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Just Discipleship: Biblical Justice in an Unjust World
Many Christians and churches are rediscovering that God cares deeply about justice, but opinions abound as to what an approach to biblical justice might look like in contemporary society. What exactly does the Bible mean by justice, and what does it have to do with poverty, racism, and other issues in our world? More importantly, how do we become the kind of people who practice justice? Biblical scholar Michael Rhodes argues that the Bible offers a vision of justice-oriented discipleship that is critical for the formation of God's people. Grounded in biblical theology, virtue ethics, and his own experiences, he shows that justice is central to the Bible, central to Jesus, and central to authentic Christian discipleship. Justice stands at the heart of Scripture. Following Jesus demands that we become just disciples in an unjust world.
304 pages, Paperback
Published August 8, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 3, 2024
This book does a LOT. It embeds spiritual life in a biblical theology of justice, coordinates the ethical approaches of virtue formation and grace dependence, introduces ecclesiology and political theology, and more!
November 3, 2023
Summary: A study both of what the Bible means by justice and how we become people who practice justice.
Michael J. Rhodes grew up in a conservative, white suburban congregation. They believed the Bible and tried to live out its teaching. And then they invited John Perkins to speak. His use of biblical passages on justice that invited them into a deeper discipleship stretched Rhodes vision. What he heard from Perkins was neither a liberal agenda or “woke” but “the Bible tells me so.” That led to trips to see these truths in action in urban Baltimore, and eventually to living in urban south Memphis. And then it led him to doctoral studies of biblical texts on justice and an effort to bring biblical theology and praxis together. This book is a distillation of that work. In it he seeks to do three things: 1) to carefully read the biblical texts related to justice; 2) to bring biblical texts into dialogue with what theologians say about ethical discipleship; and 3) to imagine what moral discipleship might look like today.
Rhodes begins by summarizing the justice story of scripture, one in which God brings justice to victory in Jesus after both humanity and Israel fail to be a royal, priestly family, and in which Jesus brings justice to victory by establishing a people who do justice by forming a people of God and inviting all humanity to join in. He then lays out how people are formed as just disciples in community: through story, through the promotion of a certain kind of character, through formative practices cultivating virtue, and through politics in the sense of church structures and policies aligned with just discipleship. This occurs in a cultural context with a continuum of responses ranging from rejection to cooption, with adaptation and collaboration in between. Ultimately, this formation occurs in the context of God’s reign over all creation.
Having laid this groundwork, he proceeds to consider how we become just disciples. He looks at the feasts of Deuteronomy which brought people of various economic strata together and how we do justice in the economic segregation of our neighborhoods. He considers the justice songs of the Psalms and considers how we sing and pray in our churches, He turns to wisdom teaching of Proverbs and the plight of low wage workers and forms of racism and classism in our society. Finally, 1 John is examined focusing on the imitation of Jesus and how justice-oriented discipleship is both received as gift and embraced as God-ordained task.
He then explores how churches become outposts reflecting God’s just kingdom rule.He considers two cases. The first is the biblical idea of Jubilee in which debts are cancelled, property is restored and slaves freed. Rhodes, drawing on Chris Wright’s idea of not treating these texts as blueprints but rather paradigms, weighs the possibility of churches voluntarily pursuing reparations for past injustices related to Black slavery and unjust tratment, citing the example of Virginia Theological Seminary. He did not discuss this but I could see similar applications in some contexts with indigenous peoples of North America. Rhodes also considers the case of Paul’s teaching with the Corinthians about the Lord’s table and the breaking down of societal distinctions in our church practice and governance.
