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This article traces the developing prominence of the theme of social justice in both the professional world of psychology and the evangelical church community. This convergence creates the opportunity for the development of a movement to promote the cause of social justice in the Majority World. Five points of convergence are explored: (a) Social action and evangelicalism are not irreconcilable; (b) the social justice agenda is an appropriate focus for the future of psychology in the Majority World; (c) the culture transcending nature of Christianity promotes social justice in a multi-ethnic context; (d) the social justice character of pentecostalism's growth in the Global South; and (5) the ubiquitous nature of the local church in the Global South. The modem Evangelical mental health professional is well-positioned to contribute to a movement that could "turn the world upside down."
"These who have turned the world upside down have come here too....and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king-Jesus." (Acts 17:6-7, New King James Version)
The vast number of Christian books on the subject of social justice available on the market today, and the enthusiasm that today's generation of young people displays for causes ranging from sexual trafficking to inner city ministry leads one to conclude that there appears to be a significant shift taking place in the church. "Something is stirring among evangelicals in the United States" says Markham (2010, p. 1), younger evangelicals are clearly taking up a broader social agenda than the previous generation.
In this article I want to review the literature in both theology and psychology as it relates to social justice. Although issues of social justice have been central to the church's mission since the first century, a series of incidents during the early part of the 20 ' century had a significant negative impact on the desire of Western evangelicals to be publically associated with issues of social justice. The result was that they rather chose to focus on evangelism, sometimes to the neglect of the poor and marginalized. Today's revival in interest appears to provide evidence that we have come to the end of that era that was referred to as the "Great Reversal." There are encouraging evidences that we may...