Biblical Teachings, Evolving Ecclesiastical Discourses on Social Justice and their

Challenges for Contemporary Nigeria

Uzochukwu J. NJOKU
Seat of Wisdom Seminary Owerri

The word social justice is not found in the Bible but there are many references to justice in
the Bible. While Justice in the Bible could be interpreted to mean uprightness or
righteousness, social justice draws from the biblical insights of justice and applies them to
the areas of community welfare and relationships among people. It was actually Pope Pius
XI’s encyclical letter Quadragesimo anno (in 1931) which evolved the concept of social
justice. However, before the emergence of this concept, its concerns have always
constituted integral parts of the Scriptures. These include, care for the weak and the poor,
concern for human dignity, establishing enabling conditions for adequate social living, fair
relationships among peoples, egalitarianism, respecting rights of people and ensuring
adequate living standards. Consequently, discussing biblical teachings on social justice would
rather involve highlighting those roots in the Scriptures from where future deductions on the
subject matter would be made.
Among these include the Exodus event in which God made a decisive option to liberate the
oppressed people of Israel from Egyptian bondage. This event signifies God ’s condemnation
of oppression, enslavement of a people, reduction of human dignity and other forms of
inhuman treatments. The Exodus event has a profound social justice implication and
constitutes one of the biblical roots of its discourse. Another biblical root of social justice can
be found in the instructions on the Jubilee and sabbatical years. “For six years you will sow
your land and gather its produce, but in the seventh year you will let it lie fallow and forgo all
produce from it, so that those of your people who are poor can take food from it. ” (Ex 23:
10-11) The prescriptions of jubilee year include, the cancellation of debts, the release of
slaves, the permission to poor people to enter farmlands and collect food. (See Lev 25: 1-22)
These divine instructions for the jubilee and sabbatical years further illustrate concern for
the well being of the poor, down trodden and the marginalised. Furthermore, there is a
direct instruction to help the poor members of the community as seen in such biblical verses
as: “Is there a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any town of yours? Do not
harden your heart or close your hand against that poor brother of yours, but be open-
handed with him and lend him enough for his needs.” (Deut 15: 7-8). One can therefore
argue that poverty alleviation which is a part of the larger discourse on social justice, finds
root in the above biblical passages and others like: “Always be open handed with your
brother, and with anyone in your country who is in need and poor.” (Deut 15: 11).

The prophetic tradition contains materials with relevance to social justice. Isaiah declares
that support for dismantling oppressive structures and assisting the down trodden is
something pleasing to God. “Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me: to break unjust
fetters, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break all yokes?
Is it not sharing your food with the hungry, and sheltering the homeless poor; if you see
someone lacking clothes, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own kin? ” (Is 58: 6-
7) Furthermore, “If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist and malicious words, if you
deprive yourself for the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, your light will rise in

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the darkness.” (Is 58: 10) Amos condemns those who “have crushed the heads of the weak
into the dust and thrust the rights of the oppressed to one side. ” (Amos 2:7). Further
condemnations include those “exploiting the weak and ill-treating the poor ” (Amos 4: 1) and
those “who crush the needy and reduce the oppressed to nothing ”, those who “buy up the
weak for silver and the poor for a pair of sandals.” (Amos 8: 4-8). Consequently, the prophet
declares a curse. “For trampling on the poor man and for extorting levies on his wheat:
although you have built houses of dressed stone, you will not live in them; although you
have planted pleasant vineyards, you will not drink from them:...you oppressors of the
upright, who hold people to ransom and thrust the poor aside at the gates.” (Amos 5: 11-12)

In Luke’s presentation of the Beatitudes, Jesus explicitly declares: “Blessed are you who are
poor: the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are hungry now: you shall have your
fill. Blessed are you who are weeping now: you shall laugh. ” (Lk 6: 20-21). The Magnificat
reflects a song in praise of God who exalts the lowly and who “has filled the starving with
good things.” (Lk 1: 53) Jesus condemned those who swallowed the property of widows
under the guise of lengthy prayers (Mk 12:40, Lk 20:47). The rich man in the story of Lazarus
was condemned to hell for ignoring the pains and miseries of the poor beggar, Lazarus (Lk
16: 19-31). A presentation of the Last Judgement illustrates cardinal social justice themes
such as concern for the poor and the weak. “I was hungry you gave me food, I was thirsty
you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you
clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me. ” (Matt 25: 35-36)
The early Christian community showed deep concern for the poor. Many shared their wealth
with others and the poor members of the community were cared for (Acts 2: 45, 4: 34-36)
The institution of the diaconate in the Acts of the Apostles chapter 6 is linked with the
concern of the early Church for social justice, paying attention to social imbalance, and
addressing public complaints. The letter of St. James criticises an unhealthy class distinction
which relegates the poor to near nothingness. It pointedly condemns those who have
dishonoured the poor (James 2: 1-6).

