Ecosystems of Jubilee: Economic Ethics for the Neighborhood

by Adam Gustine, José Humphreys III

A beautiful reflection on the rhythm of God's justice and a call to engage with that rhythm in a way that takes us back toward healing, wholeness, and restoration. God gave Israel the Year of Jubilee as a social reset. Taken together with Sabbath laws and gleaning laws (laws dealt with the harvest season), it was a way to celebrate God's gifts and put the pieces of a broken society back together again. These Old Testament economic ethics were highly practical laws with a theological vision that, if enacted, would set Israel apart as a just society in the midst of a cruel, greedy, and unjust world—not unlike our present day. In Ecosystems of Jubilee , José Humphreys and Adam Gustine take a close look at the economic ethics and practices of the Old Testament, their fulfillment in Jesus, and their application for justice and ethics today. This book will not only motivate you to embrace a serious commitment to economic development as a way of seeking justice—it will teach you how to apply these principles in your own neighborhood . For those looking to enact God's vision for justice, Ecosystems of This book allows you to envision ways of building a more just world, starting in your own neighborhood.

Genres: Theology, Faith, Justice, Economics, Poverty, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2023

Reviews

[Lucy Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liberation theology for an urban context

[Hannah Madden]

“When we close our fists or, what's more, when we become closefisted people who nurture closefisted structures—we close more than our fists. It turns out that we close our eyes to the plight of the poor, we close our ears to cries for justice, and we close our souls to God. We cannot experience God's intentions for us if we actively foster a closefisted disposition. In the end, scarcity deforms our souls, rendering us incapable of deepening our participation in the abundance of God.”

[Susan Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenging thoughts about the neighborhood I live and work in. I appreciate the authors being willing to “stir the pot” and provoke good thinking!

[Brooke Bowlin]

“Achieving justice requires that we come to grips with and tend to the in-betweens in our communities. This is Martin Luther King Jr.'s single garment of destiny idea. King called us to see the in-betweens as a fundamental truth. He said, ‘For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.’

Our basic hypothesis is that if two Americas exist, and everything in society has an interrelated structure, then it stands to reason that between the two Americas is where the real work of fostering economic justice takes place. Indeed, there is real need to appreciate the way our economic activity is ‘always embedded in and answerable to cooperative and reciprocal relationships and communities.’”

[Justin Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful read that introduces perspectives I’ve longed to see in print and ideas that had never crossed my mind. A bit wordy at times and at others not as specific as I would have preferred. But I know I’ll be thinking about these themes of extraction, exclusion, and exploitation and how they relate to gleaning, Sabbath, and Jubilee for a long time.

[Graydon Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic! It was convicting, inspiring, and beautiful in so many ways. Using the Scriptural lenses of gleaning, Sabbath, and Jubilee, Gustine & Humphreys are challenging Christians to actually integrate their faith into their local ecosystem. Highly recommend!

[Benjamin Shurance · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible, encouraging book about applying the OT principles of gleaning, Sabbath and Jubilee in the context of US neighborhood. Very inspiring, very helpful resource.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subpar writing, excellent content.

[Kinho Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Liberation is not meant merely for the oppressed but for the oppressor as well. We are all in bondage to the captivity of wealth in different ways."

Insightful. Challenging yet practical. The Gospel came alive and woke me from a superficial faith.