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.

With the rising demand for social justice in our culture as well as a growing movement within evangelicalism, a debate has been roaring over the compatibility between social justice and biblical Christianity. A result of this clash has been churches and believers in Christ dividing between woke progressives and anti-woke conservatives. Additionally, this controversy has left many more Christians confused over what to believe and how to carry out our social responsibilities in this world.

Thaddeus Williams enters into this foray with his new book Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth. In doing so, he has provided us with an invaluable guide to help us successfully navigate through these difficult issues and come to conclusions faithful to God's Word. Having finished reading Williams' book, it has now become my "go-to" resource for Christians who want to understand social justice. Let me share a few reasons why:

First, the structure and style of his book makes it easy to read. Wrestling over 12 questions invites the reader to enter into a discussion over critical issues related to social justice. Williams also writes in a very conversational manner and avoids a lot of technical words and concepts to bring much-needed clarity to today's discussions.

Second, the testimonies at the end of each chapter are powerful! I read about how the gospel of Jesus Christ changed a white supremacist, a gay man, a woke racist, a Hindu Nepali, a Critical Race Theory advocate, and others. These stories bring alive Williams' conclusions and show how these truths work themselves out in real lives.

Third, Williams rightly compares and contrasts biblical social justice with ideological social justice. He has labelled them Social Justice A and Social Justice B. Now one could argue over using the label "social justice," but I believe Williams wisely avoids controversy while showing the incompatibility of biblical teaching and contemporary calls for social justice. Additionally, he maintains the Scriptural distinction between the law and the gospel to keep Christ central in answering these 12 questions.

Fourth, the seven appendices bring additional help to wrestling over social justice by considering the modern challenges of abortion, racial relations, capitalism and socialism, sexuality, the culture war, fragility and antifragility, and how the gospel helps the poor and oppressed. I am simply amazed that Williams was able to provide so much insight in less than 220 pages!

Finally, and most importantly, Williams rightly handles God's Word when answering the critical questions raised by today's social justice movement. After carefully reading through this work, Christians will be better equipped to respond to the challenges raised today with Scriptural truth. As a result, the author has given us an important apologetic to defend the Christian faith against the pressing issues we face.

If I was to mention any concerns, Williams makes a lot of entertainment references through this book. While it makes his writing easier to read (and I feel as if we have very similar tastes!), I could see one not familiar with a number of movies, music, and books missing the author's point. I also wonder if these references will wind up quickly dating this resource, which will likely need to be revised in order to stay current.

Furthermore, I have some theological questions and potential disagreements with the author. While Williams doesn't directly address the relationship between the church and culture, he seems to advocate a form of transformationalism while I see two kingdoms theology as more faithful to God's Word. And in the appendix "Defining Sexuality," he writes: "Just as God's feelings in traditional theology are expressions of his nature..." Yet traditional theology would uphold God's impassibility and immutability, which leaves me wondering what Williams' means by comparing God's feelings with our feelings.

Nevertheless, I am grateful for Williams' book and will be regularly encouraging Christians to read it as a reliable guide on social justice. May the Lord use this book to help His people love God and love our neighbor by pursuing biblical justice!

This is the introduction to social justice that I have been looking for. I don’t know if you can relate to me, but I have been wildly confused by the social justice movement. In fact, so much so that I have been ready to dismiss it altogether. At times I have felt Social Justice B (explained below) advocates were implying I was racist, simply because I was white. This led me to dismiss the movement as ridiculous, self righteous, petty, and unfair, feeling a defensive posture that can be summarized as: “If you can just assume I am racist without even knowing me, simply because I am white, then forget social justice.” While the 10+ books I have read on social justice in the past 6 months have helped me see that my posture was misguided, Thaddeus Williams’ book actually shows me a better way to respond to my Social Justice B friends (and they truly can be my friends). From reading Williams’ book, I imagine him saying, “Yes, Clint, overall, Social Justice B is misguided, but that does not mean you get a pass on social justice — we are all called by God to pursue social justice. Social justice is giving everyone what is due to them — treating all people as we want to be treated, because they are created in the image of God. Therefore, social justice is actually an act of worship, because worship is giving God what is due him.” By the way, Williams’ treatment of worship as it relates to social justice is both simple and profound.

The social justice that I was ready to reject a few years ago is what Williams calls “Social Justice B.” Social Justice B divides humanity into different identity groups and puts them into conflict with one another: the rich and the poor, black and white, gay and straight, male and female, and so on. In the sets of groups just mentioned, one group is the oppressor (for example, white people) and one group is the oppressed (for example, black people). And because the oppressor is evil, violent action can be justified to fight back against them. In order to justify such action, the oppressed group or those fighting on their behalf will develop propaganda against the oppressor. This includes revising history so that the oppressor is seen as evil, associating all individuals in that identity group as evil, and blaming all struggles of injustice the oppressed go through on the oppressor. (I found Williams explanation of this process enlightening).

Social Justice A is biblical justice. It is fulfilled by, first, seeing all humans as equal because they are created in the image of God — all of them. Second, by avoiding grouping all people into group identities. As St. Paul says: “There is no distinction, for all have fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) We are all sinners in need of God’s love, grace, and mercy. This should bring us together, Williams points out, because we all should know — whether rich or poor or whatever group we might fit into — that we are all capable of the most terrible evils. As Williams points out: “the problem of evil” is “not just a theologian’s problem, it is everyone’s problem.” The evils in the world cannot be placed on any particular identity group — evil is a problem we must fight together. However, we must fight evil in the right way — in Christ, the only true identity all humans belong to. For Christ is “our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” by his work on the cross. (Eph. 2:14).

There are several other issues in Williams’ book that are giving me clarity where I feel like I have been stuck in a fog for far too long. Thanks to his passion and love for Christ, the fog is lifting.

Darkness is being replaced with light.

“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.