Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World [Paperback]

Kevin Blue (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2006

You know the world is full of injustice. You know that God calls Christians to work for justice on the earth. But what can you do? Do you have questions like this? You're well-intended, but stuck in the rut of the everyday. You want to make your life matter. But you don't know where to start. You wonder about everything from whether to give a dollar to a beggar to how to participate in the political process, from whether to shop at Wal-Mart to how much to spend on a car. Kevin Blue has spent his adult life answering these questions for himself and for others. He lives in the heart of Los Angeles, where these questions can't be set aside. And he has led college students through experiences in urban ministry as well as international treks to the poorest parts of the world. In Practical Justice he combines what he has learned with the experiences of others to answer your questions. Right thinking. Right action. Just living. God calls you to step up and get involved. This book will help you get started.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here is a prophetic new voice that will stir your soul and get your body moving. Kevin Blue offers an outstanding book on justice that tells it like it is--and much more. If you believe in justice and want to know what to do about it, this book is for you." (Dr. John Perkins, Founder, John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development, Inc. )

"Kevin Blue has written a book that is both prophetic and practical. If he had simply chosen to be either prophetic or practical this would have been a much easier book to read. As it stands, it is not an 'easy read' at all. And for that I am deeply thankful." (Don Everts, author of Jesus with Dirty Feet and God in the Flesh )

"Kevin Blue invites us to journey into the world of the oppressed and view reality from the underside. With sensitivity and candor he confronts us with injustices--both blatant and veiled--and offers redemptive and practical responses for those who would seek to practice biblical justice." (Robert Lupton, author of Theirs Is the Kingdom and Renewing the City )

"There have been many books written on urban ministry and on Christian justice. Most have been written by academicians or by missiologists. But Practical Justice is written from the vantage point of the streets, from toughs (and the vulnerable) 'hanging' with each other, and from the poverty and powerlessness of the homeless. Kevin Blue has been in street-level urban ministry most of his adult life. And through that ministry, he has come to a profound understanding of the ways both people and systems oppress, exploit and dominate the weak and vulnerable among them. In Practical Justice Kevin shares that understanding, fills it with biblical insight and proposes concrete ways you and I can work for the shalom of our cities." (Robert C. Linthicum, Partners in Urban Transformation )

About the Author

Kevin Blue wants his life to matter, and he's figured out where to start. Living in the heart of Los Angeles, he leads college students through experiences in urban ministry and on international treks to serve the poorest parts of the world. Kevin is a director with Servant Partners, which eschews comfort and dwells among the outcast. He is an elder at the multiethnic Church of the Redeemer in south central Los Angeles, focusing on racial reconciliation, compassion and justice. Find out more about Servant Partners at their website.

Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (November 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830833684
• ISBN-13: 978-0830833689
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Balanced Yet Prophetic, December 16, 2007

By 

Heather Zempel (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World (Paperback)

Another home run in the new series of Likewise books from InterVarsity Press, Practical Justice introduces a balanced yet profoundly prophetic voice into the discussion of the role of the church and the role of the Christian to justice issues.

Kevin Blue, director of the Los Angeles Urban Project with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, states in the first chapter, "No one who encountered Jesus was able to just ignore him. All went away disturbed." Reading this book disturbed me to the point of actually pondering for a few short moments if I needed to stop being a pastor and go back to working on Capitol Hill in order to really advance the Kingdom of God in the world around me. Kevin speaks from lots of personal experience and years of thinking through these issues, and I find his voice to be a refreshing addition to the mix of personalities involved in these discussions. I especially like the three chapters that explored the idiom, "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." Kevin demonstrates that both are necessary and gives practical advice for how individuals can participate in both steps of that process. More importantly, he includes a third vital component-- fixing the pond-- to address larger systems and structures that must be changed in order to make a more complete and permanent impact.

While Kevin seemed to slip in and out of teaching, encouraging, and preaching, in general, I enjoyed his tone and easy to read writing style. I feel like I know a bit about his heart and personality after reading this book. The chapter on race and class seems awkward in its placement in the book. And his advice that Christians should have no political leanings seems impractical and impossible for those of us in DC who worked (or a currently working) within places in government that have the power to fix the pond.

With the exception of those two minor things, I really enjoyed this book. Kevin is balanced in his approach and yet prophetic in his call to make a change in our generation. The practical steps he offers seem valuable to anyone at any point on their journey into understanding and working within justice and compassion issues. I also appreciate the value he places on making changes in our culture within the context of community and the chapter on not becoming what you hate.

Practical Justice propelled my thinking on this topic forward, and it gave me a new outreach idea for the community of groups that I lead. It would be a great book for a small group.

3.0 out of 5 stars Practical stories from the social-justice grassroots, June 14, 2011

By 

Brandon Vogt - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World (Paperback)

Kevin Blue has devoted his life to inner-city ministry in Los Angeles, and Practical Justice summarizes what he's learned. The book is raw; it doesn't gloss over the realities of this type of work. Kevin notes that he's been scammed multiple times and has also had his bike stolen. So, far from painting a pretty picture of justice-work, Blue honestly recounts the ups and downs, difficulties and joys of caring for the poor. He focuses primarily on urban poverty, racism, and class-struggles within America, but his concern and passion can be applied to many other justice issues.

Blue is a bit harsh at times in his critique of American suburbanism, and despite the title his book is not as practical as others in this genre. But beyond those shortcomings, Practical Justice offers a unique grassroots look at serving today's poor from someone actually in the trenches.

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent, February 4, 2009

By 

Spudicus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Justice: Living Off-Center in a Self-Centered World (Paperback)

I enjoyed the book a lot. As a freshman in college I started getting interested in this new Jesus that wants you to do stuff with your faith. This book was a great intro into the world of social justice. I found the suggestions offered throughout somewhat helpful, and at least a little challenging to me. There are lots of good quotes and ideas to be had, and I appreciate avoiding mere commentary and giving concrete ideas for directions to head.