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The Little Book of Biblical Justice: A Fresh Approach to the Bible's Teaching on Justice
Chris Marshall writes, "the Bible has had a profound impact on the development of Western culture. So exploring biblical perspectives on justice can help us appreciate some of the convictions and values that have helped shape Western political and judicial thought.”
Christians also regard the Bible as a uniquely important source of guidance on matters of belief and practice. What the Bible has to say about justice, therefore—both social justice and criminal justice—ought to be of great significance for Christian thought and action today. Yet coming to grips with biblical teaching on justice is by no means easy. Chapters here
Upfront, Marshall addresses the many complexities that surround "justice" in the the Bible seems to hold conflicting points of view; there is a huge amount of data to deal with; the world of the Bible and our present world are vastly different. Marshall's honest treatment of this subject is direct, yet almost lyrical in tone. He manages a thorny, multi-faceted subject clearly and ultimately singles out the broad areas of theological agreement among the Bible's writers. Highly stimulating. Highly inspirational.
Christians also regard the Bible as a uniquely important source of guidance on matters of belief and practice. What the Bible has to say about justice, therefore—both social justice and criminal justice—ought to be of great significance for Christian thought and action today. Yet coming to grips with biblical teaching on justice is by no means easy. Chapters here
Upfront, Marshall addresses the many complexities that surround "justice" in the the Bible seems to hold conflicting points of view; there is a huge amount of data to deal with; the world of the Bible and our present world are vastly different. Marshall's honest treatment of this subject is direct, yet almost lyrical in tone. He manages a thorny, multi-faceted subject clearly and ultimately singles out the broad areas of theological agreement among the Bible's writers. Highly stimulating. Highly inspirational.
74 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2005
34 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 17, 2020
A short but powerful read! It provides a Biblical worldview on justice, punishment, and restoration. And has an appendix summary of key points and scripture index. The text is written in a clear and concise manner that includes Biblical examples.
"Justice is satisfied by repentance, restoration, and renewal. Punishment serves as a mechanism for helping to promote such restoration" (kindle p. 45).
"Justice is satisfied by repentance, restoration, and renewal. Punishment serves as a mechanism for helping to promote such restoration" (kindle p. 45).
August 11, 2020
A very short read, but SO, so good. I'm currently borrowing, but this book is bound to be on my shelf in the next few weeks. With all the chaos in the world right now, especially regarding racial reconciliation and social justice (particularly, within my community, for the body of the church), this text has an immense amount to say. Biblical reference throughout and an excellent summation of its meaning, significance, and application to our lives today, as followers of Christ. Highly recommend!!
quotes:
p.32 "The essential mark of holiness is a lifestyle of justice."
p.48 "Biblical justice seeks to restore dignity and autonomy to those who have been unjustly deprived of access to sufficient resources in order to meet their own basic needs for physical survival and human fulfillment."
p.64 "The pursuit of justice is also what builds up the mutual bonds of community and brings joy in the Holy Spirit. For biblical justice is, finally, a joyful justice, not a grim justice. It is joyful because it restores, heals, and makes things right."
quotes:
p.32 "The essential mark of holiness is a lifestyle of justice."
p.48 "Biblical justice seeks to restore dignity and autonomy to those who have been unjustly deprived of access to sufficient resources in order to meet their own basic needs for physical survival and human fulfillment."
p.64 "The pursuit of justice is also what builds up the mutual bonds of community and brings joy in the Holy Spirit. For biblical justice is, finally, a joyful justice, not a grim justice. It is joyful because it restores, heals, and makes things right."
July 19, 2022
A surprising rating from me! I skimmed through this a few weeks ago, but I really sat with it and took notes tonight. This is not my usual read as an agnostic, but I've been really interested in the spiritual/religious/moral defense of social justice & this definitely speaks to that. This book succinctly disassembles what the evangelical right has misappropriated about Jesus and the bible. I especially loved its defense for advocacy, restorative justice, standing with the poor & marginalized, and criticizing the wealthy.
