A few months ago I reviewed Alisa Childers’s Another Gospel?, which is a fantastic response to the ever-growing problem of progressive Christianity. At the end of the article, I promised a review of Thaddeus Williams’s Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth, but I got sidetracked with some other projects, including the study guide for Tim Stratton’s Divine Knowledge, Human Freedom, and Mere Molinism. Now, at last, I offer my review of Williams’s book.
Our country has been in racial turmoil for over a year and a half, which has greatly impacted the Church. Plenty of well-meaning Christians have desired to provide healing within our communities; but, in doing so, they have absorbed ideas contrary to the Word of God. This is why Confronting Injustice is such an important book for every Christian to read. Williams offers an important counterbalance to the world’s cries for social justice through sound biblical teaching. He also provides the real-life experiences from Christians who are involved in this conversation, including friends of FreeThinking Ministries such as Monique Duson and Neil Shenvi.
Confronting Injustice contains twelve chapters divided into four parts, with each chapter answering a question regarding Christianity and the social justice movement. But before Williams dives into those questions, he begins by asking the critical question, What Is “Social Justice”? After all, not everyone is operating with the same definition of social justice, and so Williams distinguishes between what he sees as two different versions. “Social Justice A” is the true mission of the church in seeking justice on a societal level. Examples include the ending of slavery, sex trafficking, and abortion. This is the good social justice with which every Christian should agree and participate. Meanwhile, “Social Justice B” moves far beyond the issues addressed by “A.” This type of social justice is defined by the oppressed/oppressor narrative of the Frankfurt School that is causing so much division within our society. This is the vision of social justice Williams criticizes and warns the church about for the entirety of the book. Understanding this distinction between versions of social justice is critical, since many people, including Christians, desire to help members of their community of different ethnicity and skin color, but in the process are absorbing ideas that are poisonous to our communities and churches.
Part one addresses questions about social justice and worship, which forms the foundation of what justice is and why we pursue it. Part two explores how our vision of social justice affects our communities, whether it brings people together or tears them apart. Part three compares the nature of salvation of social justice versus the Gospel. Part four tackles theories of knowledge according to social justice, addressing concepts such as “lived experience.” The book concludes with seven appendices discussing related topics such as abortion, economics, and sexuality.
Confronting Injustice deals with very serious issues, but they are treated with respect and primary reliance upon the Word of God. It is thoroughly researched, providing plenty of quotes and statistics to back the book’s claims. Williams deals with the top scholars and voices in the social justice conversation, from organizations such as Black Lives Matter and the Frankfurt School to bestselling authors like Kendi X. Ibram and Robin DiAngelo. But in spite of the occasional academic nature of the content, this book is still accessible for the layperson.
Every Christian who is serious about doing legitimate social justice and/or is concerned with the ideologies creeping throughout our society and the Church needs to read Thaddeus Williams’s Confronting Justice without Compromising Truth. It is a healthy rebuke to Christians who have imbibed the world’s views of social justice and a call to action for those who wish to protect the Church from a dangerous ideology.
Here are more reviews and recommended resources on issues concerning the church and culture:
