The Holy Spirit is the structurer of the universe, so walking in spirituality involves walking with him in structuring society or in defending those treated unjustly. What does Justice Spirituality look like? What are its principles?

1. Justice
Spirituality?
Prof. Viv Grigg,
Servant Among the Poor
1986, 2020, 2021, 2024

2. What is the role of rage? Is rage against injustice godly? Or does
it come from dysfunctionality? (Discuss article by Grigg).
INTRO: QUESTIONS ABOUT SPIRITUALITY AND INJUSTICE
Is God a protester (Isa 42: 2,3, Jesus in the temple)? an
anarchist? A rebel? (Read Proverbs).
Is there a different spirituality for those who create just
structures in society and those who oppose injustice from
underneath?
What is the relationship of peacemaking, and bringing justice? Is
healing of our spirits so we bring peace a pre-requisite to effective
justice-making?
These are two mega-themes with many interrelationships. Here are some
questions.
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
Item 4

3. 1. BEGINNINGS:
WALKING WITH THE GOD OF STRUCTURE & JUSTICE
• He structured the Universe and his voice
sustains it.
• Jesus was the man of justice (Isa 42:11-4)
• The Spirit guides us often to speak out on
injustice
• If we walk with God, we walk doing justice
(Micah 6:8)

4. WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY?
1. OUR SPIRITS
2. ENGAGED BY GOD’S SPIRIT
3.IN AN ENVIRONMENT
BEGINNINGS

5. GOD HIMSELF IS THE GREAT STRUCTURER OF THE
UNIVERSE
BEGINNINGS

6. HE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE WHO CREATES
FLOURISHING FOR ALL
BEGINNINGS

7. 2. DEFINITION: WHAT IS JUSTICE?
• The right thing
• The right place
• The right way
• The right timing
These we call the structuring of society
Getting the covenants of God-human,
human-human, human-land right

8. 3. URBAN
SPIRITUALITY
HOW IS OUR SPIRIT
DEFINED BY CITIES?
HOW DOES
THE HOLY
SPIRIT DEFINE
THE CITY?
WALKING WITH HIM IN HIS FOOTSTEPS IN THIS PROCESS

9. FROM CHAOS THE SPIRIT CREATES
STRUCTURE THEN FILLS IT IN.
CITIES ARE THE CENTERS OF HUMAN
STRUCTURES
THE CITY BEGINS IN THE GARDEN
THE GARDEN ENDS IN THE CITY

10. THE GODLY CITY IS
FULL OF JUST
STRUCTURES
CREATING A
SPIRITUAL
ENVIRONMENT
THE CITY BEGINS IN
THE GARDEN
THE GARDEN ENDS
IN THE CITY

11. 4. What is Justice Spirituality?
It is Urban
It seeks Just Structures

12. 5. DOES THAT MEAN TWO
TYPES OF SPIRITUALITY?
1. THOSE WHO ARE FROM
THE ELITE EDUCATED
CLASSES WHO CAN
CREATE JUST STRUCTURES
FROM THE INSIDE.
2. THOSE WHO FACE
STRUCTURAL INJUSTICE

13. 5.1. The Spiritual
Discipline of
Discernment
Spirit-led Action-Based
Discernment
DO YOU ENJOY
ACTION- REFLECTION
LEARNING?

14. LOCATION AMONG THE ELITE
Trained at the Upper Level
• Joseph
• Daniel- in a lions dead
• Nehemiah – cup-bearer
• Esther- an outcast kept
woman
• Jeremiah – thrown into a
well
• David – chased by his father-
in-law
• All sought justice from their
positions of influence.
• How many years of
preparation?
• INTERCSSOR, PROPHET,
JUSTICE-MAKER
• What role did intercession
have in each of these lives?

15. SPIRITUALITY INVOLVES
DISCERNMENT
4.3
2.5
3.5
4.5
2.4
4.4
1.8
2.8
2
2
3
5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
COUNTRY 1
COUNTRY 2
COUNTRY 3
COUNTRY 4
Income Distribution
Bottom 20% Middle Class Top 10%
Which country is more
injust?
Is exact equality the
Biblical goal?

