The Concept of Social Justice in the Social Sciences, in the Bible, and in Adventism

Abstract

"Social justice is included in the mission of God to redeem and restore humanity. While in the early years evangelicals viewed social justice with suspicion, considering it subordinate to evangelism, since the second half of the 20th century, social justice has gained momentum among evangelical Christians who have become favorable to a more holistic approach to mission. William Carey had already set the tone in the 19th century as his work in India included missiological responses to social justice concerns. Other more recent and similarly mission-focused social advocacy work followed, such as the Temperance Movement in early Adventism, the ongoing Enditnow campaign to end violence against women and girls, and the work of International Justice Mission, just to cite a few. However, a mission-focused social justice advocacy must be based on clear principles and guidelines. For example, one of PARL’s methods or principles is this: “Just because we can say something, doesn’t mean we have something to say” (PARL 2017). “As we determine on an ongoing basis the issues we will focus on, we keep in mind our relevant expertise, the level of unanimity of our members on a given issue, the level of resources already invested on a given issue, and whether speaking publicly in a specific instance is the best means to accomplish our goals (PARL 2017)."

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