Book Notice: Nicholas Wolterstorff on Justice and Love

Last updated on: July 6, 2016 at 6:06 am by Michael F. Bird

Book Notice: Nicholas Wolterstorff on Justice and Love 2016-07-04T19:51:46-04:00 Michael F. Bird

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Nicholas Wolterstorff

Justice in Love
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2015.
Available on Amazon.com

Reviewed by Felicity Clift

Justice in Love by Nicholas Wolterstorff (Eerdmans, 2015) is no light read, yet it is a valuable one. Nicholas Woltertorff’s primary aim in Justice in Love is to address the tension between agape love and justice. The concepts of love and justice are highly regarded in our culture, yet rather than attraction based or romantic, Wolterstorff’s book re-presents love as something that seeks the moral and spiritual good of a person, not merely with satisfying preferences or providing material comfort but through genuine care.

Wolterstorff’s approach is to consider agapism as an ethical orientation, as distinct from egoism, eudaimonism, and utilitarianism. This ethical orientation is key to appreciating the book, as Wolterstorff’s secondary aim is to bring the discussion of agapism from the realm of Christian theological and ethical discussion into the orbit of secular philosophical ethicists. As may be expected with a philosophical text, Justice in Love is full of nuanced discussions which define and redefine ideas including benevolence, injustice, paternalism and, importantly, care. Wolterstorff’s in depth discussion around love and justice considers whether it is truly possible to do justice to someone and to love them with agapic love at the same time. Must not love or justice become compromised in the process? Doesn’t forgiveness necessitate a capitulation of personal justice in the face of being wronged. These ideas are picked up and rolled out with relative clarity and openness of thought. Despite its density, Wolterstorff is thorough and logical in his explanation of why agape and justice are harmonious rather than conflicting concepts. He first considers the philosophical conclusions that posit a tension between agape and justice reached by Soren Kierkegaard, Anders Nygren and Reinhold Niebuhr. He then highlights the faults he sees in their reasoning, before going on to present his own detailed reckoning of the issue. In his approach, then, Wolterstorff achieves his philosophical aim.

It seems that much of Wolterstorff’s conclusion hinges upon his understanding of God’s justice or impartiality, and the final part of the book looks at Paul’s letter to the Romans as support for his argument. Given Wolterstorff’s secular intention, finishing with biblical exegesis seems an odd place to conclude, although it is consistent with his own worldview and I, as a theology student, found the material interesting. Where many claim that the main topic of Romans is salvation or covenant faithfulness, Wolterstorff claims it is God’s justice. Romans presents a God who shows no partiality but who justifies (i.e. dismisses the charges against) all who have faith. The faithful are not found guilty-but-spared-punishment, but are instead found not-guilty because they have faith, and faith is acknowledging God in word and deed. The faithful love actively, and by doing so, they do justice.

The philosophical bent of Justice in Love makes it somewhat of a niche read, but the subject matter is undoubtedly one that is worth grappling with and I found Wolterstorff to write well, with relevance, and in a way that both challenged and affirmed ideas. I would go back to read again, and would encourage others to read Justice in Love also.

Flyck Clift studies theology at Ridley College in Melbourne alongside working as a nurse in her local hospital. She is currently involved in leading a home group at church and enjoys encouraging people in integrating their belief in God with their daily living.

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