Mays lists three spheres of life that amos depicts in his prophecy. Oct 01, 2007 sir i want to thank you for a job well done in the book of amos about social justice. New editions are produced annually and designed to help teachers translate their vision of a just education into concrete classroom activities. The book of amos, the third of the twelve minor prophets, has been one of the most significant and influential books of the bible from the time it was written 8th century bce down to the 20th century. Shepherd for social justice is one nickname given to amos a fitting role considering the social conditions that prevailed during his lifetime. Amos s writings showed that he had a heart for the oppressed and voiceless. In 20, the new york times listed cincinnati as one of the least economically mobile cities in the nation. In a previous post, amos and social justice, i wrote that justice and righteousness were the focus of amos message. The book of amos is the third of the twelve minor prophets in the tanakhold testament and the second in the greek septuagint tradition. In the present post, i will discuss how the niv uses the word justice in the book of amos. He calls for a change of heart and a return to a genuine religious spirit not based simply in cult or worship of god but in moral and ethical goodness. As were other old testament prophets, amos was a firm opponent of religious formalism and ritual without righteousness. I hate, i despise your festivalsbut let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream amos 5. God calls a judean shepherd amos to confront the wrongdoing of the people of israel in the book of amos, but also offers them one more chance before they face their consequences.
The israelites had a unique and privileged relationship with god. There are several introductions to the book of amos that set out the themes of the book. If you are born poor in cincinnati youll likely remain poor. Military conscription and forced labor for the kings projects are two examples. The concept of justice in the book of amos heartwell productions. The words justice and righteousness are used together three times in two chapters of the book of amos amos 5. Instead, amos excoriates israel for serving god through sacrifice and other. Amos shows god demanding justice from them rather than worship. His major themes of justice, gods omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy. Thus, amos s two concerns were with the social and the religious life of israel. Other prophets, working in the sister kingdom of judah, are indignant about similar things.
Amos, isaiah, and micah talked a lot about economic and social justice. Amos, especially, of all the old testament prophets, is associated with social justice. At least three aspects of the issue dealt with by amos concern the nature of god, the role of the individual, and the role of the social system. Amos accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god, and highlights how their idolatry has led to injustice and the neglect of the poor. Jul 06, 20 social justice synthesis paper three major themes that we have talked about so far are where can we findsee god, the beneficial effects of restorative justice, and helping a cause not only for the effects of charity, but also for the effects of justice. When will the new moon be over, you ask, that we may sell our grain.
In todays terms, the israelite stock market was in great shape, major building projects. Amos, like hosea, accuses israel of idolatry, but the main burden of his accusation is about the results of social injustice connected to their idolatry. Watch our overview video on the book of amos, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Gods justice includes work and economic justice amos 8. In the bible it is the social world of the premodern or ancients. Amos and hosea were coworkers and may even have gone on preaching tours through the land together, although hosea continued his work after amos passed from the scene. We remember that just before the revolt of the ten tribes, in the days of solomon, the kingdom of israel was at its zenith.
Social justice and the minor prophets of the scriptures. Both a shepherd and sycamore tree grower in the tekoa area about 10 miles from jerusalem. Jun 24, 2009 the book of amos is short, exciting, snappy and full of themes which make out for a popular war movie. The justice discussed in amos is primarily about distributive justice as opposed to punitive or criminal justice.
Rather, he incorporates a vision of social justice within an explicitly spiritual frame. Book of amos, the third of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, collected in one book under the jewish canon titled the twelve. Amos warns of gods coming justice on their sin, and challenges them that true worship of god will always lead to justice for the poor. In the old testament book of amos, the basic message of prophet amos stresses the divine demand for social justice and concern for the oppressed in 8th century israel. I think, on the contrary, that if your church has no concern for social justice, both amos and the lord would tell you to flee that church and find one that is doing justice and righteousness. I wish to apply for scholaship from your ministry and your love ones who will help me pay my school fees. Social justice in the book of amos assignment free sample. Amos, an older contemporary of hosea and isaiah, 2 was active c. Amos was concerned with the exploitation of the poor and the social injustices that were prevalent in the northern kingdom. In this book, amos accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god and.
Amos was taken from tending the flock and caring for the sycamore trees to go to bethel and call the people of israel to turn from their sins and to establish justice in the land. The book ends with a promise of the messianic kingdom on the other side of gods judgment. Find out what true worship looks like in the book of amos. Comprising only nine chapters of oracles, it was composed during the age of jeroboam ii, king of israel from 786 to 746 bce. What were the issues of social injustice addressed by amos, and how did he address them. This created a rudimentary form of social welfare, based on creating an opportunity for the poor to work by. Reflecting amos sense of urgency and social justice, the kontakion of amos is sung. Apr 22, 2011 today the notion of social justice is for government to take money from the unwilling and nongenerous rich people and give it to a variety of people including those who are truly poor, but also to others who have luxuries like cable television, cell phones and video games. The mission of the education justice project is to build a model collegeinprison program that demonstrates the positive impacts of higher education upon incarcerated people, their families, the communities from which they come, the host institution, and society as a whole. Amos great innovation on the biblical landscape is that israels moral state directly affects its national destiny. Aug 26, 2015 amos has much to say about oppression and the plight of the poor in israel, so it is only natural that his book has become a focal point for discussions about social justice. The ethical teaching of amos, its content and relevance. Christianity which are vying for dominance in the sociopolitical and economic. The book of amos, which is the earliest of the prophetic writings to be preserved in book form, consists of nine chapters.
