Mission, Justice, and Jubilee

Review of Joe Boot's The Mission of God: A Manifesto of Hope for Society (part 4 of 10)

How does the Gospel relate to the kingdom of God? What do evangelicals often get wrong about social justice? Why is the modern idea of “equality” another form of slavery? What was the Biblical Year of Jubilee really about and how does it apply today?

Having highlighted the false visions of statism and utopianism which hijack concepts like love and justice, Boot turns towards the Church’s response to this in terms of mission and justice. Evangelicals have rightly sought to focus upon evangelism as a priority and have rightly opposed the liberal ‘social gospel’. Inadvertently, however, this ceded ground to the liberals, whose focus on social justice tends to prevail over the minimalistic cultural engagement of evangelicals.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Boot reaffirms the importance of evangelism afresh in light of how Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God: ‘Since a kingdom requires a king, Jesus’ announcement that the kingdom is here, that it has come near and that it is now advancing in the world is also a declaration that the reign of God, our sovereign, has broken into the world visibly.’ (189). Indeed, ‘this good news was not merely a piece of abstract information to be communicated; it involved a concrete manifestation.’ (189).

Things actually happened – and changed – as a result of the Gospel’s manifestation, including within the societies it touched. Who can deny this has been the case historically, when the Gospel has borne fruit in societies? As evangelicals we have often lauded such efforts to transform society without being willing to act in accordance with what we announce. We have too often sought to hide within a pietistic and exclusively eternal conception of the Gospel as a means of ‘escape’ from this world rather than a declaration of Christ’s lordship over this world.