Below is a list of books and articles on various topics related to justice. These resources will help you learn more about a variety of issues and help frame our responses as Christians, connecting to Fr. Kevin’s sermon on praying for and seeking justice.. Updated 8/20 with YA fiction recommendations.
On Social Justice Generally:
Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World, by Gary Haugen
The founder of International Justice Mission gives the biblical foundation for God's heart for justice and shows how Christians can seek justice in the world.
Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World, by Mae Elise Cannon
A comprehensive reference that provides research, history, and practical steps on issues from domestic violence and sex trafficking to bioethics and global poverty.
Becoming a Just Church: Cultivating Communities of God's Shalom, by Adam Gustine
Encourages local congregations to not outsource justice to outside organizations and to be just in how they interact with their communities.
On Immigration and Refugees:
Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate, by Matt Soerens and Jenny Yang
World Relief specialists explain the complexities of immigration policy, debunk misconceptions, and show how churches can care for immigrants and refugees.
You Welcomed Me: Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us, by Kent Annan
Director of Wheaton College’s Humanitarian and Disaster Institute suggests concrete and practical ways to live out the welcoming embrace of God without fear, to those around us.
Love Undocumented: Risking Trust in a Fearful World, by Sarah Quezada
The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong, by Karen Gonzalez
Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible, by Daniel Carroll
“Christians are on All Sides of the Immigration Debate,” Christianity Today
YA Fiction:
A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park
Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai
Cicada Moon, by Marilyn C. Hilton
Refugee, by Alan Gratz
On Race in America:
Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey, by Sarah Shin
Shows how racial conflict and brokenness requires ethnic identity formation and crosscultural competency.
White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White, by Daniel Hill
A white pastor unpacks issues of cultural identity and discomfort and how whites can be agents of reconciliation in a diverse world.
Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time, by Teesha Hadra, John Hambrick
C4SO pastor Hadra and her friend Hambrick show how racism can be disrupted by friendships that challenge our ways of viewing and living in the world.
Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism, by Drew Hart
Challenging both white and black Christians to reconsider ways we view race and the church, while offering practical suggestions for those committed to racial justice in society and the Church.
Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice That Restores, by Dominique Gilliard
A focus on the ills of mass incarceration and how we can move from punitive models of justice to more restorative, redemptive ones.
“The American Church’s Complicity in Racism: A Conversation with Jemar Tisby,” Religion & Politics
YA Fiction:
Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
Dear Martin, by Nic Stone
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
On Disabilities:
Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness, by Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier
An exploration of how Christian community that includes a recognition of our weakness can provide a counter-cultural witness to a violent world.
Riding on Faith: Keeping Your Balance When the Wheels Fall Off, by Alice Teisan
Savior member Alice Teisan’s memoir about her spiritual journey with disability. Contact Alice for a free Kindle download between 8/17 and 8/24.
A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations and A Little Girl Named Penny, by Amy Julia Becker
Becker writes about her unexpected journey of hope and grace while walking alongside her daughter, Penny, who has Down’s-Syndrome.
We Need Each Other: Responding to God's Call to Live Together, by Jean Vanier
Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, provides a vision for life lived together as broken children of a loving God, humbled and inspired to love one another, no matter our weakness.
“The Ministry of the Disabled,” Christianity Today
YA Fiction:
Wonder, by R. J. Palacio
Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
El Deafo, by Cece Bell