HolyCulture

Social Justice Resources


Posted by Joe Johnson on 2021-01-25

“For socialism [and social justice] is not merely the labour question, it is before all things the atheistic question... the question of the tower of Babel built without God, not to mount to Heaven from earth, but to set up Heaven on earth.” - Dostovesky

Bringing heaven down to earth is nothing new. Nowadays it's most popular banner is the phrase "social justice." Under the banner of "social justice" many claim phrases like "anti-racism," yet perpetuate a sub-biblical model of race and racial reconciliation, called "Critical Race Theory." Unbelieving worldviews have moved forward the causes of "social justice" and other fundamentally post-modern and Marxist ideologies into all realms of the public sphere, including the church. This document provides resources to help the church understand and see these phenomena for what they are.

** Note: These resources are not all made by Christians, nor do all contain Christian content. Use your discernment in going through them, and test everything according to scripture. As such, content from any particular author or creator does not endorse said individual. This is document is about seeking truth, not rubber stamping individuals. **

"test everything; hold fast what is good." - 1 Thess. 5:21, ESV

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." - 2 Tim. 2:15, ESV

Competing visions of Justice

Short Introductory Videos:

A Brief Sketch of Worldviews

A Brief Sketch of Worldviews (click to expand)

The Bible presents a worldview which consists basically of the following:

  1. Creation
  2. Fall
  3. Redemption
  4. Consummation

God created the universe good, and gave man a commission to complete on earth. Man corrupted his way on the earth, and so man and earth themselves fell into an estate of sin and misery. In another man, the person Jesus Christ who came to fulfill the first man's mission, there is redemption from sin and misery. God will fully and finally bring his original commission for man to completion in the person of Jesus, who gives glimpses of this consummate glory to his people in this age, and in the age to come everlasting life.

The worldview of social justice presents an alternative worldview which consists basically of the following:

  1. Identity Struggle
  2. Overthrowing Opression
  3. Established Equity

Social justice springs from the reality of an unjust environment. There are, in a great identity struggle, the "haves" and the "have-nots", the oppressors and the oppressed. Those with power, influence, or knowledge are, by virtue of not sharing, diversifying, or divesting themselves of these for the sake of others, perpetuating systems of injustice in the world. In order to overthrow oppression itself, the oppressor must be overthrown.

Some but not all versions of the social justice narrative believe that there will be a future utopian age in which there is perfect equity. Not that an equality of opportunity will be established for all, but an equality of outcome. All versions work toward this end.

This worldview of social justice, which divides groups into the oppressors and oppressed, has its roots in Marxism. Classic Marxism is only economic, pertaining to the bourgeoisie and the proletariet, the rich and the poor, the greedy capitalist and the common man. However, while social justice in America includes this aspect, it is broader in its oppressor-oppressed narrative, including gender-oppression, sexuality-oppression, and racial-oppression.

On this last sort of oppression there has been special emphasis, especially since the United States has a history of chattel slavery.


To further understand the Christian Worldview, I recommend the following resources as an introduction:

Social Justice, Broadly

Justice Related to Critical Theory

Critical theories, in all their forms, are related to the Marxist, or socialist, worldviews. In order to establish equity (#3 above in the social justice worldview), overthrowing oppression is a prerequisite (#2). Part of overthrowing oppression is found in being critical of, or degrading, the accepted norms of a society, institution, or discipline. For this reason Marxist tools of thought are often paired with an unlikely bedfellow, postmodernism. To speak of Critical Theory is to speak of how this pair, Marxism and Postmodernism, have influenced academia and the now-accepted canons of scholarship.

A quick note on "Conspiracy Theory" in relation to the phrase "Cultural Marxism". This Wikipedia article suggests that conspiracy theorists believe the Frankfurt School either coined the phrase "Cultural Marxism", or that there was a conspiracy of the Frankfurt School to overturn western civilization. Besides the fact that "conspiracy theory" labelling is often more activism than it is a delineation of fact, this is not what Costa (or myself) present. Tony Costa merely speaks of how the Frankfurt School popularized in the culture the ideas of Marxism (not necessarily classic or orthodox Marxism, but Marxist ideas merely sourced from Marx) in America. That the Frankfurt school represents the ideas of Marx as they relate to culture, then, is the issue. The substance, not the mere words. At one time Wikipedia also claimed Jesus Christ was historical fiction. One must have a healthy skepticism toward "scholarship." On that issue, I recommend this video/book and comic.

Long form version

Far from embracing classic academia, academia under "social justice" is deeply comprimised. Some have sought to expose the movement as corrupt, others even another religion. It is both.

Marxism

Identity Politics

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-politics/

Intersectionality

Racial Justice

Here's a great article to start out with concerning racial justice:

For Americans, and increasingly nations throughout the world, as was shown by the impact of George Floyd's death globally, there is a growing emphasis on racism and racial justice. Some claim these so-called "anti-racist" movements, such as "Black Lives Matter" or "Antifa" have connections to past injustice. This part of the document seeks to equip Christians first with an understanding of corporate guilt (biblically), then seeks out historical knowledge, then a knowledge of modern "anti-racist" movements as such.

Corporate Guilt

Corporate Guilt (click to expand) I have yet to see this issue addressed with necessary clarity, so I'll make a quick attempt at it. Central to the claims of much "racial reconciliation" speak, derived as it is largely from Critical Race Theory, is the idea that past injustices, for example the white's oppression of the black slave in America, falls on the heads of whites today (often regardless of whether or not any particular white person's progenitors themselves committed sin). Many claim that there is a corporate guilt associated with the skin color, which is wholly unbiblical (and unproved from the bible, really). Others hold that only those whose progenitors were guilty are themselves guilty.

There are only two men in Biblical history who represent corporate guilt as such, and not merely the consequences of corporate guilt. Those two men are Adam, the first man, and Jesus. Scripture makes this clear:

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. - 1 Cor. 15:21-22

Therefore, as [Adam's] one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so [Christ's] one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Such sweeping statements one does not find anywhere else in scripture, nor can the guilt of one individual be placed squarely on the shoulders of another. Nevertheless, there are corporate consequences for individual sins, and this Biblical history (and otherwise) well know. So here we have examples like that of Achan, whose whole family was destroyed for his sin (Joshua 7, especially v. 24-26). Likewise, some claim that the prayer of Daniel, in Dan. 9, is another example of corporate guilt for a past progenitor's sins falling on the sins of their children (i.e., the guilt itself, and not merely its consequences); however, as is often the case in corporate prayer, when a pastor says, "Lord, forgive us of gossip and division", he does not intend to say that every person is divisive or a gossip, he is only leading some to acknowledge their own guilt, and confess it themselves, as individuals, as part and parcel of corporate humility.

So then, it remains the responsibility of each indiviual to repent of sin, and on each to forgive! This latter part is the most difficult for the social justice "warriors", because without guilt there is no means for hostility. And without hostility, there is no means for overthrowing leadership, or power structures. The gospel is against this way of thinking, for a once-for-all forgiveness is found in the gospel. By all means, restitution of one's own sin is a necessary part of repentance, such as when

Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." (Luk. 19:8)

But one cannot repent for the sins of another, or be guilty of the sins of another, such that he will answer for that specific sin on the day of judgement (though he may answer for encouraging it, or any number of other complicit sins).

This issue of guilt remains one of those most unbiblical aspects of the Social Justice movement. So one author wrote,

“Social justice,” in every form I have seen it take, drives people before it with a whip—you are guilty, you toxic male. You are guilty, white boy. You are guilty, you conservative. You are guilty, you grandchild of complacent Republicans. You are guilty, you there with a savings account. You are guilty, you descendant of slave owners. You are guilty, guilty, guilty and though you will never be able to fix it, we might be willing, in a spirit of benevolence, to let you try. And then to try again. Welcome to the squirrel cage run of salvation by works.


Histories of Racism

America's checkered past is important to understand. Those who seek to baptize it for Christ would put Christ's holy Name on an unclean thing. There is much to be repented of, and it is important for institutions and organizations who have been complicit in sin to recognize past sins. But often these accusations of guilt are not meant to gain clarity on what happened in the past, they are instead meant to create a system of shame and subservience for the so-called "guilty" party to make them beholden to a knew ideology and power-structure. So then, it is important to understand the matter of this guilt. I believe an understanding of America's past helps the informed person to understand complexities that produce in the church sobriety for evil, and zeal for good, as history is checkered with angels and demons in many colors - these are matters of the heart.

America's founding

Columbus:

Thanksgiving

American Indians (in general)

American History (in general)

Civil War / Slavery

Contemporary Movements & Issues

"Black Lives Matter"

"Antifacism"

I know of no better rebuttal of Antifa than the few concluding chapters of its own "handbook." While the movement claims historical origins in actual anti-fascist movements, the identity-political groups it fights for today are completely different.

"Reverse-racism"

Economics & Racial Justice

Christianized Social Justice

Western Civilization

Broadly, Western Civ (also Christianity) are often used interchangeably with "The Patriarchy", as the source of all evil for those touting Social Justice. Here are some resources on the West:

Social Justice in the Media

Please do your due diligence and see parental guidelines to discern if these resources are fit for your audience.

These media are directly or indirectly opposed to the "social justice" religion.

Films

Television:

Movies Concerning American history:

Documentaries

Must Reads:

Educational Films:

Pro "Social Justice" Resources

Should you want it from the horse's mouth, as it were, here are some resources for understanding the "social justice" religion on its own terms:

#social justice #sociology #communism #equality #America #Biblical #Worldview #Marxism #feminism #privilege #power #postmodernism #patriarchy

Join the Discussion...

Kelly Bailey Sat Jan 30 2021
Thanks so much for putting all this together in one place. It's very helpful. I have lots of learning, listening, watching and reading ... much appreciated...
Be Holy as I am Holy