The last part of the book looks at political engagement, looking beyond our common appeals to Romans 13 and Revelation and our subjection to political powers to our engagement with them. Rhodes draws a fascinating contrast between the model of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. While both were people of faith and integrity, Joseph acted alone and used his position to consolidate Pharoah’s (and his own) power, enslaved Egypt, and afforded benefit to his own family. Rhodes even raises the intriguing and plausible idea that this may have contributed to the animus against, and enslavement of Israel subsequently. By contrast, Daniel acted in community, working to challenge Nebuchadnezzar’s pretensions to godhood, making God and not himself great and arguably humanizing Nebuchadnezzar in his rule. He served where this did not involves assimilation, while refusing to collaborate when this compromised the worship of God. Rhodes thus sees Daniel as offering a better paradigm for our bolitical engagement.
Rhodes offers us a fresh look at both biblical passages and church practice. I’d never thought about the contrast between Joseph and Daniel. Nor had I thought about how feasting and singing might form just disciples. He gives numerous examples both from his own church in south Memphis (before taking a faculty appointment in New Zealand) and other congregations. Grounding his discussions of just discipleship and justice issues in a probing examination of biblical text, he sidesteps the criticism that this is just a Christian version of critical race theory. While he addresses political engagement without the church becoming entangled in a particular brand of politics the stronger appeal for me is that he shows what the church as its own polis and in its own congregational life can do. And he shows how just discipleship is just discipleship–it is what we signed up for when we decided to follow Jesus.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
Michael J. Rhodes grew up in a conservative, white suburban congregation. They believed the Bible and tried to live out its teaching. And then they invited John Perkins to speak. His use of biblical passages on justice that invited them into a deeper discipleship stretched Rhodes vision. What he heard from Perkins was neither a liberal agenda or “woke” but “the Bible tells me so.” That led to trips to see these truths in action in urban Baltimore, and eventually to living in urban south Memphis. And then it led him to doctoral studies of biblical texts on justice and an effort to bring biblical theology and praxis together. This book is a distillation of that work. In it he seeks to do three things: 1) to carefully read the biblical texts related to justice; 2) to bring biblical texts into dialogue with what theologians say about ethical discipleship; and 3) to imagine what moral discipleship might look like today.
Rhodes begins by summarizing the justice story of scripture, one in which God brings justice to victory in Jesus after both humanity and Israel fail to be a royal, priestly family, and in which Jesus brings justice to victory by establishing a people who do justice by forming a people of God and inviting all humanity to join in. He then lays out how people are formed as just disciples in community: through story, through the promotion of a certain kind of character, through formative practices cultivating virtue, and through politics in the sense of church structures and policies aligned with just discipleship. This occurs in a cultural context with a continuum of responses ranging from rejection to cooption, with adaptation and collaboration in between. Ultimately, this formation occurs in the context of God’s reign over all creation.
Having laid this groundwork, he proceeds to consider how we become just disciples. He looks at the feasts of Deuteronomy which brought people of various economic strata together and how we do justice in the economic segregation of our neighborhoods. He considers the justice songs of the Psalms and considers how we sing and pray in our churches, He turns to wisdom teaching of Proverbs and the plight of low wage workers and forms of racism and classism in our society. Finally, 1 John is examined focusing on the imitation of Jesus and how justice-oriented discipleship is both received as gift and embraced as God-ordained task.
He then explores how churches become outposts reflecting God’s just kingdom rule.He considers two cases. The first is the biblical idea of Jubilee in which debts are cancelled, property is restored and slaves freed. Rhodes, drawing on Chris Wright’s idea of not treating these texts as blueprints but rather paradigms, weighs the possibility of churches voluntarily pursuing reparations for past injustices related to Black slavery and unjust tratment, citing the example of Virginia Theological Seminary. He did not discuss this but I could see similar applications in some contexts with indigenous peoples of North America. Rhodes also considers the case of Paul’s teaching with the Corinthians about the Lord’s table and the breaking down of societal distinctions in our church practice and governance.
