Noted Attorney and Seminary Graduate Matthew T. Martens Answers the
Question: Does the Design and Operation of the American Criminal Justice
System Reflect Christian Love of Neighbor?: Jesus told his
followers that the entirety of the Old Testament’s law is encapsulated
in the commands to love God and to love their neighbors as themselves.
In Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, Matthew T. Martens
argues that love of neighbor must be the animating force for true
reformation of the criminal justice system, obligating us to seek the
best for both the criminally victimized and the criminally
accused. Using his theological training Martens reveals how
Scripture provides several guideposts (accuracy, due process,
accountability, impartiality, and proportionality) for loving our
neighbors as it relates to criminal justice. Then, drawing on his near
quarter century practicing criminal law, he examines how America’s
justice system falls short of the biblical standard. By understanding
how our current system operates and considering how love of neighbor
relates to issues of crime and justice, we will be better equipped to
seek true Christian reform of the justice system.