Justice Reimagined: Faithful Advocacy in Light of the Great Commission with Ruth Padilla DeBorst & Matthew Niermann

Lausanne Movement Podcast

As Scripture teaches, all humans are made in the image of God and are worthy. Yet, globally, not all humans are treated equally. With an increasing consciousness of discrimination, the world and the church continue to ask: 'What is fair and just?'

In this episode of the Lausanne Movement Podcast we explore the context shifts in global justice including poverty, persecution, women, marginalised, human rights, slavery, and corruption.

We are joined by guests:

• Dr. Matthew Niermann: Director of the State of the Great Commission Report.
• Dr. Ruth Padilla DeBorst: Associate Professor of World Christianity at Western Theological Seminary.

Key Discussion Points:

• Global shifts in justice connected to the world and Christianity.
• How justice connects to the great commission
• Defining justice in a Christian context
• Critical reflections on the Great Commission Report
• Addressing gaps in the report: Race, climate justice, Israel-Palestine
• Challenges and opportunities for the Global Church
• Practical steps towards integrating justice.

Dr. Padilla DeBorst challenges the evangelical community to rethink the connection between the Great Commission and justice, emphasising love and the Great Commandment as foundational to the Gospel.

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References:

• Find the State of the Great Commission Report: https://lausanne.org/report
• CETI: Comunidad de Estudios Teológicos Interdisciplinarios - https://www.ceticontinental.org/portal/
• Infamit - https://infemit.org/
• casaadove.org
• Western Theological Seminary - https://www.westernsem.edu/faculty/deborst/

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Ruth Padilla DeBorst:

Dr Padilla DeBorst yearns to see peace and justice embraced in the beautiful and broken world we call home. A wife of one and mother of many, theologian, missiologist, educator, and storyteller, she has been involved in leadership development and theological education for integral mission in her native Latin America for several decades.

In addition to teaching at WTS, she serves with the Comunidad de Estudios Teológicos Interdisciplinarios (CETI, a learning community with students across Latin America), and the Networking Team of INFEMIT (International Fellowship for Mission as Transformation).

She currently contributes to the boards of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies and the American Society of Missiology. Past board service includes A Rocha International and the International Justice Mission.

She lives with her husband, James, in Costa Rica as a member of Casa Adobe, an intentional Christian Community with deep concern for right living in relation to the whole of creation.