White American evangelicals have never had a strong and comprehensive biblically based social ethic; even today with our numerous Christian colleges, universities and seminaries, we still do not have a kingdom of God social ethic. This means on ongoing social catastrophe among our poor, among our oppressed ethnic groups; a catastrophe demands a crisis response immediately. I suggest that each college, university and seminary take the following steps:
1. Next semester, each school designate two professors, preferably a male and a female with one from an ethnic group, to devote full time to creating a robust, comprehensive kingdom of God social ethic with the focus of applying Jubilee justice in poor and oppressed communities. These two professors should probably devote the rest of their careers to this task.
2. Next summer, these two profs would devote their summer to working with 10-12 other teachers in their institution; together, they would hammer out the foundations of an evangelical social ethic. If enough progress has been made, assign topics for a number of articles to be published such as "Rejusticizing the NT" or "A Biblical Theology of Oppression" or "The Present and Social Dimensions of the Kingdom of God" or "An American History of Systems of Oppression."
3. Indepth study of the following Scriptures:
Messianic passages from Isaiah: 9:7; 11-1-4; 16:5; 28:16-17; 42:1-4; 61:1-4 (translate verse one as 'oppressed poor'. The purpose of the combination of the Spirit and the kingdom is to implement Jubilee justice in order to release the oppressed poor.
Isaiah 58: 1-5---a spirituality without justice leads to oppression; 6-12---a spirituality with justice releases the oppressed.
James 2: 1-9---faith without justice results in the rich oppressing the poor unchecked and unchallenged by the church; 14-26---faith with works of justice ministers to the oppressed identified in 1:27.
Luke 4:18-30: 18-19---The purpose of the combination of the Spirit and the kingdom is to empower the church to implement Jubilee justice to release the oppressed poor. This would be exceedingly good news for the poor and would create a measure of shalom; 25-30---grace ends ethnocentrism and open the door for reconciliation.
Acts 1:1-8: Combines the Spirit, kingdom and the church to end ethnocentrism and create reconciliation.
Acts 4:32-35: This passage describes a socioeconomic miracle; it is extremely rare for the rich to voluntarily give up prized houses and lands. Grace is manifested in extreme generosity; result a degree of economic equality. An experience of personal grace should quickly lead to social grace/generosity.
Ephesians 2: 1-10---personal reconciliation with God is based on the cross; 11-22---social reconciliation between Jew and Gentile is based on the cross.
Acts 8:12; 28:23 & 31---the full gospel is described; both Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God; both justification and justice.
4. Highly recommended books to study:
God So Loved the Third World
The Wars of America: Christian Views
The New Jim Crow
The Upside-Down Kingdom
A Quiet Revolution
At Home With The Poor
The Debt
Viking Economics
"Biblical Faith and the Reality of Social Evil," Christian Scholar's Review, by Stephen Mott.
"A Theology of the Kingdom," Transformation, by Graham Cray.
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