2020 has been an unprecedented year. Most of it has been spent in some state of lockdown or shelter-in-place. Yet even with most of the country effectively shut down, injustice has not lessened. In fact, the present state of the nation seems to have exacerbated it. One atrocious injustice overwhelms another to the point where it’s difficult to keep track of what to be angry about now. Attempting to correct what they see as injustice, Christians of all traditions align themselves with political parties, often demonizing their brothers and sisters who align with the opposite party. Both groups of Christians say they value justice and worship the God of the Bible. But within the American Church there is a disturbing trend of individuals who are leaving Christianity entirely because, in their eyes, the Bible and the Church just aren’t focused enough on justice. If anything, the Bible is used to further perpetuate injustice, and the Church ignores it. As if justice and Christianity cannot coexist, the pursuit of a just society has led many to abandon their faith. What should we make of this?
Dr. Michael O. Emerson joins us to talk about his recent article “Goodbye Christ. I’ve Got Justice Duty.” Together, we ask how does individualism affect how justice is understood within particular Christian communities? Has justice been politicized? What is American Christianity’s role within the current polarized political climate? How can the Church pursue justice while maintaining a faithful witness to the Kingdom of God? All that and more on this edition of Questions From The Pew.
RESOURCES:
“Goodbye Christ. I’ve Got Justice Duty” by Michael O. Emerson
Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O. Emerson