Can social justice tame our culture wars?
This is USA Today’s coverage of the recently launched “:58” campaign (which I blogged about here) and “the new evangelicals” movement, represented at the recent Q conference in Portland:
As the generational tides nudge this demographic closer to the front and center of American evangelicalism, it's time for a refiguring of the equations by the many non-evangelicals nursing grudges about those pushy Jesus nuts — especially the progressive secularists who share these new evangelicals' social justice commitments. Divided by religious belief, these groups are easily stereotyped as culture war enemies. They needn't be. If anything, they're common-good allies simply in need of an introduction.
Two reading lists on poverty and development
It’s not every day conservative Christian outlets provide suggested reading lists on economic development and holistic social action, so I want to share them here. One is from The Gospel Coalition and compiled by theologian Wayne Grudem. I added a comment on the post with a couple of thoughts. The second list is in WORLD Magazine and compiled by Amy Sherman, who I read in grad school. I’ve read some books on both lists, and while the lists are somewhat ideologically narrow and therefore incomplete, I’m glad these folks are encouraging Christians to begin understanding development and justice at a deeper level.
Colombian circus troupe
This fascinating audio slideshow from the BBC features Circocolombia, a circus troupe from Cali, a city notorious for its eponymous drug cartel. The troupe is touring Europe with a production called Urban, which combines music, dance and storytelling. I hope it makes its way to the US.
Latinos and the 2011 MLB All Star Game
The New York Times has an interesting piece on the upcoming baseball All Star Game to be held in Phoenix, and some of the concerns of Latino players in light of Arizona’s controversial immigration law:
Selig is putting his Latino players in the impossible position of having to choose between showing solidarity to their people or to the game that has enriched them even as they have enriched it.
Guatemala debuts women-only buses
I’ve known for a while that Cairo offers gender-specific mass transit options; now Guatemala City does too. They’ve been established because so many Guatemalans in the capital rely on mass transit, while there are a disturbingly high number of armed robberies and assaults of women on the normal buses.
Ex-Brazil president Lula on ending hunger
This op-ed in the Guardian from Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is more or less a pitch for the candidate he nominated to head up the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, but is noteworthy because Brazil really has made some impressive strides towards ending hunger, both at home and abroad. Lula writes:
Brazil has been working internationally for a more balanced and socially equitable global order. Our approach is based on the construction of equal partnerships with developing countries worldwide.
Christians issue handbook on evangelism
I didn’t see this one coming, but on second thought, it’s probably long overdue. Leaders representing the global mainline Protestant, evangelical and Catholic churches got together and released a rule book on the dos and don’ts of mission and evangelism called Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct (pdf). The document asserts churches’ rights to evangelize, while denouncing “resorting to deception and coercive means.”
When I lived in DC last fall and winter one of my housemates worked for the Heritage Foundation, and he told me about a small-group study resource the foundation produced in conjunction with WORLD Magazine called Seek Social Justice. This struck me as particularly interesting, since (1) both sponsoring organizations are quite conservative and (2) social justice is often equated (wrongly, I'd say) with liberalism. It's an exciting time to be alive, I thought, when conservative think tanks and magazines are promoting social justice within their spheres of influence.
Unfortunately, this study has received a lot less attention than the recent inflammatory (and honestly, quite puzzling) tirades from America's most prominent ultra-conservative talk show host. Though I would venture to guess that there is a lot of overlap between the pundit's fan base and the constituencies of the Heritage Foundation and WORLD Magazine, the latter took the high road of intellectual and civil engagement, while the former resorted to cheap shots in a very divisive, destructive, fear-mongering way. I commend the makers of this study for choosing the better way, and I'm encouraged that because of it more and more of us from increasingly varied ideological perspectives will be taking social justice seriously.
Over the next few weeks, once or twice a week, I'll be posting a series of six reflections on the Seek Social Justice study, as an extended review of sorts. Already I've found quite a bit in the study to commend, and though I think it has some weak spots - which I'll be pointing out - I'll aim to keep my reflections constructive, in the spirit of justice, mercy and humility, which is what God requires of us and what such a thoughtful and positive study deserves.
You can order the study guide workbook and DVD for FREE (just pay shipping), apparently made possible by a private grant. However, if you'd prefer to save a tree, the materials are also all available on the website. One way or another, rather than just taking my word for it, I hope you'll work through the study for yourself (or even better, with a small group).
Watch for part one on Monday.
