Social Justice
- Jessica Brown
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
The word justice is used often in modern culture—and its definition can vary. Many people, including Christians, use the phrase social justice to clarify what they mean. Yet the phrase carries its own confusion.
The term social justice originated in the 1840s, attributed to Italian Jesuit philosopher Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio.[i] Later, classical liberals and English Christian Socialists embraced the term. Since the latter half of the 20th century, however, social justice has become linked to socialism and cultural Marxism. According to this framework, the goal of social justice is equal outcomes (also termed equity) rather than equal opportunities. Today’s social justice ideology is an all-encompassing worldview that has permeated many government and private institutions in the West. In his book Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice, Scott David Allen writes, “Ideological social justice is perhaps best understood as a postmodern religious alternative (a ‘successor ideology’) to Christianity.”
Social justice ideology emphasizes these beliefs:
● A person’s identity is socially determined. In contrast to the Christian belief that all humans are created in the image of God, social justice ideology teaches that individuals are defined completely by social categories like race, sex, age, socioeconomic status, and gender identity. This idea is drawn from Marxism, which pits oppressors against victims, but was adapted by members of the Frankfurt School in the mid-20th century. Allen explains, “The Frankfurt School social theorists expanded Marx’s economic, class-based framework to include inequalities between other groups, including ethnic groups, the sexes, and gender identity groups (LGBTQ+).” According to the adjacent idea of intersectionality, individuals who are part of multiple marginalized groups are seen as more oppressed.
● Truth is subjective, defined by victims’ lived experiences. Built on postmodern ideas about reality, social justice ideology asserts that truth is personal and subjective, grounded in the individual person’s experiences rather than any idea of objective reality. “Postmodernism views human beings as autonomous, self-determining agents,” Allen explains. “To be autonomous is to be a law unto oneself…Reality is now subjective, the product of human minds.” Traditional Western tools such as reason, logic, evidence, and argument are now seen as oppressive. Victims have more insight than oppressors based on their lived experience, an idea often referred to as Standpoint Epistemology.
● We must identify and fight oppression. Adherents to social justice ideology expose inequalities and oppression in society, often pointing to white, heterosexual males as the ultimate oppressors. As Allen puts it: “[In the social justice ideological framework], white, heteronormative males have established and maintain hegemonic power structures to oppress and subjugate women, people of color, sexual minorities (LGBTQ+), and others.” When a person “wakes up” to the oppression in culture and becomes an ally by confessing their complicity, they can attain what Allen terms “partial salvation” (or moral vindication).
● Victims and allies must unite to overthrow oppressive systems and structures. This is the Marxist revolutionary component of the framework. As Allen puts it, “Oppressed victims and their allies must unite in an intersectional coalition to unmask, deconstruct, and ultimately overthrow oppressive power structures.” Proponents of social justice ideology often argue for tearing down ideals of Western civilization such as logic, reason, Christianity, and more, viewing them as oppressive systems of whiteness. What the ultimate revolution looks like is open for debate, but social justice supporters want dramatic social and political change.
Problems with social justice ideology
For biblical Christians, social justice ideology has many obvious problems. Because it is not based on the objective definition of justice drawn from Scripture, it seeks to redefine morality and justice according to its own standards. Allen writes, “If we abandon a transcendent plumb line to distinguish between good and evil, our only alternative is to accept a man-made standard. Of course, any such standard will be changeable, arbitrary, and beholden to the whims of those who wield power.”
Even for those who do not claim a Christian worldview, social justice ideology holds many practical pitfalls—and dangers. When reality is viewed as subjective, there is no longer a basis for human rights. “Life and liberty have been replaced by a new overarching human right: ‘The right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life,’ as famously expressed by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.”
Achieving an ordered society is also impossible under this ideology. “Who has ultimate authority when we are our own little gods?” asks Allen. “Postmodernism’s grounding of reality in the autonomous, sovereign individual turns out to be unworkable. It leads to social chaos.” That’s why even those who support social justice ideology’s assertion that truth is personal and subjective do not often take the idea to its conclusion. They follow traffic rules, report thefts, and return overdue library books.
As Christians, understanding the differences between social justice ideology and biblical justice helps us evaluate cultural ideas through the lens of Scripture rather than popular opinion. When the term social justice comes up in conversations, we encourage believers to ask, “What do you mean by that?” Listening carefully and defining terms can foster greater understanding and lead to more fruitful conversations.
References:
Dig Deeper on This Topic:
● Book: Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice, by Scott David Allen
