10 Reasons You Should Assign "Our God Loves Justice" in Your Class

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Any of you, gentle readers, who have been hanging around DET for even a few weeks are surely aware that I published a book toward the end of 2017 on Helmut Gollwitzer entitled, Our God Loves Justice: An Introduction to Helmut Gollwitzer (Fortress) (OGLJ). You also, no doubt, have noticed that I've been trying to get the word out to folks about this book in an effort to, well, introduce folks to Gollwitzer. The bottom line is that I think Gollwitzer has something important to say to those of us who come from the white Protestant theological tradition but have questions concerning how that tradition has become so nakedly aligned with political figures and policies of--let us say--questionable Christlike-ness.

It is also currently about the time of year when the thoughts of faculty turn to what they will be teaching in the upcoming Fall semester, and such thoughts necessarily include reflection on what books to require in their classes. I hope you don't mind if I make so bold as to suggest: assign OGLJ!

Seriously, assign it.

Wonderful benefits will accrue, both to you and to your students. For instance, you will get a free desk copy (just click this link)!

I realize that exactly why it's a good idea to assign OGLJ in your course may not be as obvious to you as it is to me. So, in what remains of this post, I will offer you 10 reasons why you should do so. They are all easily tweetable as well, so feel free to engage in some copy-and-pasting if you want to send some tweets out into the world on my behalf.

10 Reasons You Should Assign Our God Loves Justice in Your Class
  1. Because it “is a must read for anyone interested in the intersection of theology and public life.” (Heath W. Carter, Valparaiso University)
  2. Because your students don’t care about Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, or Jerry Falwell Jr. They want a new way to imagine the intersection of Christianity and politics. Hook them up!
  3. Because this book = secondary and primary sources in one! Learn about Gollwitzer while also getting translations of two of his most important essays on Christianity and socialism.
  4. Because everyone assigns Niebuhr and Moltmann. Don’t be lame: be different.
  5. Because it “answers the questions [your] students are asking!” (Shannon N. Smythe, Seattle Pacific University)
  6. Because fascism and socialism are mortal enemies, and it’s a war out there. Fight “Christian” fascism with Christian socialism!
  7. Because you’re teaching Karl Barth and your students need to know about his most politically significant student.
  8. Because you want your students to understand how American Christianity got into bed with capitalism and nationalism (see chapter 1).
  9. Because even if Gollwitzer didn’t use his weapon in World War Two, his theology drops a bomb on capitalism.
  10. Because you, like Gollwitzer, believe that “a better society than the current one is possible and necessary.”

Bonus reason!
  • Because you’ve been looking for a good excuse to ask Travis McMaken to Skype into your class (hint--he totally will; super extra secret hint--he might bring David Congdon with him).

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