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Good News About Injustice

by Gary A. Haugen (Inter-Varsity Press, 1999).

Summary:

For many Christians, learning about the reality of human trafficking leaves them struggling to find a framework to understand the injustice happening across the world Good News About Injustice examines cases of child prostitution, state-sponsored religious persecution, racial violence, torture and genocide while searching God’s Word with equal vigor to grasp the biblical view of justice, evil, and the response of concerned individuals.

Gary Haugen believes that Christians grow into a more mature way of engaging the reality of injustice in the world by (1) developing a compassion for the people suffering injustice by looking through the eyes of missionaries and other Christian workers who see this suffering firsthand, and (2) preparing themselves to help people by looking at them through God’s eyes, that is, through his Word.  He uses real-life testimonies in the first part of this book to show the reader the reality of injustice world-wide and what others are doing to fight injustice directly. 

The second part of the book elaborates on the hope that is found in the God of justice.  Oppressors exploit the inaction of despair, which occurs when others have lost the hope of making a difference.  Haugen dedicates four chapters to studying different attributes of God and the hope that is found in Him:

• Hope in the God of Justice
• Hope in the God of Compassion
• Hope in the God of Moral Clarity
• Hope in the God of Rescue

The last part of the book focuses on providing real-world tools for rescuing the oppressed.  Topics discussed include: why injustice occurs and why God allows it; how coercion and deception breed injustice; how investigations take place; how intervention for victims occurs; and what the body of Christ can do to seek justice.

Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?

Gary Haugen is the president of the International Justice Mission, a Christian agency that documents and monitors conditions of abuse and oppression, educates the church and public about the abuses, and mobilizes intervention on behalf of the victims.  This book would be very informative for leaders of congregations and faith-based organizations and will shock, challenge, persuade and inspire them to pursue God’s justice.