16. DISCERNMENT AS FOUNDATIONAL
TO SPIRITUALITY
Honed skills of collective
social analysis
Each door leads to another
and these determine our
pathway
The pathway is not always
straight nor upwards as we
confront evil we suffer
setbacks to our role, our
influence.
Wisdom (James 3:13-18)

17. TRANSFORMATIONAL
CONVERSATION
4.Transformat-
ional
Conversations
2.Faith
Convers
ations
3.Socio-
Economic
Conversat-
ions
6.2 SOCIAL ANALYSIS AS the BASIS FOR SOCIAL ACTION

18. JUSTICE FROM UNDERNEATH
7.1. THE SERVANT AMONG THE POOR FORETOLD
• Four Servant Songs
• Isaiah 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12
• Prophecies about the Spirit anoinging Jesus
• Prophecies of a servant among the poor, who
brings justice

19. 7. SPIRITUALITY FROM THE OPPRESSED
How does being oppressed mold our
humanness?
What spiritual responses do damage?
pain? dysfunction enable?
What are the Biblical options of
response?
How are these evident across cultures

20. THE SERVANT AMONG THE POOR FORETOLD
Behold my Servant whom I uphold
My chosen one in whom I delight
I will put my Spirit on him and he will
establish justice in the earth
He will not falter or be discouraged till he
has established justice in the earth.

21. FOR EVANGELICALS
• THIS ADDS AN EXTRA DIMENSION IN COMING TO KNOW GOD
• A SPIRITUALITY OF ACTION AND ENGAGEMENT
• THIS IS AS CRITICAL AS THE SPIRITUALITIES OF INTERCESSION AND
SILENCE.

22. SLUM PENTECOSTAL ANALYSIS
THE WISDOM OF THE OPPRESSED
NOISY EMOTIONAL HEALING
WORSHIP
ORAL THEOLOGY: BIBLICAL STORY
VS STORY FROM THE SLUM

23. 8. WISDOM SPIRITUALITY
ORAL LEARNER WISDOM
SPIRIT-INFUSED ACADEMIC
WISDOM
• Isaiah 11;2 The Spirit of Wisdom
• John 14: The Counsellor, the one who gives discernment
• 1 Cor 2: Reveals truth that destroys false philosophies
• James 3: 13-18 Wisdom deeds in humility, purity, peace-
loving, peace-making, harvesting

24. 9. CROSS-OVER SPIRITUALITY: THE INCARNATION: OUR
LOCATION AND ENGAGEMENT IN SOLIDARITY DETERMINES
THE DEPTHS OF OUR SPRITUALITY
1. Down From His Glory…
3. Incarnation As A Profound Economic Act
4. Incarnation As A Profound Political Act
5. Incarnation As A Profound Historical Symbol
6. Incarnation As the Beginning Of A New Social
Ethic.
7. Incarnation As the Initiation of Justice

25. 10. SPIRITUALITY FOR PROTESTING INJUSTICE
CONTEXT: BEING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE POOR

26. An-arche or non-
involvement
• Frantz Fanon
• Politics are evil
• Anabaptists
• Pentecostals
Respectful
Opposition
• Ghandi-ji
• Nelson Mandela
• Martin Luther
King
• Non-violence
• Peacemaking
• Franciscans
• Baptists
• Wesleyans
Active Involvement
• US Evangelicals 2011
Salt
Light
In but not of the world
Peacemaking through
Force
State churches
Presbyterians,
Anglicans Lutherans,
Catholics
11. RELATIONSHIP TO AUTHORITY

27. 12. IS
VIOLENCE
EVER AN
OPTION?
Stage 1: Engagement
• An Authority Overstepping
Their Authority
• Protest
• Discernment of Issues.
Stage 2:
Discernment
• Coalition with
Allies
• Discernment
of Strategies
Stage 3: Confrontation within
Boundaries
• Attempts to Change Systems
from within
• Non-violence
• Respect for Authority
• Success or Failure
Stage 4:
Violating
Authority
Structures
• Intensifying
Oppression
and Violence
Against the
Oppressed
• The 2nd
Violence –
Revolt
• Damaged
Social Fabric
for
Generations
Jesus said to turn the other
cheek to one who smites you.
He smote the money-changers.
Bonhoeffer became engaged in
a plot against Hitler, John Knox
sought to bring a revolt against
the British, Naga Christians are
fighting for their existence
against the Indian army, the
African Christians of Southern
Chad have had to defend their
people against the white Arabs.
What is the spirituality of such
contexts?
When is radical change
preferable to incremental
change of systems?
How far does non-violence go?

28. IS PACIFISM THE ONLY OPTION?
Violence Pacificism
Defence in the face of Violence Pacifism in face of Oppression
He smote the money-changers. Jesus said to turn the other cheek to one
who smites you.
The African Christians of Southern Chad have
had to defend their people against the
marauding white Arabs.
GhandiJi in the Context of Christian British
Rule
The United States fought for independence
aainst the British because of oppression.
Martin Luther King in the context of two
Christian entities
Bonhoeffer became engaged in a plot against
Hitler.
My grandfather was thrown into prison for
refusing to take up arms against Germany
in the first World War.
John Knox of Scotland, sought to bring a revolt
against the British.
Naga Christians are fighting for their existence
against the Indian army, who have taken over
their state.

29. 13. VICTORIOUS JOY IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING
& OPPRESSION
• The end is one of victory.
• We know our destiny.
• Though we lose battles and suffer shame, we
look to an ultimate reward.
• With this eternal perspective, we have to
make decisions at times as to what we can
and cannot do. We have to leave justice in
his hands and sing the blues. Jesus kept his
mouth shut (John 19:9).

30. 14. SUMMARY OF PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE
SPIRITUALITIES
• Our spirits are connected with God in his
rectifying injustice
• Lifestyle
• Walking into Injustice and Pain
• Simplicity in the Midst of Opulence
• A Lifestyle of Intercession
• Location: Among the Elite
• Just Exercise of Authority (on behalf of God)
• Wise Administration
• Structuring for the Poor
• Location: Incarnational Among and
Solidarity with the Suffering
• Discernment through Social Analysis
• Suffering with Joy
• Confrontation
• Protest on behalf of others
• Respect for Authority
• Peace-making
• The Relationship of Church and
Government
• The Correlation of Academics and Justice
Spirituality
• Non-Violence

31. READINGS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PRESENTATION
• Christian, Jayakumar. (1999). God of
the Empty-Handed. Monrovia, CA:
MARC.
• Conn, Harvey. (1982). Evangelism:
Doing Justice and Preaching Grace.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
• Dorr, Donal. (1984). Spirituality and
Justice. Dublin.
• ---. (1991). The Social Justice Agenda:
Justice, Ecology, Power and the
Church. Melbourne: Collins Dove.
• Escobar, Samuel & Driver, J. (1978).
Christian Mission and Social Justice.
Scottdale : Herald.
• Gremillon , Joseph (Ed.). (1976). The
Gospel of Peace and Justice: Catholic
Social Teaching Since Pope John.
Maryknoll , NY: Orbis Books.
• Grigg, Viv. (2004). With Justice for All.
Companion to the Poor. Monrovia, CA:
Authentic Media.

32. READINGS
• National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
(1986). Economic Justice for All. Washington:
United States Catholic Conference.
• Perkins, J. (1982). With Justice for All. Ventura:
Regal Books.
• Rantisi , Audeh & Pat. (2003). Blessed are the
Peacemakers. Trowbridge Wiltshire: Eagle.
• Robert J Suderman. (1998). Calloused Hands,
Calloused Souls (W. Derek Suderman , Trans.).
Monrovia: MARC.
• Scott, Waldron. (1980). Bring Forth Justice: A
Contemporary Perspective on Mission. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans.
• Smithies, Ruth & Wilson, Helen (Eds.). (1993).
Making Choices - Social Justice for Our Times.
Wellington: Epworth.
• Stassen, Glen H. (1992). Just Peacemaking:
Transforming Initiatives for Justice and Peace.
Louisville, KY: Westminster.
• Troeltsch, E. (1911/1960). The Social Teaching
of the Christian Churches (O. Wyon, Trans.).
New York: Harper and Row.
• Wolterstorff , N. (1983). Until Justice and
Peace Embrace. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
• Wren, Brian. (1977). Education for Justice.
London: SCM.