Justice: A Global Adventure

by Walter J. Burghardt

A fascinating introduction to social justice that applies fundamental principles to urgent issues and problems facing us today. From immigration to attitudes toward the elderly, Justice is a book of substance that is impossible to put down.

Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[Joyce del Rosario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walter Burghardt’s book on justice covers a wide overview of justice and how we as Christians should understand it in light of God’s justness. He starts by analyzing types of justice and what justice is in view of God and Jesus Christ. As a Catholic Priest, Burghardt includes the teachings of the Catholic Social Tradition. The Catholic Social Tradition is important in any ecumenical discussion of justice as it represents a biblical grounded and particular viewpoint of how the Church should interact with the world. Bryant Myers includes it in his history of the conversation relating to poverty, development and social justice. The Roman Catholic influence continues to be important in the Evangelical conversations of justice.

Burghardt takes time to write about the application of justice in various settings. He covers justice for children, immigrants, prisoners, ecology, and homeless veterans. This is an interesting mix of people groups to choose from. While I agree that the people groups Brughardt raises for discussion are indeed in need of social justice I found it curious that he left two major people groups in the United States. Women and people of color, particularly African Americans.

Given that the Catholic Social tradition does not specifically address these two groups, there are certainly subgroups of both that fall under such categories as “human dignity” and the “poor”. The economic and social standing inequalities of both women and people of color (immigrants included) should be a matter of discussion. It is not just the new immigrants that we need to consider how to “accommodate in America” (Burghardt 2004. 43.). He is writing about the infrastructures of the US and whether or not it can handle the influx of immigrants.

Yet, there was not a discussion about how we have already (or not) accommodated women and African Americans. Do we have the infrastructures to accommodate these two groups in our economy? Do we have the infrastructures for proper housing for the subgroup of low to no income folks?
Given these exclusions, Burghardt does discuss Carolyn Osiek’s four concerns of the covenant community. One of those concerns is the relationship between man and women. Osiek goes through the accounts of rights for slave girls, widows and wives. (Burghardt 2004. 14). He writes, “If biblical justice is fidelity to the demands of relationship, then sin is a refusal of responsibility; sin creates division, alienation, dissension, marginalization, rejection. Sin dis-members the body.” (Burghardt 2004. 15,16). The exclusion of women and people of color in the discussion of applied justice weakens this argument as if to contradict -- or selectively see-- his own understanding of justice.
While the exclusion of these two groups may have been for other reasons not readily understandable by the reader, Burghardt does believe that justice is for all. “Human justice: giving every man, woman, and child what they deserve, what they can claim as a right simply because they are human. Biblical justice: fidelity to relationships that stem from covenant – relationships to God, to people, to earth.” (Burghardt 2004. 152).

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good Holy Ghost presence would be nice - both in theology portion and integrated into justice. Justice as liturgy/sacrament - very nice. Listing of BPFNA among other small and worthy of consideration groups was pleasant.