Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World

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Summary: What many of us working in Africa and Asia have wanted!
Review: As a missionary who started work in Manila in 1976 and am now working in Nairobi, I read with keen interest the account of this lawyer who has sought to bring his legal skills into the work of the kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice (Matthew 6:33).

I cannot recommend this book too highly to those who wish to be informed about injustice and given a sense of hope for justice in the world.

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Summary: The Social Implications of the gospel
Review: Haugen shows very clearly that the gospel includes social action. Scriptures requires the believer to act justly and to seek justice for all. Haugen shows that we can not sit idly by while other human beings are oppressed by people of power. Haugen calls on us to have a full orbed understanding of the gospel and reminds us of what every Christian is called to do......seek justice!

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Summary: What ordinary people can do about global injustice.
Review: In recent years, Christians have renewed attention to the plight of the persecuted church around the world. But many have overlooked other systemic evils like abusive child labor, child prostitution, ethnic cleansing, state-sponsored torture and genocide. What can ordinary Christians do for the little Filipino girl abducted into prostitution, the enslaved Pakistani boy chained to a weaving loom, or the impoverished Latin American widow pushed off her land?

In Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World, Gary Haugen courageously exposes the truth about global injustice. Gripping stories from the mass graves of Rwanda and the brothels of Manila describe the ways that people exploit and destroy other people created in the image of God. Revealing God's heart of compassion for the victims of injustice, Haugen shows how God's people can "seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan and plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:17).

Those who read this book will have their worldview changed. By taking up the cause of the defenseless, Christians have the potential of bringing the good news of the gospel to the oppressed and the oppressors alike. Readers will discover what Christians can do about global injustice and thus honor our God who rises up against injustice in a hurting world.

Gary A. Haugen worked in the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice and was director of the United Nations genocide investigation in Rwanda. He is currently president of International Justice Mission, in Washington, D.C.([e-mail]).

"Gary Haugen's book is a powerful combination of narrative and Scripture, of dramatic storytelling and biblical reflection, of human injustice and the justice of God. . . . I defy anybody to emerge from exposure to this book unscathed. In fact, my advice to would-be readers is 'Don't! Leave the book alone!'-unless you are willing to be shocked, challenged, persuaded and transformed." John Stott, from the foreword

"A book of prophetic and vital significance. Gary Haugen has pioneered in a field where Christians should be at the forefront." Philip Yancey, author of What's So Amazing About Grace?

Rating:
Summary: An overdue treatment of a pressing topic
Review: In this book Haugen has given us a small taste of our God's advocacy of those who suffer at the hands of illegitimate authority. It is an excellent introduction to the topic for those just starting out, pointing out from Holy Scripture that God hates injustice, and from raw experience of this world's evil that that injustice persists. This book is long overdue, and I hope and pray that many like it will follow.

Compared with the publisher's blurbs, however, I must say that I found the book somewhat disappointing. For those of us working in situations of injustice around the world, the book did not really come across nearly as hard-hitting as the publisher would have us believe. I haven't seen the video yet; maybe it is better. But the book by itself, while it is supremely hopeful, does not capture the poignancy of situations in such a way that would really motivate the reader to action. Perhaps Haugen is relying on TV news broadcasts to do that.

The final chapter, "The Body of Christ in Action," is well-written, and shows some of the important ways that the whole Church can become involved in seeking justice for the oppressed. It deserves a careful reading, even by those who don't feel qualified to work out in the field.

Rating:
Summary: An overdue treatment of a pressing topic
Review: In this book Haugen has given us a small taste of our God's advocacy of those who suffer at the hands of illegitimate authority. It is an excellent introduction to the topic for those just starting out, pointing out from Holy Scripture that God hates injustice, and from raw experience of this world's evil that that injustice persists. This book is long overdue, and I hope and pray that many like it will follow.

Compared with the publisher's blurbs, however, I must say that I found the book somewhat disappointing. For those of us working in situations of injustice around the world, the book did not really come across nearly as hard-hitting as the publisher would have us believe. I haven't seen the video yet; maybe it is better. But the book by itself, while it is supremely hopeful, does not capture the poignancy of situations in such a way that would really motivate the reader to action. Perhaps Haugen is relying on TV news broadcasts to do that.

The final chapter, "The Body of Christ in Action," is well-written, and shows some of the important ways that the whole Church can become involved in seeking justice for the oppressed. It deserves a careful reading, even by those who don't feel qualified to work out in the field.

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: This book changed the way I think about the world in important and good ways. I've heard the author speak, and he is uniquely credible.

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Summary: A powerful book with a message of hope and a plan for action
Review: With the crisis in Kosovo serving as the latest example of how millions of people in our world continue to suffer at the hands of unjust rulers, this book delivers a powerful and practical message about how individual Christians can (and must!)take an active part in fighting injustice. The author does a great job of pointing out that, even though the fight against injustice can sometimes appear to be an overwhelming lost cause, a look at our own American history shows that Christians have played key roles in righting such wrongs as slavery, forced prostitution and child abuse. This is an excellent and important book.