Christians around the world are awakening to the Biblical call to "Do Justice"--but what does that look like in practice? Through a series of compelling and illuminating letters, a renowned philosopher and the founder of a ground-breaking Honduran justice organization draw on decades of personal experience to discuss theology, politics, human nature, and the messiness of making government systems work to defend rights and uphold justice.
The American church avoids lament. But lament is a missing, essential component of Christian faith. Soong-Chan Rah's prophetic exposition of the book of Lamentations provides a biblical and theological lens for examining the church's relationship with a suffering world. Hear the prophet's lament as the necessary corrective for Christianity's future.
Christianity Today Book Award Winner Justice requires perseverance--a deep perseverance we can't muster on our own. The world's needs are staggering and even the most passion-driven reactions, strategies, and good intentions can falter. But we serve a God who never falters, who sees the needs, hears the cries, and gives strength--through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit--to his people. Offering a comprehensive biblical theology of justice drawn from the whole story of Scripture, this book invites us to know more intimately the God who loves justice and calls us to give our lives to seek the flourishing of others. The authors explore stories of injustice around the globe today and spur Christians to root their passion for justice in the persevering hope of Christ. They also offer practices that can further form us into people who join God's work of setting things right in the world. Now in paper with an added reader's guide.
Examines the concept of biblical justice and the meaning of righteousness, using evangelical theology and personal narratives to show the importance of giving one's life away and living with justice, mercy, and humility.
When the law won't work, you have to work the law... The murderer stalking the quiet town of Warwick, Rhode Island in the late summer of 1989 was an unrepentant psychopath--"a living, breathing killing machine," in the words of a Boston Globe columnist. He butchered a family in their home--not far from the site where he had killed another woman two years earlier--just for the thrill, it seemed, of watching them die. When Craig Price was apprehended by police two weeks later, he grinned cheerfully and confessed to the crimes. He was tried and convicted, but sentenced to a mere five years imprisonment--the maximum penalty allowed by law. At the age of twenty-one he would be sent back to the streets and no one doubted he would kill again...unless drastic measures were taken. A Call for Justice is the gripping true story of how a cop willing to put his career on the line, members of the victims' families, and other enraged citizens banded together and dedicated years of their lives to keeping a remorseless young killer behind bars. They would gain national media attention, enlist the aid of Rhode Island's attorney general, and even capture the ear of the President of the United States. Theirs is a cautionary tale of a flawed legal system ill-equipped to dispense true justice--and of a community's determination to see justice done, even if it meant twisting the law until it worked.When the law won't work, you have to work the law... The murderer stalking the quiet town of Warwick, Rhode Island in the late summer of 1989 was an unrepentant psychopath---"a living, breathing killing machine," in the words of a Boston Globe columnist. He butchered a family in their home---not far from the site where he had killed another woman two years earlier---just for the thrill, it seemed, of watching them die. When Craig Price was apprehended by police two weeks later, he grinned cheerfully and confessed to the crimes. He was tried and convicted, but sentenced to a mere five years imprisonment---the maximum penalty allowed by law. At the age of twenty-one he would be sent back to the streets and no one doubted he would kill again...unless drastic measures were taken. When the law won't work, you have to work the law... The murderer stalking the quiet town of Warwick, Rhode Island in the late summer of 1989 was an unrepentant psychopath---"a living, breathing killing machine," in the words of a Boston Globe columnist. He butchered a family in their home---not far from the site where he had killed another woman two years earlier---just for the thrill, it seemed, of watching them die. When Craig Price was apprehended by police two weeks later, he grinned cheerfully and confessed to the crimes. He was tried and convicted, but sentenced to a mere five years imprisonment---the maximum penalty allowed by law. At the age of twenty-one he would be sent back to the streets and no one doubted he would kill again...unless drastic measures were taken. A CALL FOR JUSTICE is the gripping true story of how a cop willing to put his career on the line, members of the victims' families, and other enraged citizens banded together and dedicated years of their lives to keeping a remorseless young killer behind bars. They would gain national media attention, enlist the aid of Rhode Island's attorney general, and even capture the ear of the President of the United States. Theirs is a cautionary tale of a flawed legal system ill-equipped to dispense true justice---and of a community's determination to see justice done, even if it meant twisting the law until it worked.
