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A Justice Primer
Justice is a popular word.
But its popular meaning and application have become distorted. If God is the Judge of all the earth, His definition of justice and His standards for applying it must be the basis of every creature’s pursuit of it.
In A Justice Primer, Randy Booth and Douglas Wilson bring their considerable pastoral experience to the topic. They unfold biblical principles that can be applied among individuals and in the spheres of family, church, and state. Issues including jurisdiction, charges, evidence, and the particularly thorny topic of sex abuse are covered. And all parties—accused and accuser, judge and jury, witness and rubbernecking internet bystander—are reminded that, although justice on earth will never be perfect, the Judge of all the earth will do right, letting no guilt go unpunished and no offended innocence go unavenged.
DOUGLAS WILSON & RANDY BOOTH have over seventy years’ pastoral experience between them. Doug has shepherded Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho, almost since its inception and is the author of scores of books. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children and seventeen grandchildren. Randy currently serves at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nacogdoches, Texas, where he is also the director of Covenant Media Foundation. He is married to Marinell, and they have three children and sixteen grandchildren.
But its popular meaning and application have become distorted. If God is the Judge of all the earth, His definition of justice and His standards for applying it must be the basis of every creature’s pursuit of it.
In A Justice Primer, Randy Booth and Douglas Wilson bring their considerable pastoral experience to the topic. They unfold biblical principles that can be applied among individuals and in the spheres of family, church, and state. Issues including jurisdiction, charges, evidence, and the particularly thorny topic of sex abuse are covered. And all parties—accused and accuser, judge and jury, witness and rubbernecking internet bystander—are reminded that, although justice on earth will never be perfect, the Judge of all the earth will do right, letting no guilt go unpunished and no offended innocence go unavenged.
DOUGLAS WILSON & RANDY BOOTH have over seventy years’ pastoral experience between them. Doug has shepherded Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho, almost since its inception and is the author of scores of books. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children and seventeen grandchildren. Randy currently serves at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nacogdoches, Texas, where he is also the director of Covenant Media Foundation. He is married to Marinell, and they have three children and sixteen grandchildren.
300 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
37 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Wilson
295 books4,569 followersI write in order to make the little voices in my head go away. Thus far it hasn't worked.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 22, 2019
I didn't expect to benefit from this book as much as I did. it was fantastic. This is a much needed book on how to do life together in the church. Do you sometimes hear rumors of this and that? Read this book before you jump to any conclusion. Do you have a blog? Read this. Do you read blogs? Read this book. Are you active in social media? Read this book. Are you a pastor, an elder, a deacon? Read this. Are you part of a church? Read this one. Do you go out and have coffee with friends and discuss the "latest"? Read this book before your next coffee date.
I would say that this book along with Face to Face by Wilkins, and Life Together by Bonhoeffer (in that order) are the most important books to read on how to do life with other Christians .
I would say that this book along with Face to Face by Wilkins, and Life Together by Bonhoeffer (in that order) are the most important books to read on how to do life with other Christians .
October 15, 2015
An excellent overview of what Biblical justice should look like, including discussions of things like witnesses, jurisdiction, authority, church discipline, sexual abuse, internet mobs, evidence, character of witnesses, due process, motives, anonymous witnesses, and taking a Christian brother to court.
It is not scholarly, but more like a lengthy sermon on what Biblical justice looks like with applications to the 21st century. Pastors, elders, deacons, fathers, and mothers could all benefit greatly from the wisdom in this book.
It is not scholarly, but more like a lengthy sermon on what Biblical justice looks like with applications to the 21st century. Pastors, elders, deacons, fathers, and mothers could all benefit greatly from the wisdom in this book.
June 6, 2015
Very clear and helpful.
August 17, 2022
Excellently and consistently biblical.
November 6, 2022
A good book to read if you want some insight into why Christ Church / Doug Wilson respond to controversies the way they do. It also will make you realize just how perverted our culutre's idea of justice has become. It is often the opposite of biblical justice.
Want to read
April 26, 2019Praise from Kevin DeYoung: "I thought this was a book on social justice, economics, and big picture politics. It's actually a book about how the Bible would have us judge each other (or not) in the mad, mad world of blog warriors and internet vigilantes. This book is full of refreshing wisdom. I hope it reaches a wide audience. And if you already know that Doug Wilson is a good-for-nothing scoundrel (and I don't know him personally and do strongly disagree with him at times), then that's an indication that you really need this book."
In WORLD's April 30, 2016, issue, Emily Belz writes in "Consider the source" that a blogger and a professor uncovered plagiarism problems with this book. Belz buries the fact that after being subjected to high-powered plagiarism detection software, Wilson's contribution to this book came out clean. Belz paints Canon CEO Aaron Rench as a tattler, since he confronted the blogger/professor team, who illegally created a digital copy to run through Turnitin. Belz also fails to mention that the blogger and professor are long-time fussers regarding anything related to Wilson—"consider the source" indeed. Other than that, good reporting.
Comments by Canon Press here. Wilson's comments on the plagiarism issue are here.
Updated version available here for only a dollar.
Related post on justice here (SBC, Sovereign Grace, Denhollender).
In WORLD's April 30, 2016, issue, Emily Belz writes in "Consider the source" that a blogger and a professor uncovered plagiarism problems with this book. Belz buries the fact that after being subjected to high-powered plagiarism detection software, Wilson's contribution to this book came out clean. Belz paints Canon CEO Aaron Rench as a tattler, since he confronted the blogger/professor team, who illegally created a digital copy to run through Turnitin. Belz also fails to mention that the blogger and professor are long-time fussers regarding anything related to Wilson—"consider the source" indeed. Other than that, good reporting.
Comments by Canon Press here. Wilson's comments on the plagiarism issue are here.
Updated version available here for only a dollar.
Related post on justice here (SBC, Sovereign Grace, Denhollender).
March 14, 2023
A fantastic book for Biblical Justice as pertains primarily to the church and secondarily addresses the points at which justice within the church touches the civil realm. Highly recommended for pastors and parishioners who are caught in controversy and for those who wish to be well prepared to act biblically when controversy arises.
December 10, 2018
One of the best books I have read in the last few years. It was exceptionally clear and well-grounded in Scripture. The authors cover quite a bit of ground: accusers, testimony, evidence, due process, anonymity, victims, persecutors, scandal, sex abuse, etc.
My only complaint is that I wish it were better organized and presented. It reads almost like a compendium of blog posts that haven't yet been categorized and crafted for presentation in book format. So it will be difficult to go back and find the most pertinent information when I need it.
My only complaint is that I wish it were better organized and presented. It reads almost like a compendium of blog posts that haven't yet been categorized and crafted for presentation in book format. So it will be difficult to go back and find the most pertinent information when I need it.
November 12, 2019
A much needed book. I'm delighted it's gotten this second chance after the problems with the first edition, and I hope it is widely read. And, sheesh, for a buck for the ebook, why wouldn't you read it?
November 25, 2015
A short review won't do it justice.
Anyone who engages in civil or ecclesiastical disputes online or offline (everyone) could use the wisdom here.
Anyone who engages in civil or ecclesiastical disputes online or offline (everyone) could use the wisdom here.
January 15, 2023
Excellent. It was especially helpful with several situations we encountered in the last year or so.
A good reminder that what I think should be the outcome or the way things should be handled is not actual justice. So thankful for God's word and faithfulness. Likely a book that should be visited every couple of years as a refresher on what true biblical justice should like in various situations.
Read by Wade Stotts on Canon+ (excellent)
E-book available on Kindle (needs some serious formatting help but readable)
Als, it should not have taken me this long to read - I just kept pausing to read, reflect, and let's be honest sometimes I got lost in other books.
A good reminder that what I think should be the outcome or the way things should be handled is not actual justice. So thankful for God's word and faithfulness. Likely a book that should be visited every couple of years as a refresher on what true biblical justice should like in various situations.
Read by Wade Stotts on Canon+ (excellent)
E-book available on Kindle (needs some serious formatting help but readable)
Als, it should not have taken me this long to read - I just kept pausing to read, reflect, and let's be honest sometimes I got lost in other books.
October 6, 2023
Perhaps the fact that upon reading the title of this book, my mind went directly to governmental law and its corresponding systems is a good indication that I needed to read this book. Wilson and Booth burn it at both ends here, tackling justice in its proper sense and the practical, day-to-day, in's-and-out's of the Christian's responsibility towards other Christians, all the way down to the last French fry. Reads easy too, which is almost always a plus.
January 26, 2024
Pretty good intro to Biblical justice. The final chapter and the ones on the internet/anonymity were the best ones.
April 14, 2019
Very clear and helpful on so many fronts.
February 7, 2019
Really solid.
October 17, 2022
I read the second edition of this book, apparently the first had some editing issues and they handled that in the preface of the second edition. Nonetheless, this was a good book on the subject of biblical justice according to the word of God. It has helped me to think of things in a more nuanced way—I know that sometimes people can nuance things to death but Douglas Wilson and Randy Booth did not do that here —and this book made the proper distinctions in many of the cases/scenarios that they brought up.
One of main things that stuck out to me was that we need to be slow to act and quick to gain all the facts that we can before making a judgment and taking action, so that we are doing the right thing the right way. Often times people do not have all the facts and they make judgments that are based on gossip they heard. Unfortunately, pastors may have to deal with false accusations because sometimes they cannot reveal all of the facts that may clear up said accusation(s) because it may harm the rest of the flock. As a Pastor myself, this resonated with me and encouraged me to trust and remember that God who is the perfect and righteous judge who will make all things right in the end; this I know, but it always a good reminder.
Overall, this book is a good read and very helpful!
One of main things that stuck out to me was that we need to be slow to act and quick to gain all the facts that we can before making a judgment and taking action, so that we are doing the right thing the right way. Often times people do not have all the facts and they make judgments that are based on gossip they heard. Unfortunately, pastors may have to deal with false accusations because sometimes they cannot reveal all of the facts that may clear up said accusation(s) because it may harm the rest of the flock. As a Pastor myself, this resonated with me and encouraged me to trust and remember that God who is the perfect and righteous judge who will make all things right in the end; this I know, but it always a good reminder.
Overall, this book is a good read and very helpful!
January 7, 2022
Enjoyed the mix of style - metaphors, poetry, light-hearted sarcasm - which, rather than diluting its presentation of biblical truth, work together to produce much needed richly concentrated biblical wisdom to deal with issues related to truth, justice, slander, etc across a wide range of relationships within our families, churches, schools, businesses, civil, and even virtual (internet).
What is biblical justice, and how does one **practically** execute it across those various relationships? That’s what this primer sets out to discuss.
Also, if you’re familiar with and appreciate Wilson’s writing style, this primer will not disappoint you.
What is biblical justice, and how does one **practically** execute it across those various relationships? That’s what this primer sets out to discuss.
Also, if you’re familiar with and appreciate Wilson’s writing style, this primer will not disappoint you.
January 9, 2023
Listened to it as an audiobook via Canon+.
A good outline of Biblical principles concerning justice and practical applications (primarily in an ecclesiastical context), both of which I had not considered extensively or with as much comprehensive care. This book provides a Biblical framework from which to approach issues of justice, avoiding unneeded negative repercussions which will inevitably result if one goes contra Scripture, whether intentionally or not.
Good, Biblical wisdom.
A good outline of Biblical principles concerning justice and practical applications (primarily in an ecclesiastical context), both of which I had not considered extensively or with as much comprehensive care. This book provides a Biblical framework from which to approach issues of justice, avoiding unneeded negative repercussions which will inevitably result if one goes contra Scripture, whether intentionally or not.
Good, Biblical wisdom.
November 18, 2020
This was like a fresh of breath air after walking out of a room where someone shook out a dusty rug. There is so much talk these days of social "justice" with little to no reference to the bible. God is creator and therefore He defines terms and puts them in proper order. Very thankful for Wilson and Booth to have the conversation that everyone should be having, but nobody is.
September 3, 2019
If you want to know how to act justly in church and get deeper into the ninth commandment, then this is the book for you.
March 9, 2020
Very good.
April 27, 2020
A much needed book full of pastoral wisdom born out of practical experience. The kindle book is also super cheap, so you really don't have an excuse to not read this one...
November 22, 2020
Justice As Biblically Defined
Excellent. Should be required reading for all high school students and then again for all college students. People need to understand this stuff.
Excellent. Should be required reading for all high school students and then again for all college students. People need to understand this stuff.
April 12, 2021
Must reading for understanding biblical justice and what passes for it today.
August 6, 2021
Review found in Amazon
August 11, 2021
Such a helpful book
December 20, 2021
Very thoughtful insight on all spheres of government!
Read
December 6, 2022Helpful and timely book. An important reminder that I can learn a lot from someone even when (especially when?) I may not walk in lockstep with them in every regard.
January 2, 2023
Full of a great deal of wisdom. I found the section on internet justice especially helpful.
Liked it.
Liked it.
October 2, 2024
Excellent! Much needed in a time where the word “justice” means precisely biblical injustice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews