At a Glance
What is meant by “social justice” today, and why do so many sincerely justice-loving Christians warn against it? Dr. Calvin Beisner of The Cornwall Alliance joins us to discuss social justice vs. biblical justice. We explore the complexities of justice, economic ethics, the flaws of socialism and capitalism, and the role of Christianity in addressing these global challenges. Dr. Beisner offers insights from his book Social Justice vs. Biblical Justice, where he refutes claims that the Bible advocates for wealth redistribution and builds a biblical framework for true justice. The discussion highlights the four criteria of biblical justice—impartiality, proportionality, rendering what is due, and conformity to God’s law—while examining why some “rights” claimed in the name of social justice violate true, biblically defined rights. Don’t miss this episode as this topic continues to be highly relevant and believers must have a solid biblical perspective in order to think rightly, form culture, and respond to the needs of our society.
E. Calvin Beisner, Ph.D.
Dr. Beisner is Founder, President, and National Spokesman of The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, a network of Christian theologians, natural scientists, economists, and other scholars educating for Biblical earth stewardship, economic development for the poor, and the proclamation and defense of the good news of salvation by God’s grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
Dr. Beisner was associate professor of historical theology and social ethics at Knox Theological Seminary from 2000 to 2008 and of interdisciplinary studies (focusing on the application of Biblical worldview, theology, and ethics to economics, government, and public policy) at Covenant College from 1992 to 2000. He has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, planting a new congregation for the latter and serving on its pastoral staff for three years. He and his wife Debby, an accomplished portrait painter, have seven children and twelve grandchildren. Learn more.
What You'll Hear
Using the link above, you can read the transcript or listen along while highlighted text follows the podcast audio.
"The only possible way to equalize outcome among folks is to unequalize treatment."
Calvin Beisner (35:22)
Quotes
Go Deeper
Social Justice vs Biblical Justice: How Good Intentions Undermine Justice and Gospel
The book explains what advocates mean by “social justice” and contrasts that with what the Bible means by justice; refutes claims that the Bible requires wealth redistribution enforced by civil government; builds Biblical support for the definition of justice; demonstrates that Biblical justice requires four criteria: impartiality, proportionality, rendering what is due, and conformity to the standard of God’s law; and explains why some “rights” claimed in the name of “social justice” are not rights at all but actually violations of true, Biblically defined rights.
It includes The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel released by Christian leaders in 2018.
Social Justice vs. Biblical Justice addresses a crucial issue in America today, one on which our survival as a nation “with liberty and justice for all” depends. Learn more.
Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice: An Urgent Appeal to Fellow Christians in a Time of Social Crisis
By Scott David Allen
“Highly recommended!” – Wayne Grudem, PhD, Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary
“I urge you to read and share this book immediately and widely!” – Kelly Monroe Kullberg, author of Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas
“We have long needed a book like this. Every serious Christian—especially every pastor—should read and heed the wisdom it contains.” – Tom Ascol, Senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church (Cape Coral, Florida), President of Founders Ministries
“We are a wounded nation now, and Christians need to bind up wounds and not make new ones. Instead of scorning those who push for social justice, we should recognize that leftist ideologues have twisted the concept of social justice, and some Christians have naively gone along with the distortion. Scott Allen offers an alternative that’s crucial to consider.” – Marvin Olasky, Editor in chief of WORLD magazine
Prepare yourself to defend the truth against the greatest worldview threat of our generation.
In recent years, a set of ideas rooted in postmodernism and neo-Marxist critical theory have merged into a comprehensive worldview. Labeled “social justice” by its advocates, it has radically redefined the popular understanding of justice. It purports to value equality and diversity and to champion the cause of the oppressed.
Yet far too many Christians have little knowledge of this ideology, and consequently, don’t see the danger. Many evangelical leaders confuse ideological social justice with biblical justice. Of course, justice is a deeply biblical idea, but this new ideology is far from biblical.
It is imperative that Christ-followers, tasked with blessing their nations, wake up to the danger, and carefully discern the difference between Biblical justice and its destructive counterfeit.
Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice aims to replace confusion with clarity by holding up the counterfeit worldview and the Biblical worldview side-by-side, showing how significantly they differ in their core presuppositions. It challenges Christians to not merely denounce the false worldview, but offer a better alternative—the incomparable Biblical worldview, which shapes cultures marked by genuine justice, mercy, forgiveness, social harmony, and human dignity. Learn more or download the free study guide.
10 Words to Heal Our Broken World: Restoring the Meaning of Our Most Important Words
By Scott David Allen
“The battle for a culture always involves a fight for hearts and minds, and the fight for hearts and minds is always a fight for words, especially the power of defining words. In this important book, Scott Allen has provided an essential handbook for our most significant cultural conflict: the words that matter most, how they are being redefined, and the definitions we must fight for.”
John Stonestreet, President of Colson Center and host of Breakpoint
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE CULTURE, YOU BEGIN BY CHANGING LANGUAGE.
The enemies of the gospel know this all too well. They’ve been cunningly at work redefining our most fundamental words, embedding them in our institutions and school curriculum, all to transform society to reflect their harmful, anti-Christian beliefs.
As followers of Jesus Christ, how should we respond? By clearly knowing and defending the true biblical definitions of at least ten critical words: truth, human, sex, marriage, freedom, justice, authority, faith, beauty, and love. If we long to see a revival in the church and a reformation of culture, we must recover the true definition of these ten foundational words. Learn more.