"Present injustices must never simply be tolerated or accepted as inevitable. We are not meant to resign ourselves to the evils of the world, while waiting passively for God's coming to sweep them away. Instead, we are to work tirelessly in partnership with God for the greater attainment of justice here and now." (29)
"The pursuit of justice is also what builds up the mutual bonds of community and brings joy in the holy spirit. For biblical justice is, finally, a joyful justice, not a grim justice. It is joyful because it restores, heals, and makes things right." (64)
"Present injustices must never simply be tolerated or accepted as inevitable. We are not meant to resign ourselves to the evils of the world, while waiting passively for God's coming to sweep them away. Instead, we are to work tirelessly in partnership with God for the greater attainment of justice here and now." (29)
"The pursuit of justice is also what builds up the mutual bonds of community and brings joy in the holy spirit. For biblical justice is, finally, a joyful justice, not a grim justice. It is joyful because it restores, heals, and makes things right." (64)
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January 19, 2026(Recommended by Abe W.)
This is a slim volume that gives helpful Scriptural grounding for what seems like an intuitively obvious question but may not be: "How does the bible define justice and what is our obligation as Christians towards it?" Given how complicated and controversial matters of social justice can be, and how biased or otherwise pre-conditioned almost everyone is about matters of racial justice in particular, I found it helpful to read something that really focused exclusively on how the bible talks about God's justice, not tying it to current events or issues. Here's a quote: "Justice is always an effort...[it] requires commitment and struggle...the pursuit of justice must therefore be a primary obligation of the people of God. It is so critical, say the biblical prophets, that without a commitment to justice, all other means of worshiping God...are bankrupt. [Citing Ecclesiastes 4:1, Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8, Isaiah 1:12-17]"
This is a slim volume that gives helpful Scriptural grounding for what seems like an intuitively obvious question but may not be: "How does the bible define justice and what is our obligation as Christians towards it?" Given how complicated and controversial matters of social justice can be, and how biased or otherwise pre-conditioned almost everyone is about matters of racial justice in particular, I found it helpful to read something that really focused exclusively on how the bible talks about God's justice, not tying it to current events or issues. Here's a quote: "Justice is always an effort...[it] requires commitment and struggle...the pursuit of justice must therefore be a primary obligation of the people of God. It is so critical, say the biblical prophets, that without a commitment to justice, all other means of worshiping God...are bankrupt. [Citing Ecclesiastes 4:1, Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8, Isaiah 1:12-17]"
November 17, 2024
“Biblical justice seeks to restore dignity and autonomy to those who have been unjustly deprived of access to sufficient resources in order to meet their own basic needs for physical survival and human fulfillment. God acts to reconstruct shalom by overthrowing oppressive powers and setting victims free, and by healing the destructive legacy of sin and death. To know this God is to learn about the meaning of justice. To love this God is to join in God’s great campaign to restore justice to the world.”
June 25, 2022
such a nerd for this stuff
“… it was not the theological views Jesus objected to; it was their misuse of religious power to entrench injustice. They used God‘s law to ‘lock people out of the kingdom of heaven’ and to overburden the weak without lifting a finger to help (Matthew 23:1-4, 13-16). They abused their sacred trust to accrue personal prestige and kudos (Matthew 23:5-7). They presented themselves as paragons of virtue, but were full of extortion and greed within (Matthew 23:25).”
“… it was not the theological views Jesus objected to; it was their misuse of religious power to entrench injustice. They used God‘s law to ‘lock people out of the kingdom of heaven’ and to overburden the weak without lifting a finger to help (Matthew 23:1-4, 13-16). They abused their sacred trust to accrue personal prestige and kudos (Matthew 23:5-7). They presented themselves as paragons of virtue, but were full of extortion and greed within (Matthew 23:25).”
July 18, 2023
This book is very comprehensive in its Biblical references, though those references are rarely examined. However, I think it is very "fair and balanced" and would recommend it to any bible beginner who wants an introduction and brief overview of the topic. Warning - If you disagree with biblical justice because it fails to sanctify selfishness, then this is not the book for you. Instead, read the Bible and be converted.
October 28, 2020
A quick little read that raises some interesting and concise ideas about justice in the Old Testament, and then showing how justice in the New Testament is a continuation. Marshall contrasts justice in the judicial setting with justice for the oppressed and under-represented, and gives plenty of examples.
