The first time "love your neighbor" appears in the Bible, it's in Leviticus 19--ina passage that begins with "do no injustice in court... but love your neighbor as yourself." That original command was rooted in a legal context. Matthew Martens, a lawyer, seminary graduate, and author talks with Brian and Aubrey about his what it means to recover that goal in a legal context in his new book, Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal. 

In Reforming Criminal Justice, Matthew 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.

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Produced by Laura Finch and Keith Conrad