Can the teachings of Judaism provide a sacred framework for repairing the world? In this groundbreaking volume, leading rabbis, intellectuals, and activists explore the relationship between Judaism and social justice, drawing on ancient and modern sources of wisdom. The contributors argue that American Jewry must move beyond “mitzvah days” and other occasional service programs, and dedicate itself to systemic change in the United States, Israel, and throughout the world. These provocative essays concentrate on specific justice issues such as eradicating war, global warming, health care, gay rights and domestic violence, offering practical ways to transform theory into practice, and ideas into advocacy. Rich and passionate, these expressions will inspire you to consider your obligations as a Jew, as an American and as a global citizen, while challenging you to take thoughtful and effective action in the world. Contributors: Martha Ackelsberg, PhD • Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, PhD • Diane Balser, PhD • Jeremy Benstein, PhD • Rabbi Phyllis Berman • Ellen Bernstein • Marla Brettschneider, PhD • Rabbi Sharon Brous • Aryeh Cohen, PhD • Stephen P. Cohen, PhD • Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, PhD • Aaron Dorfman • Jacob Feinspan • Rabbi Marla Feldman • Sandra M. Fox, LCSW • Julia Greenberg • Mark Hanis • Rabbi Jill Jacobs • Rabbi Jane Kanarek, PhD • Rabbi Elliot Rose Kukla • Joshua Seth Ladon • Arieh Lebowitz • Rabbi Michael Lerner, PhD • Shaul Magid, PhD • Rabbi Natan Margalit, PhD • Ruth Messinger • Jay Michaelson • Rabbi Micha Odenheimer • Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner • Judith Plaskow, PhD • Judith Rosenbaum, PhD • April Rosenblum • Adam Rubin, PhD • Danya Ruttenberg • Rabbi David Saperstein • Joel Schalit • Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, PhD • Martin I. Seltman, MD • Dara Silverman • Daniel Sokatch • Shana Starobin • Naomi Tucker • Abigail Uhrman • Rabbi Arthur Waskow, PhD • Rabbi Melissa Weintraub
Special Agent Bella Jordan is assigned to investigate a series of murders in West Texas that are linked to the Spider Rock Treasure. Since she spent the first fifteen years of her life in this area, FBI authorities believe she can get the job done. What they don’t know is that one of their prime suspects—a man who’s been on their wanted list for years—is deeply connected to Bella’s past. The other prime suspect is Carr Sullivan, the man who owns the ranch where the murders occurred. Carr was once one of the wealthiest businessmen in Dallas and has a shady past a mile long. But it appears he’s turned his life around. Can Bella trust him, or is he just trying to cover his tracks? As Bella probes deeper into the case, threats on her own life convince her the killer is someone she knows. But it soon becomes clear he’s not working alone, and she’ll need to face the past she’s tried so desperately to forget in order to solve the case and prevent more murders.
Transformative justice seeks to solve the problem of violence at the grassroots level, without relying on punishment, incarceration, or policing. Community-based approaches to preventing crime and repairing its damage have existed for centuries. However, in the putative atmosphere of contemporary criminal justice systems, they are often marginalized and operate under the radar. Beyond Survival puts these strategies front and center as real alternatives to today’s failed models of confinement and “correction.” In this collection, a diverse group of authors focuses on concrete and practical forms of redress and accountability, assessing existing practices and marking paths forward. They use a variety of forms—from toolkits to personal essays—to delve deeply into the “how to” of transformative justice, providing alternatives to calling the police, ways to support people having mental health crises, stories of community-based murder investigations, and much more. At the same time, they document the history of this radical movement, creating space for long-time organizers to reflect on victories, struggles, mistakes, and transformations.
Faith holds up a photo of the boarded-up, vacant house: "It’s the first thing I see. And I just call it ‘the Homeless House’ ‘cause it’s the house that nobody fixes up." Faith is one of fourteen women living on Syracuse’s Southside, a predominantly African-American and low-income area, who took photographs of their environment and displayed their images to facilitate dialogues about how they viewed their community. A Place We Call Home chronicles this photography project and bears witness not only to the environmental injustice experienced by these women but also to the ways in which they maintain dignity and restore order in a community where they have traditionally had little control. To understand the present plight of these women, one must understand the historical and political context in which certain urban neighborhoods were formed: Black migration, urban renewal, white flight, capital expansion, and then bust. Ducre demonstrates how such political and economic forces created a landscape of abandoned housing within the Southside community. She spotlights the impact of this blight upon the female residents who survive in this crucible of neglect. A Place We Call Home is the first case study of the intersection of Black feminism and environmental justice, and it is also the first book-length presentation using Photovoice methodology, an innovative research and empowerment strategy that assesses community needs by utilizing photographic images taken by individuals. The individuals have historically lacked power and status in formal planning processes. Through a cogent combination of words and images, this book illuminates how these women manage their daily survival in degraded environments, the tools that they deploy to do so, and how they act as agents of change to transform their communities.
New York Times Bestseller “Organizing is both science and art. It is thinking through a vision, a strategy, and then figuring out who your targets are, always being concerned about power, always being concerned about how you’re going to actually build power in order to be able to push your issues, in order to be able to get the target to actually move in the way that you want to.” What if social transformation and liberation isn’t about waiting for someone else to come along and save us? What if ordinary people have the power to collectively free ourselves? In this timely collection of essays and interviews, Mariame Kaba reflects on the deep work of abolition and transformative political struggle. With a foreword by Naomi Murakawa and chapters on seeking justice beyond the punishment system, transforming how we deal with harm and accountability, and finding hope in collective struggle for abolition, Kaba’s work is deeply rooted in the relentless belief that we can fundamentally change the world. As Kaba writes, “Nothing that we do that is worthwhile is done alone.”