The Church Fathers

The early Christians were so concerned about the plight of the poor that it formed part of
the Liturgy. The Didache stipulates collections for the poor as part of the Liturgy and
Christian gatherings. The writings of Justin Martyr indicated that from the second century,
collection for the poor became part of the Liturgy. This allusion is also found in the writings
of St. Clement. The money collected would be used to assist widows, orphans, the sick and
other different classes of needy people. The sermon of St. Gregory Nazianzen in the 4 th
century insisted on the love of the poor. St. Basil bought grains from the rich in order to
distribute among the poor and to feed them. He established what was called a “poor-house ”
for the service and welfare of the downtrodden. This house provided relief, health care,
training and rehabilitation to the suffering. (See Leo P. McCauley, trans., Funeral Orations by
St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Ambrose, in Fathers of the Church vol 22, New York: Fathers of
the Church, 1953. Pp. 27-99) Many refer to this “poor-house ” as the first hospital as a
participating in the healing work of Jesus Christ. Basil condemned greed by the rich and
advocated for fair distribution of resources for the benefit of all. He called for cancellation of
debts owed by the poor and for the abrogation of usury. (ibid) St. Basil would challenge
people: “Fling wide your doors; give your wealth free passage everywhere! As a great river
flows by a thousand channels through fertile country, so let your wealth run through many
conduits to the homes of the poor. Wells that are drawn from flow the better; left unused,

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they go foul…Money kept standing idle is worthless; but moving and changing hands it
benefits the community and brings increase.”

St. Cyprian of Carthage showed that the early Christians’ concern for the poor went beyond
the Christians to embrace other poor people among other groups and religions. In his
instructions, St. John Chrysostom enjoined his congregation: “if you see anyone in affliction,
do not be curious to enquire further…whether he is a heathen or a Jew: since even if he is an
unbeliever, still he needs help.” Many early converts are attributed to the Christian charity,
generosity and concern for the well being of persons. There is the example of a pagan soldier
called Pachomius who became converted to Christianity around 300 AD due to his
experience of Christian generosity (See S. R. Holman, Patristic Christian Views on Poverty and
Hunger, in Journal of Lutheran Ethics Online Publication 06/01/2010 www.elca.org) St. John
Chrysostom charges: “Now don’t tell me that you actually work hard. If you call earning
money, making business deal, and caring for your possessions ‘work ’, I say, ‘No, that is not
work. But alms, prayers, the protection of the injured and the like – these are genuine work. ’
You charge the poor with idleness; I charge you with corrupt behaviour.”

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) argued that the excess of the rich is the necessity of the
poor. “When you possess superfluity, you possess what belongs to others. God gives the
world to the poor as well as the rich.” He therefore, encouraged people to increase their
charity.

Some monasteries helped poor persons and Matt 25: 31-46 was often used to encourage
people to help the poor and to see in the service to the poor as a special service to God.

Magisterial Teaching

While a large part of biblical and patristic instructions may be said to be addressed to
individual consciences, evolving ecclesiastical teachings on social justice have expanded the
issue to embrace structures of governance, institutions of society and socio-economic
dynamics which affect the living conditions of people.

The magisterium of the Church has taken over from where the Scriptures stopped on the
matter of social justice and has continued to expand its frontiers. This is clearly shown in the
Social Teachings of the Church, which John Paul II describes as the concern of the Church for
the well being of the human person living in society and in the international order
(Sollicitudo rei socialis, no. 1) This concern has been an essential part of Christian religious
traditions from the beginning, hence the 1971 Synod of Bishops declares: “Actions on behalf
of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a
constitutive dimension of preaching the Gospel” (chapter 1). A special channel of the Social
Teachings of the Church is the social encyclicals of the Popes which bear eloquent
testimonies to the untiring concerns of the Church for social justice. Rerum Novarum of Leo
XIII is a magna charter on workers’ welfare. Pius XI presents the principles of solidarity and
subsidiarity as the Christian philosophy for social justice. John XXIII ’s Mater et Magistra
advocates for proper distribution of resources for the benefit of the poor as well as the
principle of socialisation as a guide to socio-political life. Pacem in terris argues for the
recognition of the inalienable rights and dignity of human persons as the path to a just
society. Gaudium et spes recognises that the pains of the people are equally the pains of the
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Church and indeed of all Christians (GS, no.1) Consequently, it advocates for equity in
distribution of resources, protection of families, regulation of economic activities and
removal of factors that breed social inequality. Paul VI’s Populorum progressio no. 29
sounded an alarm on the urgency of social justice in the world. “We must make haste: too
many are suffering, and the distance is growing that separates the progress of some and the
stagnation, not to say the regression of others.” It therefore argues on the imperatives of the
aid which richer countries must give to poorer countries. John Paul II ’s Laborem exercens no
37 insists that fidelity to Christ must be measured by service to the poor. Centesimus annus
condemns neo-capitalistic drives of contemporary poverty and social injustice through
ruthless exploitation, domination, marginalisation and exclusion from adequate knowledge
and training (no. 33). It therefore supports a wide range of commitment to ensure justice,
fair participation in the goods of society, freedom for all and ensuring that basic necessities
of life are available to all (no. 35). Social justice remains a theme of high priority for Pope
Benedict XVI as seen in his articulation of seven new sins in 2008 which included social
justice and obscene wealth. Others are: drug taking, paedophilia, genetic engineering and
abortion. His two encyclicals Deus caritas est (2005) and Caritas in veritate (2008) made
serious contributions to the evolving ecclesial social justice teachings. In the former, he
underscores the interconnectedness of charity and justice towards building a just social
order. In the latter, he highlighted on the imperatives of charity and solidarity in building a
more humane world. Pope Francis has brought a remarkable vigour in the Church ’s teaching
on social justice, care for the earth and wellbeing of the poor. His specific Latin American
background has played significant roles in his strong appreciation of social justice issues.
These are evident in many of their writings, homilies, addresses and speeches.

Engagements of Local Churches

Apart from the publication of Popes, there are many Bishops ’ Conferences and individual
Bishops who have equally shown commitment to social justice issues. Prominent among
these include the documents published by the General Assembly of Latin American Bishops
and the World Synod of Bishops 1971. Also worthy of note are such publications of the
Bishops of the United States of America like “The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our
Response (1983) and “Economic Justice for All” (1986). Other Bishops ’ Conferences have
equally made significant contributions and publication in this regard. Examples include the
publications of the Bishops of Germany (“The Many Faces of Globalisation: Perspectives for a
Humane World Order” published in 2000) and the publications of the Bishops of Belgium
(“The Economic, Cultural, and Social Consequences of Globalisation: Ethical and Evangelical
Perspectives” published in 2005) are worthy of note. Furthermore the activities and
ministries of Cardinal Jaime Sin of Philippines, Archbishop Helder Camara of Brazil, Bishop
Emmanuel Von Ketteler of Mainz Germany, Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, Father
Adolf Kolping are worthy of mention. In Africa, we need to mention, the Protestant
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, our own Cardinal Anthony Okogie, Archbishop
Anthony Obinna, Bishop Lucius Ugorji and Bishop Joseph Bagobiri among others.
There are organs of Christian Churches that concern themselves with social justice. On the
international level, the Vatican and the World Council of Churches are deeply engaged in
various activities all over the world for social justice. As a follow up, different Christian
organisations have followed in this direction. Worthy of mention include organisations like
Caritas International, Church in Need, Missio, Misserio, Bread for the World and Diakonia.
These organisations are touching lives all over the world, transforming societies and
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enhancing better standards of human and social lives. In our country, the Catholic Bishops’
Conference has established the Justice, Development and Peace commission (JDPC) as a
grassroots organ for social justice in all the parishes and dioceses in the country. The
department of Church and Society of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria is engaged in various
activities for social justice. Another Christian establishment is the Catholic Institute for
Development Justice and Peace (CIDJAP) Enugu (established by Msgr. Obiora Ike). The
annual Lenten campaign of the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria and the volumes of the
communiques of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria speak volumes of their
engagement in social justice.

