Tag: social justice

Book Reviews, Influence PodcastLeave a comment

Pentecostals and Social Injustice | Influence Podcast

georgepwood

According to the International Labour Organization of the United Nations, approximately 40 million people around the world are victims of modern slavery. Nearly 5 million are victims of forced sexual exploitation. Women and girls are disproportionally affected by this exploitation, accounting for 99 percent of victims in the commercial sex industry. How should Pentecostals respond to this particular evil? More broadly, how should they speak out prophetically against social injustice? That’s the question I’m exploring with Dr. Beth Grant in Episode 171 of the Influence Podcast. Dr. Grant is coufounder, with her husband David, of Project Rescue, whose mission is “to … Continue reading Pentecostals and Social Injustice | Influence Podcast

Book ReviewsLeave a comment

Woke Church | Book Review

georgepwood

The word woke is slang for being “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).” Dr. Eric Mason appropriates this term to describe a church that has been “awakened to the reality of implicit and explicit racism and injustice in [American] society.” Such a church is characterized by four attributes: Awareness of the “overarching truths” that unite the Body of Christ, including the relationship of justice to the gospel (chapter 2) and the Church as the holy family of God (chapter 3); Acknowledgement of the history of racism among American Christians (chapter 4), … Continue reading Woke Church | Book Review

Book Reviews1 Comment

To Heal the World? | Book Review

georgepwood

Tikkun olamis Hebrew for “to heal the world.” It has become a popular catchphrase among leftwing American Jewish rabbis and social activists. According to them, it is an ancient teaching of Judaism, and therefore a religious foundation for their politics. The only problem is that it isn’t. At least that’s what Jonathan Neumann concludes in To Heal the World. He argues that tikkun olamprovides a religious covering for a political ideology that has been arrived at via nonreligious means. And that political ideology is “social justice.” Here’s how Neumann defines that political ideology: “Social justice is a political philosophy that … Continue reading To Heal the World? | Book Review

Influence PodcastLeave a comment

Why Missions Needs Missionaries | Influence Podcast

georgepwood

This past summer, thousands of Assemblies of God churchgoers went on short-term missions trips. These trips often do much good. They certainly change the people who go on them for the better. But is it a good idea to shift a church’s missions strategy to short-term missions? Similarly, churches are increasingly supporting “social justice” causes such as anti-human trafficking initiatives and water well drilling as an important part of missions. Granted, these are great causes, but are they missions? In today’s episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with with Doug Clay and Greg Mundis about what missions is and why missions … Continue reading Why Missions Needs Missionaries | Influence Podcast

Book ReviewsLeave a comment

Translating the Great Commission

georgepwood

Produced by Barna Group in partnership with Seed Company, Translating the Great Commission examines aspects of Christian missions, including knowledge of the Great Commission, the definition of missions, the relationship of evangelism and social justice, and the role and value of Bible translation. As usual with Barna reports, Translating includes a mix of quantitative and qualitative research, together with expert Q&As and infographics. It offers a valuable snapshot of current opinion about these aspects of Christian missions. Book Reviewed Barna Group, Translating the Great Commission: What Spreading the Gospel Means to U.S. Christians in the 21st Century (Ventura, CA: Barna … Continue reading Translating the Great Commission

Book Reviews1 Comment

Courageous Compassion | Book Review

georgepwood

Rape is a shattering experience for the victim—physically, psychologically, and spiritually. When rape is institutionalized through sexual trafficking, this shattering experience is renewed daily, and the wounds fester, slowly killing a woman’s body, soul, and spirit. Unfortunately, it is estimated that 800,000 to 4,000,000 women and children are trafficked across international borders annually, with as many as 18,500 coming into the United States alone. In Courageous Compassion, Beth Grant issues a clarion call to Christians to combat the horrific evil of sexual trafficking. Grant is co-director of Project Rescue, a ministry to victims of sexual trafficking that began in a … Continue reading Courageous Compassion | Book Review

Book Reviews1 Comment

Review of ‘The Sacredness of Human Life’ by David P. Gushee

georgepwood

David P. Gushee, The Sacredness of Human Life: Why an Ancient Biblical Vision Is Key to the World’s Future (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2013). $35.00, 478 pages. Many American churches (including my fellowship, the Assemblies of God) designate the third Sunday of January as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. President Ronald Reagan established this tradition by executive proclamation in January 1984. It falls on the third Sunday of January, because that day is the closest to the January 22nd date of the Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which legalized abortion in all 50 states. … Continue reading Review of ‘The Sacredness of Human Life’ by David P. Gushee