In this video well explore the biblical theme of justice and discover how its deeply rooted in the storyline of the bible that leads to jesus. Project out from those you know to an everwider web of families. Marcus borg speaks on the topic of social justice in the bible, specifically book of amos, he looks at the societal context and world orders. I think each village was meant to feel pity for its own sick and poor whom it can help and i doubt if it is the duty of any private person to fix his mind on ills which he cannot help. Social justice in amos the good book blog biola university. May 26, 2018 marcus borg examines social justice in the bible focusing on the book of amos and the political and economic domination systems contemporary to the writing of the bible. Published on may 26, 2018 marcus borg examines social justice in the bible focusing on the book of amos and the political and economic domination. The concept of justice in the book of amos heartwell. Amos is known as the prophet of social justice, writing during the preexilic period.
The social world of the bible meaning the economic and political systems of the world. His major themes of social justice, gods omnipotence, and divine judgment became staples of prophecy. The best selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, ya, and educators. Gods social justice amos the prophet fulfilling the. And we must never forget that amos is speaking to us, the church of god, the israel of god. The other train of thinking would say that in this time period, sandals were becoming a sort of trend, and various types of them were extremely expensive. The fullest discussion of justice in the old testament shows up in the book of amos. Amos and social justice the caffeinated theologian.
Gods social justice amos the prophet no, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. Oct 17, 2017 the prophets of israel were the greatest champions of social justice in world history. Since amos was a contemporary of hosea and jonah, see introductions to those books. Amos the social justice warrior the hebrew prophets in the old testament were prominent figures in social justice during their time. A human rights perspective is also built on the premise that the study of human rights is also a call to action. He was a shepherd from a hebrew village called tekoa. Indeed, the book of amos is filled with the details of amoss social world. In this book, amos accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god and highlights how their idolatry has led to injustice and the neglect of the poor. Therefore, the activities briefly described below suggest ways in which participants can act to make this a better world. The word justice brings to mind a number of concepts. Despite the fact that israel certainly had problems with idolatry in his time, amos never explicitly condemns itnor any other sin pertaining to. Amos begins with the justice of god, then, and shows how that relates to justice in society.
John winthrop expressed the message of amos in his famous work a modell of christian charity 1630. Editors and copyists added comments to the prophets original oracles that they deemed appropriate in light of events that occurred after his death. Justice has been used frequently in connection with the social problems and. He did not receive formal education, whether it be theological, spiritual, or otherwise. Amos as a way to understand the need for social justice in order to worship, amos 5. Often, they were included in their writings and homilies scathing rebukes towards those who would impose injustice upon the masses. Amoss writings showed that he had a heart for the oppressed and voiceless. It is a stirring warning to all of the dangers of apostasy, rebellion and complacency. Several distinguishing features about the life of amos and his ministry mark this book out from the other books in the bible.
Amos does not see justice as an abstract principle but rather as a life force. Amos was a vigorous spokesman for gods justice and righteousness, whereas hosea emphasized gods love. What were the issues of social injustice addressed by amos. The book of amos is an intriguing scripture from a unique individual, amos, a shepherd and fig tree farmer dwelling in southern judah who is called by god to go to bethel and announce warnings of judgment to the northern kingdom of israel. O you who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth amos 5. Two looks at israels covenant failure bibleproject.
A biblical basis for social justice this is an abbreviated version of a paper originally prepared by a task force commissioned to research this issue for sim in 2010 edited by yvonne mildred and fiona hahn for the micah network triennial consultation 2012 there is neither jew nor greek, slave nor free, male nor female. Many among israels wealthy members of the society at the time of amos chose to be unjust and to treat the disadvantaged as they wished. In that post i studied the ways in which the word justice was used in amos. An ideologicalcritical interpretation of justice and righteousness in. The hebrew bibles call for social justice is typified in leviticus 19. Amos, advocate for social justice bible characters. By ted grimsrud lets now look at a place where the bible uses the explicit language of justice. Amos, a judaean prophet from the village of tekoa, was active in the northern kingdom of israel during the reign of jeroboam ii c. Justice in the book of amos as a focus of study the word justice.
A guide to the book of amos with theme discussions on judgement, social justice, priest and. But what is justice, exactly, and who gets to define it. For amos, most foundationally, justice links inextricably with life. That being the case, god is perfectly right to bring the overwhelming disaster of which amos speaks.
As much as can be discerned, amos was the first prophet to write down his book. A guide to the book of amos with theme discussions on. Despite the fact that israel certainly had problems with idolatry in his time, amos never explicitly condemns itnor any other sin pertaining to israels direct service of god. In no uncertain terms he lashed out at the callousness of the rich toward the poor. Published by teaching for change social justice books. In the first three chapters of amos, six different countries are mentioned. Teachings on social justice in amos and isiah the book of amos is short, exciting, snappy and full of themes which make out for a popular war movie.
