MacArthur on Social Justice: A few points

John MacArthur’s series of articles on social justice, beginning with “Social Justice and the Gospel”, will be interesting to read.

A few initial thoughts:

These articles are quite a long time coming. On the one hand, it would be desired that someone of MacArthur’s influence speak sooner. On the other, swiftness to hear and slowness to speak is also wise and biblical. Whatever might be preferred, perhaps the delay means we will hear a more balanced and gracious response than the hot-takes of Internet Reformed-dom.

From my perspective, great damage has been done by some of MacArthur’s colleagues and others in the same/similar socio-political and theological camp: Phil Johnson, Fred Butler, James White etc.

The first article tells a story that I was familiar with about MacArthur’s visit to MLK’s assassination site with his friends Perkins and Evers. There is a sense of reverence for the place, and respect for MLK (otherwise, why the visit and why is this a sad but special memory worth repeating?) and of love for Perkins and Evers. There is also an anecdotal glimpse at MacArthur as a man who was willing to step into the black man’s world in a time of great struggle.

Much of the current dialogue in Christian circles has revolved around the highly significant MLK50 conference, which aimed to present gospel reflections on racial reconciliation strategically coinciding with the 50th anniversary of MLK’s assassination.

Much of the conversation on the pro-social justice side has been pushback against criticism of the conference in general and some of the messages in particular.

The conference was written-off by some as soon as it was announced for no more than its name. It was alleged to be a celebration of a theological liberal and adulterer when it was of course no such thing. Critics have enthusiastically pulled out every bad thing they could to say about MLK. Some emphasised allegations of adultery, others of plagiarism, several of theological liberalism, and some all of the above whilst repeating the anti-Civil Rights trope of Marxism.

Others took aim at the speakers. One of the earliest online conversations I observed before MLK50 was about none other than...MacArthur’s friend John Perkins. Buzzwords used to write-off Perkins were “emergent”, “progressive”, “Marxist”, “socialist” and so forth. It was then claimed that he actually does sound biblical but some of the people he has written or spoken with call his judgement into question. “He, being older, may not understand all the implications of working alongside ____” it was condescendingly suggested to me.

The gusto with which this was done was disconcerting to say the least. The weeks have turned into months of tweets, podcasts, and blogposts pouring vats of vitriol and snark on the conference and anyone - especially black people - who claim there are still problems in American society that need addressing. These months have been sadly very revealing of blind eyes at best, non-confessional, unrepentant hearts at worst. 

Perhaps MacArthur’s articles will bring some balance and correction to the unhelpful exhortations and in some cases unhinged excesses of anti-social justice critics.

I am concerned though, that it will simply be another series easily co-opted by MacArthur devotees in the anti-social justice crowd to build their conspiracy theory that conflates concern for oft-neglected biblical social justice, particularly as expressed in racial reconciliation, with the false social gospel.

I guess we shall see.

Post-script:

Since writing, I have come across a very helpful piece by Brad Mason at Heart and Mouth that voices more in depth some of the concerns that I have: John MacArthur enter the Fray on Racial Reconciliation
Also this piece, by Travis Roberts at Relevant: Everything wrong with John MacArthur's Attack on Racial Reconciliation 
For anyone still wondering what social justice is, exactly, Joe Carter's article at TGC is probably the best summary I've seen: The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About Social Justice. 

Post post script: It occurs to me that the timing of this series launch coincides with the anniversary of the appalling events at Charlottesville last year, and follows this past weekend's Unite the Right white supremacist rally through the streets of the USA's capital. Very poor timing, and frankly tone deaf. Perhaps instead of a long-overdue series that is clearly set to argue against "social justice", a word in season against the clear and present danger of ongoing social injustice would have been more appropriate.