Local Challenges
Pope Benedict XVI once used the expression ‘clouds of evil ’ to refer to the problems of
Africa. Pope Benedict’s expression appears to share the same vision as what Pope John Paul
II already referred to in Sollicitudo rei socialis as “Structures of sin”1 and what the 1971
Synod of Bishops – Justitia in Mundo described as “a network of domination, oppression and
abuses which stifle freedom and which keep the greater part of humanity from sharing in
the building up and enjoyment of a more just and fraternal world.”2

It appears that Pope Benedict’s usage of “the clouds of evil ” in Angola direct our attention to
the bitter wars that have ravaged that country. He may be thinking about the armed
conflicts – from Somalia to Angola, from Congo to Sudan, from the slaughtering fields of
Rwanda to the increasing vulnerability of the West African region (from Liberia to Sierra
Leone, from the recent arrival of Ivory Coast into the scene of armed conflict countries to the
very familiar and incessant ethnic-religious conflicts of Nigeria). Besides the armed conflicts,
he may also be thinking about the AIDS pandemic and the foreign debt question as well as
many other forms of political recklessness associated with some countries in the African
continent. Hence his phraseology ‘clouds of evil’ may be a mild way of referring to what he
imagines as a thickening and gathering storm with the capacity of drowning the continent.
“Clouds of evil” may therefore signify the pope’s concern about an emerging culture of
malevolence across Africa.

From my particular Igbo and Nigeria perspective, I think that Pope Benedict ’s usage of the
term “clouds of evil” is a very polite presentation of the African situation.

Politics and public governance in countries like Nigeria have been reduced to huge jokes.
Political gangsterism has become a norm while election rigging appears canonised. Ali
Mazrui’s description of the privatisation of the African public service continues to grow in
spread and depth. Within such a context, there scarcely exists any demarcation between the
office and the office holder.3 Government (public) officials commingle “their personal bank
accounts with government bank accounts,” and single-handedly donate “large sums of
money on behalf of governments to people and organisations of their choice.”4
Unfortunately, our Church is among the many beneficiaries of this recklessness.

The culture of political unruliness has created unimaginable miseries and unparalleled
oceans of poverty dotted with islands of scandalous wealth, which have destroyed basic

1
John Paul II. 1987. Sollicitudo rei socialis, (1987) nos. 36-40.
2
Synod of Bishops. 1971. Justitia in Mundo, Introduction, no 3

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virtues of trust on the social arena as well as creating a vicious circle and re-inventing
Thomas Hobbes’ state of nature characterised by mutual aggression – homo homini lopus.
Political practice is facilitating a tremendous human tragedy in Nigeria as well as many other
African countries. It is even making them darker than Peter Scholl-Latour ’s description of
Africa as der schwarze Kontinent (the black continent).5

On the social scene, criminality has graduated to frightening dimensions. Armed robbers
operate with military precision and appear to have overcome the country ’s security
agencies. The art of kidnapping human beings for ransom is one of the latest additions in the
inexhaustible catalogues of social evils in Nigeria. The victims cut across different classes of
people – priests and the lay faithful, rich and poor, politicians and private citizens, business
executives and petty traders, men and women, old and young, influential and paupers. The
art of kidnapping in Nigeria has continued to defile every logic. On June 13 2009, The
Nigerian Saturday Sun Newspaper published a caption on its front page: “South-East under
Siege – Kidnappers snatch no fewer than 250, collect millions of naira ransom ”. Actually
page 11 of this newspaper reports: “Today, there is hardly any day that passes without any
case of kidnapping in any of the five states of the South-East. At the last count, no fewer
than 250 people have been kidnapped in Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu states.
Also, millions of naira have been paid as ransom to kidnappers. ” One of the extremely sad
parts of this story is that children, siblings, cousins, close family members and kinsmen have
joined the ‘business’ of conspiring to kidnap their own family member, who would have
ordinarily been safe in their midst. Trust, love and acceptance which used to characterise
traditional community life are increasingly being turned into fear, aversion and mutual
suspicion. Crime and fear have inspired the building of high rising fences and impassable
burglary proofs reminiscent of prison yards around many houses in Nigeria. These
fortifications have scarcely prevented armed robbers or kidnappers from hitting their
targets. Instead they have begun a gruesome process of complicating community life.