July 1, 2025
Fantastic. So rich in Biblical references that enforce main points of justice as God’s foundational characteristic through which all Jesus’ work is accomplished through. Easy to read (not like a textbook) and understand, yet one could easily spend days considering the impact of a single page. Absolutely recommend for anyone exploring Biblical justice.
June 2, 2020
Incredible!
This book is a powerhouse! It gives definition, context, and clarity around issues of justice in scripture and its application in modern society a much needed resource!!!
This book is a powerhouse! It gives definition, context, and clarity around issues of justice in scripture and its application in modern society a much needed resource!!!
August 2, 2020
This is a very helpful handbook
October 2, 2020
A great reference tool for exploring and discovering the Biblical principle of justice.
March 4, 2021
SUMMARY: In less than 70 pages Chris Marshall, with plenty of scriptural evidence, says that justice is a central theme of the Bible and it is how God relates to the world. For instance, the word justice is mentioned over 1,000 times in the Bible while sexual sin is mentioned just 90 times. Marshall first defines what justice and Biblical just is then addresses the nuance of Biblical justice before finishing with a look at how Jesus role modeled justice during his time on earth. Short and packed full of thought provoking information. Grab a pen and pad of paper because this is full of wisdom!
KEY QUOTE: "Present injustices must never simply be tolerated or accepted as inevitable. We are not meant to resign ourselves to the evils of the world, while waiting passively for God's coming to sweep them away. Instead, we are to work tirelessly in partnership with God for the greater attainment of justice here and now, knowing that God shall ultimately bring our efforts to fruition in the renewal of creation. God's coming justice is the culmination of, not a substitute for, human striving for greater justice here and now."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
KEY QUOTE: "Present injustices must never simply be tolerated or accepted as inevitable. We are not meant to resign ourselves to the evils of the world, while waiting passively for God's coming to sweep them away. Instead, we are to work tirelessly in partnership with God for the greater attainment of justice here and now, knowing that God shall ultimately bring our efforts to fruition in the renewal of creation. God's coming justice is the culmination of, not a substitute for, human striving for greater justice here and now."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
October 16, 2020
Only 67 pages, The Little Book of Biblical Justice by Chris Marshall is powerful in its succinctness. It does exactly what it says it will do, and provides a concise overview of justice — what it means, what it is, what it looks like — from the Bible.
March 13, 2024
I think I should come back to this little book regularly, and probably read some of the big books that informed it. Sorry for that annoying slab of text quote thing, but I did find this a helpful summary.
'We often think of mercy and justice as opposites. To show mercy when wrongdoing has occurred means suspending or disregarding the penalty which justice requires. Mercy thus represents a kind of injustice. But this is only the case if we think of justice in strictly arithmetical or legalistic terms. If instead we understand justice in terms of restoring healthy relationships, then mercy is often the best way to get there. Mercy helps to bring out, rather than to interfere with, justice. Compassionate acceptance of human fallibility is essential to the functioning of healthy relationships. Where failure occurs, justice must be seasoned with mercy, or it is not true justice.' Pg 37
'We often think of mercy and justice as opposites. To show mercy when wrongdoing has occurred means suspending or disregarding the penalty which justice requires. Mercy thus represents a kind of injustice. But this is only the case if we think of justice in strictly arithmetical or legalistic terms. If instead we understand justice in terms of restoring healthy relationships, then mercy is often the best way to get there. Mercy helps to bring out, rather than to interfere with, justice. Compassionate acceptance of human fallibility is essential to the functioning of healthy relationships. Where failure occurs, justice must be seasoned with mercy, or it is not true justice.' Pg 37
May 29, 2015
This book is everything you want in a short biblical research resource. Concise, clear, lots of scripture references and broad spectrum. If you want a short and sweet summary of biblical justice this one is the ticket.
September 27, 2012
A concise and helpful overview. A must have book for anyone wanting to articulate a biblical rationale for working for justice.
December 29, 2013
A fine, brief, big picture treatment! A good place to begin.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews