Everyday Activism
Following 7 Practices of Jesus to Create a Just World
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How can you join God in the work of justice and restoration in your everyday life?
Activism is more than just signing petitions, attending rallies, having the right job, or engaging in political debates. The key to meaningful and impactful Christian activism is to follow Jesus on a daily basis! In this inspiring and accessible book, pastor J.W. Buck shows you how to engage in seven practices of Jesus to be a faithful activist in the world today, including choosing
· thoughtfully resisting over thoughtlessly complying
· loving your neighbor over fearing your differences
· seeking forgiveness over revenge
· resting over endlessly working
· practicing nonviolence over violence
· and more
If you've wanted to get involved in justice work but aren't sure where to start, this practical and visually engaging book will show you how you can develop everyday habits drawn from the life of Jesus that make the world a better place.
"In Everyday Activism, Buck helps us imagine a more just world by living like Jesus on a daily basis. I recommend this book for all Christians who want to see justice roll down."--Dr. John M. Perkins, founder and president emeritus of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation and cofounder of the Christian Community Development Association
"Everyday Activism is a book that shows us how to love and seek justice from a wholehearted and grounded place. I cannot recommend this book enough."--Osheta Moore, pastor and author of Shalom Sistas and Dear White Peacemakers
Endorsements
"J.W. Buck has written an important book on justice by centering on the concept of Jubilee from Jesus in Luke 4. I have spent my entire ministry helping Christians catch a vision for justice. In Everyday Activism, Buck helps us imagine a more just world by living like Jesus on a daily basis. How do you apply the teachings of Jesus on a daily basis to make a spiritual and social impact? This book is a great starting point. Everyday Activism is fresh and relevant for people to read now. I recommend this book for all Christians who want to see justice roll down."
Dr. John M. Perkins, founder and president emeritus of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation and cofounder of the Christian Community Development Association
"Josh Buck offers us an honest, bold, brave, demanding manifesto. His truth-telling is accessible and hard to avoid as he shows the compelling ways in which the gospel becomes a mandate to engage in restorative justice concerning economic matters. His advocacy is deeply based in Scripture and yields practical guidance for good work where God has put us. Buck shows that the gospel cannot be contained in a 'me and Jesus' cocoon but summons us to public issues that concern God's truth for the world. This is an important advocacy that invites us to grow in our awareness and to move our bodies for the sake of the neighborhood."
Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary
"Cornel West says, 'Never forget justice is what love looks like in public.' Everyday Activism is a book that shows us how to love and seek justice from a wholehearted and grounded place. J.W. Buck's book is perfect for private study, small groups, and book clubs! It uniquely balances teaching sound peacemaking theology with wisdom and wonderful storytelling. I cannot recommend this book enough."
Osheta Moore, pastor and author of Shalom Sistas and Dear White Peacemakers
"Josh Buck's Everyday Activism is exactly what is needed right now to make a difference in the world. He is concise, accurate, insightful, and practical. If you are trying to follow Jesus in real life and real time, this book is a must for the journey!"
Randy Woodley, author, activist, co-sustainer at Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm & Seeds
"Josh Buck is a trusted friend, a pastor, and an activist-disciple of Jesus Christ. This book promises to be a great introductory guide for thinking about the ethical claim the cross of Christ has for day-to-day life in private and in public. I will be using this in the classroom to help my students learn and practice a just life as faithful disciples and witnesses of Jesus Christ."
Andrew Rillera, PhD, assistant professor of biblical studies and theology at The King's University in Edmonton, AB; coauthor of Nonviolence; and author of Lamb of the Free (forthcoming, Cascade Books)
"Buck gracefully and honestly shares what it takes to faithfully live as an activist committed to human flourishing and renewal one day at a time. From breaking down terms to practical examples, and with insightful inspiration from the Scriptures, Buck doesn't miss a beat as he proves that activism isn't beyond us but rather a holy mandate for followers of Jesus. A must-read for everyone committed to embodying the life of Christ."
Tiffany Bluhm, author of Prey Tell
"In the introduction to Everyday Activism, J.W. Buck writes, 'The truth is that Jesus mobilized ordinary people to do God's work of justice in the world.' This declaration is the heart of Everyday Activism. Buck does a beautiful job laying out, in simple terms and with tangible practices, how every single follower of Jesus can be engaged in the work of justice in our everyday lives. Words like justice and activism are often used but rarely shown how to be applied in the lives of everyday people. Buck does just that. Everyday Activism is a must-read for any follower of Jesus wondering how to take the first step in actively engaging the work of justice in our world."
