Justice between Theory and Practice

This article provides a critical approach to justice and social justice as reflected in Scripture and contemporary Orthodox theology. Some readings from the prophets and the wisdom books are commented and related to some key texts in the New Testament, especially those in the Sermon on the Mount. Usually, human beings seek justice because they need an ordered social context. Christians, however, pursue justice mainly because they intend to live according to the Lord's commandment to love the neighbor as themselves. Christians show their faith in their deeds, i.e., they express their orthodoxy through orthopraxy, which is particularly evident in the way they approach their neighbor and the environment where they live.