Justice Is Not a Political Category: It Is a Theological One
The word "justice" — which appears hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible — came to be heard in many evangelical contexts as a political term. This inversion is theological error of the most significant kind.
Somewhere in the last several decades of American church life, a strange inversion occurred. The word "justice" — which appears hundreds of times in the Hebrew Bible, which is the specific word used to describe one of God's most essential attributes, which the prophets announced and which Jesus inaugurated as the content of the kingdom — came to be heard in many evangelical contexts as a political term.
Get Essays in Your Inbox
Subscribe to receive new essays on faith, culture, and Christian leadership delivered directly to you.
Related Articles
Grief and the Gospel: What Christians Believe About Loss, Death, and the Hope That Holds
What Every Christian Should Know About Theology: An Accessible Introduction to the Core Doctrines of the Faith
How to Preach on Difficult Topics Without Losing Your Congregation: A Guide for Pastors With Prophetic Courage
James Bell
Lead Teaching Pastor at First Baptist Church in Fenton, Michigan, and founder of the Pastors Connection Network. For over 15 years, James has served in full-time ministry—planting churches, leading revitalization efforts, and consulting with pastors and ministry leaders across the country. Out of his own seasons of burnout and isolation, he founded the Pastors Connection Network, a growing community of leaders committed to gospel-centered relationships and long-term faithfulness in ministry.