Drew Jackson, pastor, president of Pax, and author of two poetry collections, God Speaks Through Wombs and Touch the Earth
"Josh Buck's book is for ordinary Christians who suspect that the spiritual and the social are inseparable but who hardly know where to start. This accessible and scripturally based guide from a wise pastor helps overcome the despair of those who think there's nothing they can do and the exhaustion of those who think they must do everything. Buck gently leads the reader toward grace-filled ways of embodying gospel healing in a broken world."
William T. Cavanaugh, DePaul University
"Everyday Activism is a rallying cry for white evangelicals to truly practice the radical, peace-filled teachings of Jesus. We need voices who can speak to majority culture believers and say, 'We haven't followed Jesus well. It's time for a new normal.' Josh Buck's Everyday Activism is a book every gospel-believing white Christian needs to read."
Michelle Ami Reyes, vice president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative and author of Becoming All Things
"Joshua Buck recognizes how a gospel of Jubilee can permeate the personal, cultural, and social dimensions of our world, which informs our daily activism as Christ followers. Grounded in robust narratives tied to Scripture, this book will provide readers with theology, social research, and tactics that can equip Christ-centered activists for ministry in a complex world. Read this book and reclaim a deep conviction that the church can be a restorative partner in a world in need of Jesus's Jubilee."
José Humphreys III, author of Seeing Jesus in East Harlem and cofounder of Metro Hope Church in East Harlem, NYC
"Everyday Activism makes a case that justice must be at the heart of movement-building. Josh speaks with clear conviction--connecting theology with compelling visuals to bring new insights and perspectives into how we, as Christ followers, can influence our culture toward freedom and flourishing."
Nikole Lim, author of Liberation Is Here and founder of Freely in Hope
"Everyday Activism offers a renewing gospel vision for both the powerful and the marginalized to follow Jesus. Josh Buck's trauma-informed writing will empower people harmed by distortions of Christian belief and practice to explore a justice-seeking faith that stands against abuses of power. I encourage anyone desiring an insightful and practical guide for discipleship to engage this book!"
Susannah Larry, PhD, assistant professor of biblical studies at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN; licensed minister in the Mennonite Church USA; and author of Leaving Silence
"Josh Buck offers a much-needed reminder that Christians ought to be activists. Everyday Activism reminds readers that Jesus's ministry and day-to-day actions compel us not only to emotionally respond to the brokenness in the world but to consider how we as individuals and collectively as the Church contribute to the brokenness but can also be part of the solution."
Kathy Khang, author of Raise Your Voice
"Oftentimes pastors and lay people do not know where to start when beginning an activist journey. J.W. Buck's Everyday Activism is an answer to their prayers. Buck masterfully engages issues of power, privilege, and trauma with the gospel message of Jesus. Filled with poignant stories, questions, and takeaways, Buck's book is one that my own white-identifying students can engage as they connect the gospel of Jesus to social justice and activist work. Buck provides an example to follow that will help many others to take their rightful place in activist work. As a Womanist Christian scholar, I appreciate Buck's clear clarion call for white-identifying Christians to engage justice work."
Dr. Angela N. Parker, author of If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?
"Everyday Activism is an important resource for the rediscipleship of believers. Beginning with biblical reflections and real-world experiences, Dr. Buck offers a practical tool for Christians searching for ways to recapture a compelling witness for our time. Dr. Buck integrates theological contributions from Latin America and ministry frameworks from leaders in community development to invite readers into a praxis that has sustained the church in the margins for decades. His book will be a necessary tool for congregational leaders and young believers who feel the ministry vision they inherited inadequately responds to the world's social problems."
Emanuel Padilla, president of World Outspoken
The Author
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Ryan Blaske J.W. Buck
J.W. Buck is a church planter, filmmaker, teacher, and faith-based entrepreneur. With undergraduate degrees in biblical studies and ministry, J.W. has his PhD in intercultural studies, with a focus on the problem of racial violence. He is a cofounder of Pax, a...
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