The last part of the book looks at political engagement, looking beyond our common appeals to Romans 13 and Revelation and our subjection to political powers to our engagement with them. Rhodes draws a fascinating contrast between the model of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon. While both were people of faith and integrity, Joseph acted alone and used his position to consolidate Pharoah’s (and his own) power, enslaved Egypt, and afforded benefit to his own family. Rhodes even raises the intriguing and plausible idea that this may have contributed to the animus against, and enslavement of Israel subsequently. By contrast, Daniel acted in community, working to challenge Nebuchadnezzar’s pretensions to godhood, making God and not himself great and arguably humanizing Nebuchadnezzar in his rule. He served where this did not involves assimilation, while refusing to collaborate when this compromised the worship of God. Rhodes thus sees Daniel as offering a better paradigm for our bolitical engagement.
Rhodes offers us a fresh look at both biblical passages and church practice. I’d never thought about the contrast between Joseph and Daniel. Nor had I thought about how feasting and singing might form just disciples. He gives numerous examples both from his own church in south Memphis (before taking a faculty appointment in New Zealand) and other congregations. Grounding his discussions of just discipleship and justice issues in a probing examination of biblical text, he sidesteps the criticism that this is just a Christian version of critical race theory. While he addresses political engagement without the church becoming entangled in a particular brand of politics the stronger appeal for me is that he shows what the church as its own polis and in its own congregational life can do. And he shows how just discipleship is just discipleship–it is what we signed up for when we decided to follow Jesus.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
December 15, 2023
Christian discipleship is commonly considered to be a personal spiritual practice. Discipleship means reading the Bible and perhaps memorizing parts of it. It means praying more and maybe writing in a journal. It means the cultivation of spiritual disciplines. But what if it also meant the cultivation of justice? In Just Discipleship, Old Testament scholar Michael Rhodes makes the case for the pursuit of justice being central to the framework of Christian discipleship. Discipleship isn’t just private spiritual practice; it is the public outworking of the indwelt Spirit that results in God’s kingdom coming to earth in the form of Christ’s disciples.
Rhodes divides Just Discipleship into four parts, each addressing different aspects of justice-oriented discipleship. Part one offers an introduction, setting the context for the content to come. Part two, “Becoming Just Disciples” takes an in-depth look at four different biblical concepts—the Deuteronomic feasts, the justice songs of the Psalms, the wisdom of Proverbs, and the imitation of Jesus in 1 John. I loved this section. The Old Testament in particular is overlooked by many in the modern church, but it tells us so much about how God intended political systems and empowered peoples to act. Rhodes is scholarly, but accessible. He draws on a rich tapestry of scriptural examples to show how the call to justice is deeply embedded in God's vision for the community of faith. The book is both convicting and inspiring, urging readers to adopt a holistic approach to discipleship that includes working for justice in all areas of life.
Part three, "Becoming a Just People," delves into more communal aspects of justice, including a discussion on ecclesial reparations and the role of the church in multi-ethnic communities. Here, I especially loved his deep dive into the year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25 and how we might apply this radical economic concept to modern times. It’s my personal belief that the Jubilee is the solution to our current economic disparity and to hear Rhodes exhort the same while giving practical examples of what that might look like was encouraging.
The final part, "Discipling Politics," examines the role of Christians in the political sphere, with a focus on how biblical figures like Joseph and Daniel navigated their political contexts. I cannot express enough to you how lifechanging this book could be for the church if we took it seriously. Unfortunately, many in the church are running away from justice issues in attempts to maintain their own power and the status quo. With conviction and clarity, Just Discipleship presents a call to biblical social justice that cannot be ignored. It is a vital resource for hose grappling with questions of justice in the modern world, offering a biblically grounded, thought-provoking, and practical guide to living out the justice of God.
Rhodes divides Just Discipleship into four parts, each addressing different aspects of justice-oriented discipleship. Part one offers an introduction, setting the context for the content to come. Part two, “Becoming Just Disciples” takes an in-depth look at four different biblical concepts—the Deuteronomic feasts, the justice songs of the Psalms, the wisdom of Proverbs, and the imitation of Jesus in 1 John. I loved this section. The Old Testament in particular is overlooked by many in the modern church, but it tells us so much about how God intended political systems and empowered peoples to act. Rhodes is scholarly, but accessible. He draws on a rich tapestry of scriptural examples to show how the call to justice is deeply embedded in God's vision for the community of faith. The book is both convicting and inspiring, urging readers to adopt a holistic approach to discipleship that includes working for justice in all areas of life.
Part three, "Becoming a Just People," delves into more communal aspects of justice, including a discussion on ecclesial reparations and the role of the church in multi-ethnic communities. Here, I especially loved his deep dive into the year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25 and how we might apply this radical economic concept to modern times. It’s my personal belief that the Jubilee is the solution to our current economic disparity and to hear Rhodes exhort the same while giving practical examples of what that might look like was encouraging.
The final part, "Discipling Politics," examines the role of Christians in the political sphere, with a focus on how biblical figures like Joseph and Daniel navigated their political contexts. I cannot express enough to you how lifechanging this book could be for the church if we took it seriously. Unfortunately, many in the church are running away from justice issues in attempts to maintain their own power and the status quo. With conviction and clarity, Just Discipleship presents a call to biblical social justice that cannot be ignored. It is a vital resource for hose grappling with questions of justice in the modern world, offering a biblically grounded, thought-provoking, and practical guide to living out the justice of God.
August 16, 2025
It took me awhile to finish this book, due to some parts that that were a bit dry and abstract to push through, but it was packed full of fantastic theological insights on justice. With Deuteronomy, Rhodes argues that the well-known passages about eliminating poverty in the Jewish community should be considered hand-in-hand with the feasting practices, as shared meals are a universal way to foster relationships across socioeconomic boundaries. With the Psalms, we learn about the oft-ignored laments, and the astounding notion that God intentionally gave us accusational, imprecatory language to cry out to him when he seems to not be upholding his promises to disarm oppressors. Job's passages about his concern for the poor are given an interesting interpretational color, as Rhodes makes a case that even in Job's good actions, he demonstrated a status-quo conception of himself as the center of power, but there are possible signs that in his restoration he learned to not simply help but also to empower the marginalized. (That is one of many ways in which this is not merely yet-another-book about "justice theology," but almost a sort of "post-justice theology," recognizing the well-intended shortcomings and disillusionments of some recent multi-cultural reconciliatory church efforts, while re-affirming the foundational theological truths behind them and offering deeper, fresher inspiration to continue such work in new and better ways.) One of the best sections, near the end, was the comparison of the "Joseph Option" and the "Daniel Option" approaches to Christian involvement in politics, in which Rhodes paints a more nuanced and critical picture of Joseph's prayer-less, property-grabbing, Egyptian-ized (though nonetheless life-saving) reign, in contrast with Daniel's prayer-soaked, power-challenging, and steadfastly unassimiliated service to Babylon. All of these insights and more were studded with copious footnotes that have added numerous future reads to my book list.
September 25, 2023
The church today urgently needs to be discipled by the Scripture's vision for justice. Michael Rhodes illuminates passages across the Old and New Testaments to show how the call to justice is central to God's vision for the community of faith. It will challenge pastors, seminary students, and many others to discover a costly but rewarding vocation.
I hoped that this would be a book I could recommend to my students that would help them see justice in Scripture. It is! But it helped me to see so much that I've overlooked, even after decades of study. It's also an illuminating book for pastors wrestling with how to disciple their congregations in the area of justice and for seminary students who want their vision of ministry to be biblically grounded and socially engaged.
I hoped that this would be a book I could recommend to my students that would help them see justice in Scripture. It is! But it helped me to see so much that I've overlooked, even after decades of study. It's also an illuminating book for pastors wrestling with how to disciple their congregations in the area of justice and for seminary students who want their vision of ministry to be biblically grounded and socially engaged.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews