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The Justice Calling: Where Passion Meets Perseverance
Over the past decade, justice movements to abolish labor slavery, end sex trafficking, fight for those who suffer violent oppression, and address grinding poverty have been growing. Access to the needs of every neighbor on the planet is wide open in a way that has never before been true in human history, awakening Christians to the reality of injustice and the depth of suffering in our world today. Evangelical interest, in particular, has been on the rise. But reactions can all too easily range from impulsive fits of activism without true understanding to paralyzing despair.
Here two authors with firsthand experience in the justice movement encourage us to ground our call to justice in sound biblical and theological teaching as we engage with the most critical global needs of our time. The authors connect justice to Scripture, the character of God, and the long traditions of the church so that our passion meets perseverance and justice becomes an enduring and integrated part of our life and faith.
Here two authors with firsthand experience in the justice movement encourage us to ground our call to justice in sound biblical and theological teaching as we engage with the most critical global needs of our time. The authors connect justice to Scripture, the character of God, and the long traditions of the church so that our passion meets perseverance and justice becomes an enduring and integrated part of our life and faith.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 17, 2015
40 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Bethany Hanke Hoang
1 book4 followersBethany Hoang (MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary) is the director of the Institute for Biblical Justice at International Justice Mission (IJM) in Washington, DC, a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression. She regularly speaks on behalf of IJM. Hoang was named among “50 Women to Watch” by Christianity Today and one of “20 Women to Watch” by Catalyst. She has been profiled for her leadership in the justice movement by Outreach and Relevant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 3, 2020
A great biblical look at the a Christian calling for justice.
I picked up this book because of who wrote it, two female theologians woo! Ironic because I would maybe say the main thing I didn’t like was the authors’ writing style. This book was comprehensive, but for me a little too dense. The book was full of sentence after sentence of deep “Christianese” vocabulary that sounded great but I don’t think I often took to heart. For example, flipping to a random page in the book I pulled an average sentence: “Through his resurrection and ascension, Jesus rose victorious over death and all consequences of sin; the power of God triumphed over evil, setting right all that had gone wrong in the fallen world, even though we have yet to see that fully realized”. This was not a summary sentence, but one as a part of a larger concept. Man what a truth but also what a packed truth. The ideas of resurrection, ascension, evil, setting right, here but not yet Kingdom are all dense on their own. I believe that sentences like these only hit our hearts when we are prepared for them in words that we truly understand. That was the only thing I struggled with, though it is a big one.
Otherwise, a few things I learned/was encouraged by:
-A biblical, holistic understanding of righteousness as all people and creation treated and living rightly with God, other people and creation and justice as “the action needed to be taken in order to restore a situation to its intended righteousness”. The idea that helping the poor and speaking truth over a friend are both acts of justice broadens the scope and is a more complicated task. However, I believe it is more biblical.
-Sabbath is a call not just for us to take as Christians but to also extend to others in our midst
-Evil is the “turning away from Gods goodness... it doesn’t enjoy its own independent being but is a lack of good... it depends on goodness for its existence” “Our ability to turn away does nothing to mar God’s power and goodness. Rather it demonstrates that God has given us the ability to choose either to obey, love and trust or to turn away”.
-Lament is directed to God and draws us near to God when we are tempted to turn away
-Evangelism and social responsibility are intimately unified in the Bible and in Jesus- a call that the church needs to take seriously
-While Jesus declares victory over sin and promises final justice one day on Earth, He calls us to pray “your Kingdom come”. “When God promises to make all things new, he is not promising an escape from this earth but the redemption of this very world”. -side note: this is a biblical idea that I am still praying I understand more fully and really come to grasp
I picked up this book because of who wrote it, two female theologians woo! Ironic because I would maybe say the main thing I didn’t like was the authors’ writing style. This book was comprehensive, but for me a little too dense. The book was full of sentence after sentence of deep “Christianese” vocabulary that sounded great but I don’t think I often took to heart. For example, flipping to a random page in the book I pulled an average sentence: “Through his resurrection and ascension, Jesus rose victorious over death and all consequences of sin; the power of God triumphed over evil, setting right all that had gone wrong in the fallen world, even though we have yet to see that fully realized”. This was not a summary sentence, but one as a part of a larger concept. Man what a truth but also what a packed truth. The ideas of resurrection, ascension, evil, setting right, here but not yet Kingdom are all dense on their own. I believe that sentences like these only hit our hearts when we are prepared for them in words that we truly understand. That was the only thing I struggled with, though it is a big one.
Otherwise, a few things I learned/was encouraged by:
-A biblical, holistic understanding of righteousness as all people and creation treated and living rightly with God, other people and creation and justice as “the action needed to be taken in order to restore a situation to its intended righteousness”. The idea that helping the poor and speaking truth over a friend are both acts of justice broadens the scope and is a more complicated task. However, I believe it is more biblical.
-Sabbath is a call not just for us to take as Christians but to also extend to others in our midst
-Evil is the “turning away from Gods goodness... it doesn’t enjoy its own independent being but is a lack of good... it depends on goodness for its existence” “Our ability to turn away does nothing to mar God’s power and goodness. Rather it demonstrates that God has given us the ability to choose either to obey, love and trust or to turn away”.
-Lament is directed to God and draws us near to God when we are tempted to turn away
-Evangelism and social responsibility are intimately unified in the Bible and in Jesus- a call that the church needs to take seriously
-While Jesus declares victory over sin and promises final justice one day on Earth, He calls us to pray “your Kingdom come”. “When God promises to make all things new, he is not promising an escape from this earth but the redemption of this very world”. -side note: this is a biblical idea that I am still praying I understand more fully and really come to grasp
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January 6, 2021Not entering in a star rating. Since I am not a Protestant or evangelical, much less a Reformed one, I didn't feel like the target audience for this book, and so I didn't receive it in the way those Christian brothers and sisters may receive it. Bearing that in mind...
I think I expected this book to be something other than what it was, given the justice background of the authors (and, retrospectively, given the frequent references to IJM within the book). I expected more stories and more application rather than scriptural musings and seemingly at least one invocation of "justice and righteousness" on every other page. Not a bad thing, of course, just defied my expectations.
I did really like a few things. The strong defense of sabbath rest was great. The validity of lamenting. Some parts of the "be a saint, not a hero" section were well articulated. Fighting the instinct to "do things ourselves" and to eschew clinging to Jesus was very clear and I appreciated that. And obviously, the importance of justice and tending to God's will here and now was very well defended.
In other words, I liked much of the message of the book, but how they got there I found pretty wanting in terms of style, focus, and theology. They probably could've gotten away with a much shorter book and not lost anything of value, and maybe it would've forced them to write with more purpose.
I think I expected this book to be something other than what it was, given the justice background of the authors (and, retrospectively, given the frequent references to IJM within the book). I expected more stories and more application rather than scriptural musings and seemingly at least one invocation of "justice and righteousness" on every other page. Not a bad thing, of course, just defied my expectations.
I did really like a few things. The strong defense of sabbath rest was great. The validity of lamenting. Some parts of the "be a saint, not a hero" section were well articulated. Fighting the instinct to "do things ourselves" and to eschew clinging to Jesus was very clear and I appreciated that. And obviously, the importance of justice and tending to God's will here and now was very well defended.
In other words, I liked much of the message of the book, but how they got there I found pretty wanting in terms of style, focus, and theology. They probably could've gotten away with a much shorter book and not lost anything of value, and maybe it would've forced them to write with more purpose.
May 24, 2021
This was so good. God’s heart is for justice and this book echoes God’s call for you to have the same and live it out. Highly recommend!
May 23, 2017
My review may not be terribly helpful because I had a huge gap in the middle of reading this and kind of forgot the beginning third--but maybe that's enough of a review in and of itself, that this has such intense material and still was forgettable.
Trigger warning for it, too, in case you hadn't figured that out: Hoang and Johnson both work with an organization that deals with working against human trafficking and the book itself is a treatise on why Christians should get involved with the fight against human trafficking. Most trafficking, though not all, is sexual, so be prepared for the fact that scenarios will come up; nothing is graphically described, but it's not glossed over, either.
The pros of the book are the clear and coherent faith basis for their arguments, even though I'm not in theological agreement with them. Hoang and Johnson write from the perspective of white, heterosexual, married, Reformed Christians--and they're up front about that, which I appreciate. It does mean a lot of their sources come from their pastors or very specifically Reformed Scriptural commentaries; not bad, but a very different spin and perhaps not as scholastic as some might wish. The book is also laid out with the highlighted block quote things that magazines do and I will never learn to like those in books.
I wish the book itself were more about their work and the ways in which theology directly maps onto the justice for which they call; it's actually more of an evangelical tract with justice-y bits wrapped around it than anything else, which was surprising. I'm hanging onto it for a paper I have coming up, but I don't know that I'll keep it on my shelves after that.
Trigger warning for it, too, in case you hadn't figured that out: Hoang and Johnson both work with an organization that deals with working against human trafficking and the book itself is a treatise on why Christians should get involved with the fight against human trafficking. Most trafficking, though not all, is sexual, so be prepared for the fact that scenarios will come up; nothing is graphically described, but it's not glossed over, either.
The pros of the book are the clear and coherent faith basis for their arguments, even though I'm not in theological agreement with them. Hoang and Johnson write from the perspective of white, heterosexual, married, Reformed Christians--and they're up front about that, which I appreciate. It does mean a lot of their sources come from their pastors or very specifically Reformed Scriptural commentaries; not bad, but a very different spin and perhaps not as scholastic as some might wish. The book is also laid out with the highlighted block quote things that magazines do and I will never learn to like those in books.
I wish the book itself were more about their work and the ways in which theology directly maps onto the justice for which they call; it's actually more of an evangelical tract with justice-y bits wrapped around it than anything else, which was surprising. I'm hanging onto it for a paper I have coming up, but I don't know that I'll keep it on my shelves after that.
May 12, 2021
I had to read this book for a seminar and it was amazing. This book walks you through the whole story of the bible and teaches you about God's character and his commitment and faihfulness to his people and to see them flourish and walking in relationship with him. Out of God's character and his love for us we as Believers can walk in the calling God has given us persevering in hope. I highly recommend this book to anyone who works in a Justice ministry or who has an intrest in learning more about God's heart for justice.
June 28, 2016
Nothing groundbreaking but a good reminder of foundational justice teaching.
July 3, 2025
Another class read, and I am left encouraged by the commitment that Hoang and Johnson clearly have for a Kingdom oriented vision for justice, and its necessity in the life of a disciple Jesus.
What I appreciated the most was the way in which they appeal to the evangelical sentiment of “is it biblical?” and provide a robust framework for why justice and community oriented living is clearly a call from God anchored in the Scriptures and the role of the Church. Hard to avoid something that is clearly an expression of the heart of the God of scripture.
Across the entirety of the book, Hoang and Johnson hold onto the conviction that participating in the redemption of creation requires a spirit of receptivity. That first and foremost this is God’s vision of flourishing to see justice and righteousness fill all of creation. That God has been orchestrating the cosmos towards the full realization of the Kingdom, and that we cannot muster something of our own strength. We can try, and it may succeed for a time, but it quickly will fizzle out (either our own energy, or the momentum of our flight of passion for whatever justice issue is in question). The Spirit of God is the very spirit of Justice, Mercy, Love and Redemption in the world.
There is also a whole chapter on Lament which I think every one who grew up in the church with a low and improper view of grief and suffering should read. Necessary to reclaim how we engage all parts of the human emotional landscape. There is also a section focused on avoiding the pitfalls of a “hero complex” which the American church also desperately needs.
At points it felt a little repetitive which is why it is docked a star on my end. But a good resource if you are starting to dive into some theological and scriptural cases for the work of justice and need something accessible as a 21st century individual familiar with the evangelical landscape.
What I appreciated the most was the way in which they appeal to the evangelical sentiment of “is it biblical?” and provide a robust framework for why justice and community oriented living is clearly a call from God anchored in the Scriptures and the role of the Church. Hard to avoid something that is clearly an expression of the heart of the God of scripture.
Across the entirety of the book, Hoang and Johnson hold onto the conviction that participating in the redemption of creation requires a spirit of receptivity. That first and foremost this is God’s vision of flourishing to see justice and righteousness fill all of creation. That God has been orchestrating the cosmos towards the full realization of the Kingdom, and that we cannot muster something of our own strength. We can try, and it may succeed for a time, but it quickly will fizzle out (either our own energy, or the momentum of our flight of passion for whatever justice issue is in question). The Spirit of God is the very spirit of Justice, Mercy, Love and Redemption in the world.
There is also a whole chapter on Lament which I think every one who grew up in the church with a low and improper view of grief and suffering should read. Necessary to reclaim how we engage all parts of the human emotional landscape. There is also a section focused on avoiding the pitfalls of a “hero complex” which the American church also desperately needs.
At points it felt a little repetitive which is why it is docked a star on my end. But a good resource if you are starting to dive into some theological and scriptural cases for the work of justice and need something accessible as a 21st century individual familiar with the evangelical landscape.
August 19, 2020
This was a “did not finish” for me. I found myself skimming too much and finally gave myself permission to stop reading (and I had less than 20 pages to go... but I just couldn’t). I think my problem with the book is that it all seemed too obvious to me. I felt like what the authors were trying to say could have been said in half the number of pages. Also, I am beginning to tire from books like these which have a need to link morality to the Bible and Christianity as if they have the exclusive rights and directive to seeking justice in the world. I suppose this book can serve some purpose if it is successful in converting some reticent Christians into thinking and acting with a more socially conscience mindset. But for where I am right now, personally, in my faith and my dive into how to make a difference in my community, I felt this book was not the right book for me.
October 17, 2017
Incredibly deep - plenty of thinking and research behind this exploration of how one might sustainably be involved in pursuing justice for the most vulnerable and exploited in our world. I loved the fact that there were 'readers guide' questions to reflect on for each chapter, with plenty of questions and challenges within the text itself to think about and act upon (it's a bit of an academic read, admittedly!). I would have liked to have seen more real life examples of the work of justice on the ground as well as examples of how churches outside the US have been involved thus far.
February 13, 2021
This is a comprehensive and rich overview of a biblical theology of justice. There is some very good content here and the book does a good job of connecting big justice concepts to real stories of human trafficking cases.
All that to say, the writing style is extremely repetitive, dense, and uses lots of Christian-ese. I think this book would have been much stronger and clearer if the authors had cut out half of their pages.
All that to say, the writing style is extremely repetitive, dense, and uses lots of Christian-ese. I think this book would have been much stronger and clearer if the authors had cut out half of their pages.
October 14, 2020
I found that this will be a helpful read for Christians seeking to understand the interrelationships between justice, righteousness, shalom, and action. Not the most academic read in the world (though Hoang and Johnson have both read all of the heavy hitters, and they cite them often). But I would definitely recommend picking this up.
May 1, 2025
This book gives a good Biblical/theological foundation for Justice and Justice work. I loved the emphasis of prayer throughout. I took off one star because I struggled to get through this book.
If you don’t have time/capacity to read this entire book, read:
- Introduction
- Chapter 1
- “Invitation for Today” section toward the end of each chapter
- Conclusion
If you don’t have time/capacity to read this entire book, read:
- Introduction
- Chapter 1
- “Invitation for Today” section toward the end of each chapter
- Conclusion
May 13, 2018
A solid discussion of why Christians pursue justice, and our theologically based motives for justice, sprinkled with examples of the "how". I appreciated the Reformed emphasis on who God is, His character, and His power to redeem.
March 21, 2018
I really liked this incredibly thoughtful book on our calling as Christians to pursue justice everywhere. I wish that the authors explored what the global church is doing already to fight for the Kingdom of God. This book overall really opens your eyes to major problems around the world.
February 24, 2017
Such a great book! Highly recommend it.
November 3, 2017
A great reminder of the need for centrality of justice and righteousness in our lives and in the lives of our churches
December 22, 2017
The lament and perseverance part best. Skimmed much of the overwritten reform theology.
February 2, 2018
Presented some thought provoking ideas. Writing style was not my favorite.
April 20, 2019
This is a book I will return to again and again to keep the right mindset for the long journey.
October 8, 2019
Thought provoking book and ordered well, but most of the information was self-explanatory. Still a good refresher though. Good stories in here that brings issues to life.
August 24, 2020
Excellent and thought-provoking. Good challenges for us as Christians.
January 2, 2021
Theological understanding of justice
January 13, 2024
Good insights, but very repetitive.
August 11, 2024
My only real complaint is writing style (not the most captivating, and heavy use of adverbs) and repetition - chapters and the structure as a whole could have been shorter. Several places were just rehashing what was just said. All that said, the book has solid theology and structure, and makes a sound argument for WHY we should get involved in global justice.
March 6, 2025
Encouraging and challenging.
November 6, 2025
Extremely repetitive, but touched on a lot of biblical truths and the direct embodiment of those truths in the pursuit of justice
February 25, 2025
I enjoyed this book but was disappointed that it didn't cover a wider range of justice issues, it mainly focusing on slavery and human trafficking. I appreciated that it brought in many liberation theology perspectives, but I did find some of the theology to by lacking.
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April 4, 2016This book does not break new ground but would serve as an excellent and compelling introduction to the importance of justice within the Christian narrative, particularly to evangelical Christians for whom the Bible plays such a central role. Hoang and Johnson combine contemporary stories of injustice (mostly ranging from Hoang's work with International Justice Mission) with biblical exposition and overviews of Christian practices and express and sustain "the justice calling" of all Christians.
May 18, 2022
"There are no God-forsaken places, only church-forsaken places." This books is a robust, Biblical exposition par excellence on that statement. I didn't need convincing that the gospel calls us to uphold and work towards a just society but if I did this book would convince me. I'll keep it around to reference in the future.
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February 8, 2016Quite good! Loved the parts about the saints and Sabbath.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews