Return to Justice: Six Movements That Reignited Our Contemporary Evangelical Conscience

by Soong-Chan Rah, Gary Vanderpol

Reclaiming an Evangelical History of ActivismIn recent years, there has been renewed interest by evangelicals in the topic of biblical social justice. Younger evangelicals and millennials, in particular, have shown increased concern for social issues. But this is not a recent development. Following World War II, a new movement of American evangelicals emerged who gradually increased their efforts on behalf of justice.This work explains the important historical context for evangelical reengagement with social justice issues. The authors provide an overview of post-World War II evangelical social justice and compassion ministries, introducing key figures and seminal organizations that propelled the rediscovery of biblical justice. They explore historical and theological lessons learned and offer a way forward for contemporary Christians.

Genres: Christianity, Faith, Theology

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2016

About the author

Soong-Chan Rah (ThD, Duke Divinity School) is Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. He is the author of Prophetic Lament, The Next Evangelicalism, and Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church, as well as coauthor of Forgive Us: Confessions of a Compromised Faith and contributing author for Growing Healthy Asian American Churches.

In addition to serving as founding senior pastor of the multiethnic, urban ministry-focused Cambridge Community Fellowship Church (CCFC), Rah has been a part of four different church-planting efforts and served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in Boston. He has been an active member of the Boston TenPoint Coalition (an urban ministry working with at-risk youth) and is a founding member of the Boston Fellowship of Asian-American Ministers. He serves on the boards of World Vision, Sojourners, the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) and the Catalyst Leadership Center.

An experienced crosscultural preacher and conference speaker, Rah has addressed thousands around the country at gathering like the 2003 Urbana Student Missions Conference, 2006 Congress on Urban Ministry, 2007 Urban Youth Workers Institute Conference, 2008 CCDA National Conference, 2010 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) National Preaching Conference, and the 2011 Disciples of Christ General Assembly. He and his wife, Sue, have two children and live in Chicago.

Reviews

[Orville Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

These authors provided an excellent and thorough historical and thematic survey of the movement in the United States and worldwide known as Evangelical Christianity. The focus from which they develop this clarifying history is the question of social justice, beginning with the early activism in this area for the 1800s.

They outline in some detail the sociological and theological influences behind the withdrawal and separatist salvationist trend that became stronger, identifying itself in fundamentalism.

They focused on key personalities and events and distinguished between various religiocultural themes and political movements that have constituted or influenced this movement to clarify the complexity, and even uncertainty, of the evangelical label.

I had met some of these personalities, and read books by more, and was aware of many of the names. But I grew up and entered ministry in a milieu totally unaware of all but the historical use of the term Evangelical other than to identify Protestantism in general.

My Southern Baptist background never was identified as evangelical in the years of my association with them. It was in the missions context that I became more consciously aware of the term in broader usage. Our mission cooperated with everyone on any common goals, and in East Africa we pioneered people-group oriented missions approaches.

These authors identify the origins of the Church Growth Movement in association with the reinforcement of American racial separation in churches. This also became a problem in the attempt to internationalize the more formal evangelical organization and cooperation efforts.

I never knew of this dynamic, becoming aware of the related Homogeneous Unit Principle, developed by Peter Wagner. It fit the situation for peoples with absolutely no background in Christian faith. It had nothing to do with growing a church or denomination. It had to do with facilitating initial awareness of Jesus Christ and God's revelation of Love to a discreet ethnic and language group. Practicalities were in focus in our situation, and Baptists were the most multiethnic and multilingual denomination in Kenya.

It was very helpful to learn of the socio-cultural character of American evangelical, many components of which I was aware of from the study of religious movements in the USA. It was especially to clarify the relationship of oldline Fundamentalism with the confusing and vague use of the self-label or other-label as "evangelical."

The dynamics affecting Christian movements and churches in other cultures were clarified here, by identifying the primarily white American ethos and character of Evangelicalism. I was more aware of the problem in regard to a western imperialism within the missions context. In Kenya I had access to skilled and thoughtful African Christian leaders, as well as Asian and Latin American due to the international stature of Nairobi as a conference and staging area for training and outreach.

This was a worthwhile purchase that I ironically found in the bargain books counter of a local Christian books store. It filled lots of gaps in my sociological awareness of streams in the modern Christian movement.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend asked me what I was reading, and when I showed her this book and described it as a history of justice movements in the Evangelical church, she asked if it was dry. I don't think I ever answered, but I thought about the question.

In places, yes. This is a academically-written history book that recounts historic movements, describes conferences, quotes scholars, and concisely covers a lot of ground. I don't think anyone reads books like this to be riveted but to gain deeper understanding of the past that continues to affect all of us in the Evangelical Christian church.

In many ways this is a critique of stances the American Evangelical church has taken in its refusal to address or even acknowledge systemic racism or oppressive structures that trap people in poverty. And because of this, there are moments when I got emotionally in the history as I connected my own observations and experiences with those they described.

For example, when Rah and Vanderpol quote Ecuadorian theologian and evangelist Rene Padilla, who described Evangelicalism as highly successful among middle class whites but claimed that in order to build that success the church had "forfeited its prophetic role in society" by "confusing Christian orthodoxy with socio-economic and political conservatism" (172), I remembered those Family Values voter guides that only focused on low taxes and abortion. The authors continued, stating that Padilla claimed that instead of creating radical disciples who surrendered wholly to Christ and challenged North American social evils, the typical Christian man was a "successful businessman who [had] found the formula for happiness" (172).

History teaches us how we got to where we are, which we tend to assume is the normative way of being. History reminds us of who we were before that. It highlights missteps. It can instruct correction.

So, to answer the question, "It the book dry?", I say, "That's the wrong question." Ask me, "Is it relevant and important for Evangelical Christians to read?" The answer to that question is yes.

[Carter Hemphill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided a good introduction to various evangelical movements which have encouraged American Christens to consider social justice and concern for the poor. I especially liked the chapters about the establishment of World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse and Compassion International and Sojourners.

[Sean Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Nice brief survey of past and current evangelicalism as it relates to justice. Don't look here for an exhaustive, academic treatment. It broadened and enhanced my other reading in this area. All of conservative, white America especially needs to wake up to the changing world around us. For those who don't even want to be called an evangelical anymore, there is hope.

[Nicolette9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had really good information. Unfortunately it wasn't well written/easy to follow.

[Stanley E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful

God, give us eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts to receive and obey what You’re doing and desire to do in us and through us.