To finish off 2024, I decided to pull together a list of books that were released this year on the intersection between justice and Christianity. These ten books discuss topics related to social action, justice, advocacy, and God’s Kingdom and its flourishing. From these you might find a tool to help you pray, a peak into Christian history, guidance to form your faith community after God’s heart justice, or a curriculum to parent your kids on practicing justice and love. I hope that from this list of ten Christian justice-related books you’ll find one that meets you where you’re at!

Ten Justice-Related Christian Books from 2024

1. The Spirit of Justice

The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance by Jesber Tsiby

I’ve been learning from Jesber Tsiby for a long time as he has been a leader in faith-based spaces on racial justice for years as a guide and historian. His most recent book is about engaging in racial justice by finding hope and inspiration from those who went before us. Taking true stories, he guides readers to stay in the fight for good. 

As sustainable changemaking is a passion of mine, I value books like these that encourage us to stay involved beyond when a topic is trending, to enduring through it and caring for ourselves and being refilled by God so we can. Like the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, these stories help us see a “great cloud of witnesses” cheering us on to live out our faith in action. 

Find the Spirit of Justice here.

2. On The Same Page With God

On the Same Page with God: Embracing the Power of Praying Scripture by Jenn Soehnlin

A prayer book about justice? Yes please! 

Granted, this book isn’t specifically about faith and justice, although disability justice leaders might point out how much the author’s love for her children with special needs opens our hearts to this population. Rather, On The Same Page With God is about prayer scripture to increase our relationship with our spiritual Father.

However, there is one chapter dedicated entirely to the Christian’s pursuit of justice. Taking apart the story of Esther, Jenn Soehnlin helps us see a Biblical approach to seeking justice. She also shares one of her own stories about growing in passion for justice and gives us a set of scriptures to pray for God’s justice to prevail. I was privileged to give feedback and guidance on this section of the book. Not only was I grateful that the author didn’t forget the the topic of justice, which is often left to the wayside in books on prayer, but she did an excellent job helping the prayer-warrior see how essential it is. 

You can get On The Same Page With God here.

3. Othered

Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues the Hurt, Harmed, and Marginalized by by Jenai Auman

Othered addressed justice in the context of the church system in the Western world. It addresses what it is like to feel like you can’t belong in churches because of injustices like spiritual abuse or disregarding areas of justice that God values. 

The author is authentic and open about her own experiences of being “othered” and is a guide and healing balm to those who’ve been hurt or found themselves on the side of the oppressed (often because they are standing up for those even more oppressed). I’ve definitely been “othered” and her ability to meet me in her writing where I am has been so encouraging. Jenai’s experience as a therapist only helps! In addition, her content regularly invites us to still care about justice as Christians.

Get Othered here.

4. Living Undivided

Living Undivided: Loving Courageously for Racial Healing and Justice by Chuck Mingo, and Troy Jackson, With Holly Crawshaw

This book is written for individuals, churches, and organizations who want to bravely move into taking stances against oppression. Although the book is primarily about racial justice, acts of mercy and other forms of justice work. They encourage us to move in fierce love and humility to pursue an unfathomable unity that can reconcile us, despite pitfalls in our history. It is filled with narratives on overcoming personal fear, failure, and on practicing this in real life. It acts as a blueprint towards wholeness and leans on Biblical scripture, especially the book of Nehemiah. 

Get Living Undivided here

5. Being a Sanctuary

Being a Sanctuary: The Radical Way for the Body of Christ to Be Sacred, Soft, and Safe by Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez

I love how Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez approaches justice, relationships and theology in her regular content. This book is Biblically based, trauma-informed, and justice-centered as it tackles what Christians look like as they build faith communities’ and interact with unbelievers. 

Pricelis invites followers of Jesus to not be a building that meets, but to be a “sanctuary” as a radical in the way they embody Christ. It is everything I love, challenging us to not glaze over the Bible but return to it, to practice real compassion and empathy. And of course, why I am including this book here is because its third purpose is “To pursue justice as an active path and no longer be performative with our justice and dignity towards others.”

You can get Being a Sanctuary here. 

6. Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come: Understanding the Reign of God on Earth by Johnny Enlow

This book focuses on our overall understanding of God’s Kingdom on earth, “offering a fresh perspective on the purpose and function of Christians in the world. Enlow invites both Christians and non-Christians to embark on a paradigm-shifting journey that reveals a Jesus rarely experienced before—a holistic and compelling figure whose true nature is captivating when properly presented.”

I appreciate how Enlow dives into Jesus’ renown Sermon on the Mount to help us find our own purpose in the context of our time on earth. I am a big believer that unless we can see ourselves in the narrative arc of scripture, we won’t fully engage in justice work that shares the light of Jesus. This book helps us center on our role so we can engage. (As an added help, once you read this, you might also want to check out The Life Mapping Workbook as a means to help you personally align with this Kingdom purpose!)

You can get Kingdom Come here.

7. The Return of the Kingdom

The Return of the Kingdom: A Biblical Theology of God’s Reign by Stephen Dempster

I wanted to share this book even though it is similar to the one I just shared. This one is a deep dive on doctrine and theology about restoration–God’s rule to be established as peace and justice. This can be helpful if you find yourself ready to study scripture to understand why we practice justice, especially tackling what the rulership of God looks like. 

Personally, I grew up in an environment that valued missions work, but justice work was always secondary. It wasn’t until I began studying what God’s Kingdom looked like, especially pursuing what God cared about, did I get pulled into justice work. If you are like I was, greatly wanting to please God in action and vocation, but aren’t exactly sure how, I suggest going into scripture to prompt you to find your own role in co-laboring with him for God’s Kingdom to come on earth. This book might be an excellent guide.

Get The Return of the Kingdom here. 

8. Citizenship Without Illusions

Citizenship Without Illusions: A Christian Guide to Political Engagement by David T. Koyzis

Although I argue against equating politics with justice and justice with politics, politics does have a large role in how justice is practice and influences the worldviews of us Christians as we practice it. There have been plenty of books this year that have tried to address justice issues within a political lens. Some of these are good and helpful. Others are harmful and toxic, trying to push us to believe there are political ideologies which exactly match Biblical justice but overlook plenty. That being said, I had a hard time choosing a book I thought could go on this list. 

However, I believe Citizenship Without Illusions deserves a space here because it tries to look outside the box and challenges our approach to Christian justice. I like how the book’s blurb puts it: “Koyzis presents a case for political engagement as a way to love our neighbors that doesn’t require our full devotion to parties or ideologies.” As we enter a new year, with a new political administration, this book might be just what you need to navigate the waters as a Christian who cares about justice like God does.

Get Citizenship Without Illusions here.

9. Walking in Unity

Walking in Unity: Biblical Answers to Questions on Race and Racism by Krista Bontrager & Monique Duson

This book isn’t just Biblical answers to complicated questions on racism, unity, reparations, and more. It is a story of a mixed-race friendship that was worth fighting for. For those who are looking for deep relationships that extend beyond cultural boundaries, learning from these authentically real women is a great place to start. These friends study the Bible and theories for combating racism together. Ultimately, they both changed their beliefs on the topic and grew together.

I haven’t read it personally, and can’t vouch for any of their conclusions. However, learning from women who are willing to tackle a tough social issue together–racism–and look at it through different angles, can be a great challenge for our critical thinking using a Biblical approach. 

Get Walking In Unity here.

10. Justice-Minded Kids

Justice-Minded Kids: Bite-sized challenges to empower kids to practice justice, compassion, and love by Elisa Johnston

Of course I couldn’t leave off this year without sharing my own book! This book is a curriculum and guide for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Not only does it include 36 weeks of bite-sized lessons, actions steps, and reflection spaces, but I use narratives with my own kids to give you guidance on how to live these values in your home, community, and world.

Although this book isn’t explicitly Christian, it is written from the Christian worldview and I am currently creating a companion resource of scriptures to go with each lesson. One reviewer–a teacher–told me that the kids in her class used to be taught how to value other humans before they came to school–but how she now sees that Bible-based traits like kindness, mercy, empathy, fairness, equality, goodness, service, etc…are sorely lacking among her students. This book bridges this gap, making it as easy and simple as possible to ensure the kids of this generation know how to put into practice justice, compassion, and love, just as God desires us to.

Get Justice-Minded Kids here or as a pdf here.