Not Injustice - Conservative Justification

If you’re white and wanting to do a better job of discernment and perhaps actually do something constructive for racial equity and social justice in our society, this book will at best give you nothing, at worst, and more likely completely mislead you.

It is a socially conservative diatribe trying to discredit leading voices in the social equity movement, especially black voices. The theology is really absent. It’s hard to reconcile God’s command to “love thy neighbor” when advocating for turning a blind eye to ignore social inequity data/statistics. The book projects a lack of empathy, and social conservatism that has led to the disparities and continued oppression in our society today.

At a time when the black and people of color communities finally seem to be gaining some traction, exactly because the injustice is becoming so obvious – e.g., the George Floyd murder being a prime catalyst, only because it was caught on video and shown around the world – as a white person, this book will set you back into complacency. Of course, God made us all as human, of course we all sin and fall short, of course everyone is equal, of course we ought to strive to come together; but as an American society, as a global society and in the course of human history we’ve done everything but come together as equals. The world and our society instead have perpetuated trauma on each other in all kinds of ways. And a good portion of trauma has been in the form of oppression against specific people groups – by race, sex, class, or any other of a myriad of perceived differences.

This book would have us forget the trauma that has occurred and live on as just happy “God-filled” people. Unfortunately for victims and perpetrators alike this does not lead to a healthy, nor in any form, a God-led society. God says in DEUTERONOMY 5:9 “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.”

Trauma unfortunately must be dealt with. This book does nothing to help us do that. John Perkins has provided an endorsement in the form of a forward for this book. In his book “One Blood”, Perkins does provide a process to deal with the racial strife and oppressive trauma of our society. It starts with confession, then lamentation, then reconciliation through overt actions to stop the oppression. None of that is mentioned here.

Instead it becomes an American conservative social screed on culture-war issues like socialism (condemning a word without really acknowledging commonly used economic policies in our world and seems odd in a book about racial justice), abortion (a simplistic perspective) gender (traditionalist male/female, without regard for the oppression/suffering of those who are either same sex attracted or struggling with their own genders).

All of this adds up to a book that isn’t at all about social justice – he never actually defines what he means by the term – but is about conservative ideology.

He claims to be calling out a movement he terms “social justice B” that aims to tribalize, divide and is inherently evil; but then goes on with some of the most bias confirming, dividing analysis and commentary on the issue of social justice I’ve ever read. Hypocritical is an understatement.

5 people found this helpful

A Book I Wish I Had Written

Williams has written the perfect book for this cultural moment. For Christians who want to do the right thing and try to be sensitive to the issues of social justice and race in our present day, and yet find themselves confused and wondering why they have an inherent resistance to much of what passes for justice and compassion in the public square , this book explains the dichotomy.

affirming every biblical principle regarding the moral duties towards our fellow image bearers, Williams nevertheless reminds us that the gospel is something more than the moral duties of fairness compassion Justice and equality. and I found especially compelling some of the debunking that Williams does of systems of thought that promote justice but wind up promoting Injustice, that promote compassion but wind up exhibiting a deep lack of compassion, that stand for equality and yet the net result is inequality, that claim to be speaking a bold truth that in fact relies on a whole lot of half-truths and skewed and biased scholarship.

cannot recommend this book highly enough, a must read for every Christian who want to resins to our cultural reckoning on race while holding onto truth

3 people found this helpful

An absolute necessity for the church of the 21st-century

We just finished reading/listening to this book as part of a book circle of concerned believers… As a result everyone in our group is buying multiple copies and giving it away to every believer that will take it! Williams’ book is biblically solid and a breath of fresh air in the stifling heat and turmoil of 2021. This book is a gift from God to a caught-unawares, confused church, that is discovering the emptiness and incompatibility of critical race theory with the Gospel. I could not recommend it more. I do wish the audible version was higher quality… But I was thankful that it was available so early after the books publication.

1 person found this helpful

If you care about true justice, read this book!

I loved everything about this book! There were many questions and challenges to think through about what is real truth, not just what you've been told is true. I learned so much especially from the appendix at the end. This helped shape my ideas of how to live out Biblical justice in today's world. If you care about true justice, please read this book!

1 person found this helpful

Outstanding and thorough analysis of social justic

This is a truly outstanding Biblical analysis of social justice issues, and provides a balanced and thorough perspective which ought to challenge readers from all viewpoints and political parties. It is first and foremost a Biblical analysis, but does a great job tackling the major issues of our time and doing so in a way which is charitable, fair, thorough, and provides a challenge to all readers. This isn't a book which casts blame but one which helps us judge rightly, understand the truth, and see our own failings as much as we see those of others.

1 person found this helpful

Accurate!

The only reason I gave it 4 stars is some of the sound quality was not at it's best.

great book

very good. its an opinion from a christian point of view but does offer insight into why social justice fails on a secular view also.

Thoroughly engaging

Excellent treatment of the topics. Sound, charitable, and faithful. Recommend of any thoughtful Christian disciple

balanced & civil perspective influences of culture

this book uses logic and clear evidence and research to address the roots of thought movements and how to work on mutual perspective taking without vilifying the "other" viewpoint.

Important Book

This book is a must read for the christian looking for a biblical view of social justice