Social justice synthesis paper three major themes that we have talked about so far are where can we findsee god, the beneficial effects of restorative justice, and helping a cause not only for the effects of charity, but also for the effects of justice. The heart of amos faith was the conviction that only a nation in which the dealings of men with one another are just can be in any true sense a people in covenant with god. May 07, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of amos, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Social justice in the book of amos the marcus j borg foundation. The lord rebukes his people for turning justice into wormwood 7, for hating the one who speaks the truth 10, for trampling on the poor. Not all of the material found in these chapters came from amos himself.
We invite you to read our most recent newsletter, fall 2019. The lord rebukes his people for turning justice into wormwood 7, for hating the one who speaks the truth 10, for trampling on the poor 11. It is the justice, holiness, and purity of god that calls for justice, holiness, and purity in the common life of israel. A real relationship with god should show in social justice and righteousness. Pdf social justice and the minor prophets of the scriptures. One can safely assume that amos committed his revelations to writing and.
Jun 24, 2016 even better, have students use a social justice lens to generate a list of concerns, and develop one of these as the focus of their project. Amos has much to say about oppression and the plight of the poor in israel, so it is only natural that his book has become a focal point for. A guide to the book of amos with theme discussions on judgement, social justice, priest and prophet tep study guide thorogood, bernard on. Kings favorite verse says that what god wants is for justice to roll down as. He spoke against an increased disparity between the very wealthy and the very poor. The book of amos is the third of the twelve minor prophets in the tanakhold testament and. Yahweh was coming from zion to judge the nations for their rebellion against the creator of the earth.
Justice is a felt need in our world today, and a controversial topic. As theology is displayed in the developing relationship between god with the world in general, the nations and the created order, and in particular with the people of god cf sailhamer 1995. Social justice from the prophet amos and pope francis hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land. The book begins with a lions roar that withers fertile pastures amos 1. Critique against social injustice in the book of amos. Feb 28, 2016 i am certain, however, that nothing has done so much to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice. Social justice from the prophet amos and pope francis the. The fifth chapter of amos contains some of the most striking and most famous justice language in the bible. Stay connected amidst social distancing receive weekly scripture encouragement to share with family and friends. Arguably, the book of amos is exclusively about morality and social justice.
Justice is the major ideal of the legal profession. Retrieved february 16, 2020, from socialscience socialjusticeinthebookofamosassignment39065. One remarkable feature of the book of amos is that it not only catalogues a long list of sins that are offensive to god, but that the list includes the sins of israels neighboring countries. In the hebrew bible and christian old testament, amos hebrew. The entire book of amos shines a powerful light on israelite society, revealing its dishonesty, corruption, and violence. Jun 11, 2015 the book of amos forecasts disaster for the northern kingdom of israel in the form of assyrian invasion and exile as a result of entrenched religious hypocrisy and social injustice. The main themes of amos and lessons that we learn from this book are. Although he spoke at a time in which jeroboam ii had extended the borders of israel and when israel was outwardly as welloff and powerful as it had ever been, underneath the prosperous surface lay deep social divisions amos 3. The book of amos forecasts disaster for the northern kingdom of israel in the form of assyrian invasion and exile as a result of entrenched religious hypocrisy and social injustice. A plan book for social justice teachers is a plan book for educators who believe their students can and will change the world. Isaiah and micah followed amos s ministry and may have heard him preach when they were lads. Amos wrote at a time of relative peace and prosperity but also of neglect of gods laws.
One of the efforts of the great organized systems of churchianity has always been to make it appear that the bible and the teachings of christianity support their politicoreligious ideologies, thus debasing the true teachings of christ to the level of a mere moral philosophy and, through the various manmade organizations. Seven passages on social justice 5 the gospel coalition. What the prophet amos had to say about economic justice. The prophets, charismatic voices of judgment and hope, are rooted in the tradition yet innovative about the possibilities for the future. First, in class, we talked about how we can find and see god in the biblical foundations and in the sacraments. Louis, journalism teacher don goble had a student become motivated to create a project based on events in nearby ferguson. It sits uniquely amongst the other books of the bible and in particular amongst the prophets. By vic gill the book of amos is short, exciting, snappy and full of themes which make out for a popular war movie. The book of amos reveals that many social injustices were practiced in israel during the reign of jeroboam, the time when this herdsman prophet. Social justice in the book of amos the marcus j borg. Dec 09, 2017 amos is the author of the book of amos, the third book in the old testament involving the writings of the minor prophets. Most of this title is given over to making the authors reasonable case that the book of amos has three distinct authorsproduced by a process taking almost two hundred years. Social justice in the book of amos essay 1445 words. The book of amos is a stinging rebuke of a nation that has rejected and forgotten god.
144 524 129 1219 309 511 450 1475 1210 1076 995 1330 1355 1219 796 1023 45 1366 321 791 956 862 725 570 943 592 162 1169 1219 954 16 167 82 649 1302 1476 1383