Social justice apart from the church not 'kingdom work,' author says

ABP: Social justice apart from the church not 'kingdom work,' author says

WACO, Texas (ABP) -- A rising generation of Christians intent on working for social justice must not confuse that effort with "kingdom work," award-winning Christian author Scot McKnight said during the Parchman Endowed Lectures series at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary.

"In our country, the younger generation is becoming obsessed with social justice," including through government opportunities, politics and voting, said McKnight, author of The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others. "What it's doing is leading young Christians out of the church and into the public sector to do what they call 'kingdom work.'

"I want to raise a red flag here: There is no such thing as kingdom work outside the church -- and I don't mean the building. The kingdom is about King Jesus and King Jesus' people and King Jesus' ethics for King Jesus' people.

"Social justice outside the church is not biblical justice or kingdom work. It is social work. Fine, that's a good thing. But let's not call this kingdom work."

Instead, he called on listeners to make the church "a beachhead of justice and peace and love" for those in need in the church. Then, "let that kind of church and kingdom and justice work spill over into the walls of your community." ...

I just got McKnight's latest book The King Jesus Gospel. He sometimes takes a more Anabaptist approach to things than I do, but I'm very much looking forward to reading it.

Comments

[Kansas Bob]

Always troubling when religious leaders make such a hard-line delineation between the secular and the sacred. If God calls a believer to defend the poor in the public sector then it should be considered a sacred call.

[Mike Aubrey]

I hate the term "social justice." Social justice is merely regular justice.

[Michael W. Kruse]

It does seem to be a bit of a misnomer. What justice is there that isn't social?

[Dana Ames]

Bob, I know Scot, and I don't think he is making that delineation. I have not yet read the book, but it is on my "to read" list. From reading his other works, and from reading his blog since he started, I think Scot is saying that it is the church that needs to be the "place" and the people among whom all of that "justice stuff" is an observable reality (an extremely high standard, if you think about it) - and from where, then, defending the poor and other acts of mercy should overflow into the surrounding situations. I actually think what he is describing is the ethic and MO of the early church, and why the people in the surrounding culture didn't "get" Christians - maybe even more so than the proclamation of the foolish claim of the Resurrection...

From what I can gather, Scot is taking some of the same ideas NT Wright discusses and saying them in a different way. Wright wrote one of the Forewards, Dallas Willard the other. Neither one of them advocates a dualistic sort of reality; quite the contrary. That is enough right there to commend this book.

Dana

[Kansas Bob]

Thanks Dana. Good to know that Scot does not make that delineation but I am still confused. When Scot speaks of the church do you think he means the Body of Christ or something else?

[Dana Ames]

I think he means the Body of Christ. But even though he's Anabaptist, the way he talks sometimes makes me hear echoes of a Liturgical point of view. But read the book. And do listen to the four lectures, as they build upon one another and will give you the background for what is quoted in the article. Links are in this post:

http://www.patheos.com/community/jesuscreed/2011/10/17/parchman-lectures/

Dana

[Michael W. Kruse]

Dana, I agree with your remarks. Scot's view is more nuanced than this summary might suggest. I'm really looking forward to the book.

[John]

But when and where is the "kingdom of god"?

http://www.beezone.com/up/secretsofkingdomofgod.html

http://www.beezone.com/AdiDa/not_elsewhere.html

And are ordinary sinners (that is self-possessed human beings) even capable of doing "kingdom" or "God's" work?

http://www.dabase.org/p5egoicsociety.htm

http://www.beezone.com/AdiDa/reality-humanity.html

http://www.dabase.org/coopcomm.htm