means of restoring the entire created order to include individuals, families, communities, government and the natural world back to the right and just order as intended in Genesis 1-3.

God’s intended state of “shalom” is for mankind to live in a right relationship with God, self, neighbor and creation. 

Engage: Do we see social justice in Christ’s example?

Casler: Yes! Throughout the gospel narrative we read about a God who is concerned with righting injustices. In reading the New Testament we see Christ’s example throughout His ministry. In Luke 4:18, which some refer to as Jesus’ inaugural address, it says, “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recover of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, we see him healing the sick, eating and sharing life with sinners, showing favor toward the poor and oppressed, transcending class and cultural barriers, and providing spiritual/physical healing. Jesus again reaffirms His ministry to restore a broken and fallen world in Luke 7:18-23 where John’s disciples ask Jesus if He is the Messiah. Jesus replies “go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”

The sum of these acts moves us closer to a socially just world as God intended in Genesis 1-3.

Engage: What is economic justice and how is Trevecca’s Center for Social Justice looking at justice differently?

Casler: Economic justice is commonly associated with the term “social justice” or “redistributive justice” where a government system administers the redistribution of basic resources.

MCSJ looks at justice from a broader perceptive. Biblical social justice envisions the redistribution of resources not as a government charity or mandate; rather we look to Act 4:32-35 where a community of believers practiced “to love thy neighbor as thyself” by giving to those in need in reflection of Christ’s love, grace and mercy. We are told “there were no needy persons among them.”

Thus, economic justice is achieved as a means of Christians reflecting God’s grace in sharing our resources to include our time, professional wisdom, skills, finances and material resources so that there are no needy persons among “us.”

Engage: How is social justice different or similar to compassionate ministry?

Casler: Biblical social justice includes compassionate ministry as part of achieving social justice. When I ask my students how they define “compassionate ministry,” they typically respond by stating “feed the hungry, clothe the naked and provide a cup of cold water to one in need.” Oftentimes our response to needy persons stops here.

Social justice takes the next step to ask the question, “why is the person(s) hungry, naked and in need of water, and how we can bring healing and restoration to the broken system that is contributing to this injustice?” 

Engage: Can social justice, compassionate ministry and evangelism be lived out separately? How do they naturally intersect?

Casler: According to the biblical definition of social justice as defined in question 1, evangelism and compassionate ministry are essential components to achieving a just world.  When Christ transforms us, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus, and as we reflect the God of hope, compassion, justice, love, mercy and grace toward our neighbor, then biblical social justice is a natural outcome. 

Engage: Describe a real life example of social justice being successfully lived out.

Casler: Steve and Rachel Beiler are Nazarene missionaries to the Albania-Kosovo District in the Southeast Europe Field who started a kindergarten and a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Albania. Through their compassion for abused mothers and children at the hand of husbands who are alcoholics, the Beilers identified that in order to stop this abuse from taking place, the men of these families need to be rehabilitated with the goal of family and spiritual restoration.

Upon further investigation, they realized that there is no such treatment facility in their community. Therefore, they started the process of developing a nonprofit drug and alcohol center to address this injustice and to begin the healing and restoration of broken families. The healing and restoration of these families is when biblical social justice is advanced.

Engage: Why do some people hear the term “social justice” and react with suspicion or reluctance?

Casler: Their reaction of suspicion or reluctance is based on their definition or paradigm of the term “social justice.” I am often approached with this question, yet once I share the biblical definition of social justice as stated earlier in our conversation, I’ve yet to have anyone disagree with this biblical approach to addressing social injustices in our world.

Engage: What can believers who miscommunicate or who have different views or feelings about social justice do to remain united in one mission?

Casler: The first step would be to clearly define the term “social justice” from a biblical framework. Starting with a biblical definition will often quell most discord regarding this topic.

The second step would be to begin studying the Scriptures through the lenses of a biblical framework as we learn about a just and righteous God and our calling to serve the poor. The center is featured as one of six lessons in a small group Bible study curriculum, “Seek Social Justice: Transforming Lives in Need” on sale at LifeWay Christian bookstore (online store only).

Engage: What can the church do in situations in which a government or acting ruling power group is responsible for injustice? Should the church speak or wade out into political waters to achieve biblical justice?

Casler: That’s a good question. I think this is where students are looking for an alternative to address social issues. The church’s mission is to be the Body of Christ, but once Christians have accepted Christ into their lives, what is the next step?

I think the church’s responsibility is to expose the social injustices in the world… and the next step is for people to understand their profession can be used of God to address and then advance the calling toward restoring a broken world.

When the Body of Christ is living the way God has called us to live as righteous and just people, just think about how the world would be a different place – the kind of world that reflects God’s Kingdom on earth. The church is the empowerment and mobilization of a biblical justice into the world. 

Engage: Many developments in social justice involve elements of capitalism – micro-lending and vocational training toward starting small or family businesses. In addition, many churches in the U.S. and internationally are exploring profit-generating businesses and activities to fund nonprofit and compassionate ministry or social justice activities. For those who are suspicious of capitalism as a cause of injustice or economic repression, what does it mean that ministries are leveraging capitalist principles to help people become self-sustaining and capable of giving to others and less dependent on continuous aid and aid-givers?

Casler: I would say that neither communism nor capitalism are perfect systems; how can we take the best from both systems? Micro-finance and social enterprise give people who are in need opportunities to have small loans as a means to empower their small business to sell a local product. The small loan not only empowers a struggling enterprise, it also gives the entrepreneur a sense of dignity and self-worth; they are essential characteristics of being human and being created in the image of God.

Micro-finance is setting into motion a process for the poor to come out of poverty based on their own resources and allows them the possibility to expand their business. Then they are no longer dependent on the system to provide for them; rather, they are providing for their families and creating an income structure to alleviate generational poverty. 

Engage: Why is social justice critical to living out the mission of the Church?

Casler: The mission of the Church is to reconcile God’s creation back to its intended order described in Genesis 1-3. As Christians live out the mission of the Church as stated in Matthew 22:37-39, “To love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself,” biblical social justice can be advanced and achieved. 

The critical part is for the Church to live out both commands to bring about healing, redemption and restoration so that our fallen and broken world can be reconciled back to God.

When people see brokenness or injustice take place in our world, they often ask “Where is God?” God has a plan to bring healing and rescue to the broken, and we are His plan! 

-- James Casler is director of the J.V. Morsch Center for Social Justice at Trevecca Nazarene University, as well as assistant professor of social justice.