Workers and pensioners wait for endless months in order to receive their supposedly just
entitlements while their rulers stash deafening sums of money in foreign banks. Basic social
amenities like portable water, electricity, motorable roads as well as health care and
education appear as forgotten issues. While many people in other parts of the world believe
that hard work and sincerity are the best paths to life, many of our people have been re-
engineered to believe that one cannot succeed in life without some forms of heathen rituals,
involvement in different shades of crime and sycophancy. Our institutions of learning have

3
Mazrui distinguishes three types of privatisation of public service in Africa. They include anarchic, dynastic
and ethnic privatisations. [A. MAZRUI, The Africans. A Triple Heritage, Boston, 1986. p. 16.] The May 2002
report of the Nigerian Human Rights Violations Investigations Commission (popularly referred to as the Oputa
panel) identified an “unfortunate dimension” of pubic service in the phenomenon of “the cult of the Head of
State.” This consists in making the Head of State synonymous with the State. Thus “the personal ambitions of
the Head of State, his or her fears and apprehensions; his or her enemies, real or imagined, become matters of
State interest and concern, deserving State intervention and State protection. ” The testimonies made during the
sittings of this Commission by Major Al-Mustapha and General Sabo emphasised “that the Head of State is but
an extension of the State.” [See http://www.oputapanelreport.org paragraphs 1.45-1.53] Olusegun Obasanjo’s
style of governance since 1999 does not appear different from the above.
4
P. O. AGBESE. 1998. ‘Foreword: Africa and the Dilemmas of Corruption’. In J. M. MBAKU
(ed.), Corruption and the Crisis of Institutional Reforms in Africa, Lewiston-New York: 1998. ix-xxiii. p. xii
5
P. SCHOLL-LATOUR. 2001. Afrikanische Totenklage: Der Ausverkauf des Schwarzen Kontinents, München:
Goldmann Wilhem.

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become breeding grounds for societal nightmares – from armed robbers to gangsters. The
number of our brothers and sisters who have been butchered in cold blood in our
universities (not in slave ships to the Americas or by the guns of European colonial masters
but) by gangs (constituted by their kiths and kin) are countless. While students in other parts
of world are trained to study hard in order to pass their examinations and contribute to the
development of society, many Nigerian university teachers demand money, telephone
recharge cards, cell phones and sex from students as a condition for passing exams. It is
heart rending that hardly anybody has been punished for these but the tears and stories of
victims as well as beneficiaries continue to crescendo heights.

These problems keep multiplying in spread and depth. The reality and happenings in Africa
and moreso in Nigeria could only have been possible in the imagination of the most
constructive fiction writer. If Pope Benedict really knew the extent of decay in Nigeria and
some other African countries, he would have changed his phraseology from ‘clouds of evil ’ to
actually affirming that the “kingdom of evil” is at home in some parts of Africa.

Conclusion
There is no gain saying that Nigeria is a deeply Christian country with very committed
Christians who have profound knowledge of the Bible and Church teachings as well as
making honest efforts to remain faithful to these teachings. However, the religiosity which
pervades the Nigerian social space has not sufficiently reflected itself in the structures of
society, public welfare and common good. In our land and time, there are enormous indices
of social injustice. The salaries of workers are not regularly paid. Pensioners are owed
scandalous arrears. Many workers are underpaid or intimidated to forgo some reasonable
percentage of their salaries. Many are unemployed and have to hope to being employed
soon. The access to health care and other social amenities are limited. Elections are hardly
properly conducted. Some local cultures maintain unjust caste systems, others are
oppressive to women. There are many social imbalances and unacceptable conditions of
living. Some forms of domestic slavery still exist in some areas.
Consequently, we must draw from the pool of our Scriptures and Church teachings to
confront both what threatens man’s spiritual wellbeing and salvation but also all structures
and indices of social injustice which stare us all on the face.
The concern for social justice is an intricate part of our Christian mission. Jesus Christ re-
echoed Prophet Isaiah (in Lk 4:18): “the Spirit of the Lord has been given to me. He has sent
me to bring good news to the poor, liberty to captive, joy to those in sorrow…”
Consequently, the 1971 Synod of Bishops declared: “Actions on behalf of justice and the
transformation of the world appear to us as a constitutive dimension of preaching the
Christian faith.” This is an urgent mission for the Church in Nigeria.