The Justice of Jesus: Book Review

CEFR Level B2-C1

This is not​ a sponsored review. I completely read any book I write a review on.

The Justice of Jesus by Joash Thomas (2025) is a thoughtful consideration of what it means to live like Jesus Christ. This is no academic treatise, though! Nor is it a restatement of ideas commonly found in books shelved under “Christianity” in a bookstore. In accessible language, with plenty of section headers and a clear table of contents, The Justice of Jesus would make a good companion to personal devotions, a book for high school or college discussion, or to use in a group Bible study. I think it would be especially useful in a seminary class focused on the theology of the church or as assigned reading during a church-based internship.

For non-Christian readers who wonder what it means to live as a Christian, this book gives one perspective. For readers who are already Christians but feel that their actions don’t match their beliefs as well as they would like, this book gives practical advice. For readers who are already Christians but wonder if social justice is compatible with their faith, this book answers common concerns. It is this last group that the book was written for.  

The first sentence of the first page of the Introduction is “This social justice stuff isn’t Christian, it’s Marxist” (11). Thomas spends the remainder of the book demonstrating how that view is uninformed, but his tone is never accusatory. Thomas’ writing may be direct. He may write without using euphemisms. He may say things that could make people uncomfortable, but he is never cruel or condescending. In fact, this book could be read as an example of how to try to persuade people to your view without being a jerk. 

Thomas is very aware of what questions might be asked. As I read, I wrote in the margins, often “conversing” with Thomas and pointing out where his statements left unanswered questions or didn’t account for something. Nearly every time, he answered my question or addressed my concern a few paragraphs later. The few times he didn’t, it was because it would have taken the book too far outside of its topic. This quality makes the book useful for facilitating discussions. The leader could mark the places that create questions and the places that answer those questions, assigning readings accordingly. Moreover, each chapter ends with discussion questions that would also make good journaling prompts. 

In Part 1, Thomas makes it clear that following Jesus is not the easy way, especially in Western countries. To begin, Thomas addresses the physical-spiritual divide common in US churches. He says “[M]uch of the Western church was shaped by a theology that prioritizes the salvation of souls at the cost of the dignity and liberation of human bodies” (25). This is the type of theology I was raised in and I have seen this foundation lead to doctrines and church practices that cause people harm. For example, insisting that a person come to church no matter what and that church absolutely must be refreshing and restful or there is something wrong with you guilts people to attend and pretend to be fine, even when they are in so much pain that they can barely stay still. Why are Christians so oblivious to the torment their beliefs create for people? When told the problems their beliefs cause, why do they deny someone’s lived experience? Thomas begins to answer these questions in Part 1.

The Justice of Jesus is partly a book of church history. Part 2, “Decolonizing the Western Church,” was particularly informative to me, a US Christian raised in white evangelicalism. On pages 106-107, Thomas says that St. Thomas Christians mostly lived at peace with their neighbors of other religions. Then European missionaries showed up, forced their form of Christianity on their Christian siblings in India, and created conflict where previously there was none. In 1599, Catholic clergy burned St. Thomas Christians’ documents. An ongoing misconception about St. Thomas Christians is that they are not actually Christian because they appear to believe in universal salvation. I was taught this misconception when I was first introduced to the existence of St. Thomas Christians. Page 107 explains how what I was taught is wrong and why the misconception continues to be taught.

Part 3 is the application section. Thomas gives answers to readers asking, “What can I do?” It is unsurprising that the first chapter in this section is on prayer. Thomas goes beyond the expected, though, when he says, “[P]rayer is often treated by many Christians as an excuse for apathy and inaction. Prayer the way Jesus teaches has always been intended to shape us for action” (136). This sets the tone for the rest of the section - don’t just talk/pray about doing, actually do. 

As someone who has not been involved with advocacy or partnerships, I found the final two chapters to be educational and inspirational. I especially appreciated the advocacy chapter where Thomas does not expect people to start something new. He also does not give the impression that work will quickly yield feel-good testimonies. This feels grounded to the reality I have experienced in other areas. It also removes the pressure to do something big and impressive. Instead, I read these final chapters as a call to do what you can where you can, with even the small things being worth doing. 

Even though The Justice of Jesus may be a challenging book for some readers, Thomas writes with a pastor’s heart. On page 61 he says, “Jesus still walks with us when we go in the wrong direction, but this isn’t because of our faithfulness but rather because of God’s love and kindness.” This is only one example of hope that Thomas holds out for readers who may feel convicted, shamed, or indignant while reading. Maybe we didn’t do things right before, maybe we are convinced that Thomas is wrong and we are right, but Jesus and his love still walk beside us. I hope that undercurrent of care for the reader will encourage anyone to pick up the book and read with the intent to understand. 

Watch a shorter review here.