The modern restorative justice movement, perhaps one of the most important social movements of our time, was born in a Christian home to Christian parents, specifically to Christian peace workers striving to put their faith into action in the public arena. The first major book on the subject was written primarily for a church audience and drew deeply on biblical themes and values. But as restorative justice has moved into the mainstream of criminological thought and policy, the significance of its originating spiritual impulse has been minimized or denied, and subsequent theological scholarship has done little to probe the relevance of restorative perspectives for doctrine and discipleship.
In this collection of essays, Christopher D. Marshall, a biblical scholar and restorative practitioner who has devoted his career to exploring the relationship between the two fields, considers how peacemaking Christians can honor the witness and authority of Scripture, including its apparently violence-endorsing strands, as they strive to join in God's great work in Christ of "reconciling to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross" (Col 1:20).
"In a world where justice rarely means peace or love or wisdom but instead retribution and punishment, we are offered in Christopher Marshall's life-long train of studies in All Things Reconciled an opportunity to reconsider the basic meaning of justice.... by way of seeing that the God of the Bible's vision is for humans to be reconciled to God and for humans to be reconciled with one another."
--Scot McKnight, Northern Seminary, Lisle Illinois
"Christopher Marshall's expertise as a New Testament scholar, public theologian, and pioneering advocate of restorative justice, is abundantly evident in this wonderful collection of essays. Marshall guides us toward a more faithful reading of scripture and to a more courageous participation in the peace and justice of God. There is great wisdom here."
--Murray Rae, University of Otago
"In this engaging book, Chris Marshall not only extends his groundbreaking work on restorative justice, but reflects on what his involvement in the movement for restorative justice has taught him about Christian engagement in secular civil society, and reflects on what restorative justice implies for the way we look at God . . . Throughout these chapters, Marshall shows himself to be both a skilled interpreter of the Bible and a wise guide to some of the most pressing social problems of today."
--William T. Cavanaugh, DePaul University
"A fabulous collection of writings by a long-term pioneer and prophet of restorative justice. Marshall's work is full of fresh biblical insights and deep theological wisdom."
--David Tombs, University of Otago, New Zealand
Christopher D. Marshall holds the Diana Unwin Chair in Restorative Justice at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. His many publications include Beyond Retribution: A New Testament Vision for Justice, Crime, and Punishment (2001), The Little Book of Biblical Justice (2005), and Compassionate Justice: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue with Two Gospel Parables on Law, Crime, and Restorative Justice (2012).
