
Reforming Criminal Justice
A Christian Proposal
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $30.09
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Tim Tremaine
About this listen
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.
- A Biblical Perspective on Criminal Justice: Offers a biblical framework for thinking about the concept of justice for both the victim and the perpetrator
- Examines the History of the American Criminal Justice System: Surveys the evolution of the criminal justice system in the United States with a focus on its misuse from the time of the Civil War to the civil rights movement
- Assesses the Criminal Justice System: Examines the operation of the American justice system today, including plea bargains, assistance of counsel, the death penalty, and more
- Foreword by Derwin L. Gray: Pastor of Transformation Church in Indian Land, South Carolina, and the author of How to Heal Our Racial Divide and Building a Multiethnic Church
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Authority
- How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing
- By: Jonathan Leeman
- Narrated by: Marcus Jackman
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In every position of power lies the potential for life-giving leadership or destructive corruption. Driven by sinful pride or opportunism, many people abuse their God-given influence, harming the ones they’re called to lead and contributing to an intense angst against authority. The answer to bad authority, however, is not no authority, but good authority—the kind that, according to Scripture, causes those under it to flourish. In this compelling guide from 9Marks, Jonathan Leeman shows that authority, done biblically, is not only good, but is essential to human flourishing.
-
-
Excellent book explaining the standard on biblical authority!! Highly recommend!
- By Katerri Richardson on 11-29-24
By: Jonathan Leeman
-
The Holiness of God
- By: R. C. Sproul
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet most people struggle to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic theological work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. Drawing from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, he paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christians to become holy just as God is holy.
-
-
Amazing work on God’s Holiness!
- By Anonymous User on 01-24-25
By: R. C. Sproul
-
A Chance to Die
- The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael
- By: Elisabeth Elliot
- Narrated by: Elisabeth Martin
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Chance to Die is a vibrant portrayal of Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary and writer who spent fifty-three years in south India without furlough. There she became known as "Amma," or "mother," as she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a refuge for underprivileged children. Amy's life of obedience and courage stands as a model for all who claim the name of Christ. She was a woman with desires and dreams, faults and fears, who gave her life unconditionally to serve her Master.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Rosalie Alderman on 01-26-25
By: Elisabeth Elliot
-
The Death of Porn
- Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility
- By: Ray Ortlund
- Narrated by: Ray Ortlund
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pornography may seem inescapable, but God can free us from its destructive power. The gospel replaces the dehumanizing lies of pornography with this surprising truth: God created us as royalty. How then can we reclaim our God-given identity to take a stand against - and ultimately starve - the predatory porn industry? In The Death of Porn, Ray Ortlund writes six personal letters, as from a father to his son.
-
-
Voice is annoying but message is GREAT
- By Scott on 04-05-22
By: Ray Ortlund
-
What Is Saving Faith?
- Reflections on Receiving Christ as a Treasure
- By: John Piper
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens in the heart when it experiences real saving faith? John Piper argues that faith in Christ is not saving unless it includes an "affectional dimension of treasuring Christ." Nor is God glorified as he ought to be unless he is treasured in being trusted. Saving faith in Jesus Christ welcomes him forever as our supreme and inexhaustible pleasure. What Is Saving Faith? explains that a Savior who is treasured for his all-satisfying worth is more glorified than a Savior who is only trusted for his all-forgiving competence
-
-
Great description of what it really means to be saved
- By RJRCO on 11-04-22
By: John Piper
-
Counseling the Hard Cases
- True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God’s Resources in Scripture
- By: Stuart Scott, Heath Lambert
- Narrated by: John Behrens, Lisa Wright
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Biblical counselors have worked for decades to demonstrate that God’s resources in scripture are sufficient to help people with their counseling-related problems. In Counseling the Hard Cases, editors Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert use the true stories of real patients to show how the truths of God’s word can be released to bring help, hope, and healing into the lives of those who struggle with some of the most difficult psychiatric diagnoses.
-
-
Counselor In Transition
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-25
By: Stuart Scott, and others
-
Authority
- How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing
- By: Jonathan Leeman
- Narrated by: Marcus Jackman
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In every position of power lies the potential for life-giving leadership or destructive corruption. Driven by sinful pride or opportunism, many people abuse their God-given influence, harming the ones they’re called to lead and contributing to an intense angst against authority. The answer to bad authority, however, is not no authority, but good authority—the kind that, according to Scripture, causes those under it to flourish. In this compelling guide from 9Marks, Jonathan Leeman shows that authority, done biblically, is not only good, but is essential to human flourishing.
-
-
Excellent book explaining the standard on biblical authority!! Highly recommend!
- By Katerri Richardson on 11-29-24
By: Jonathan Leeman
-
The Holiness of God
- By: R. C. Sproul
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet most people struggle to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic theological work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. Drawing from both the Old Testament and the New Testament, he paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christians to become holy just as God is holy.
-
-
Amazing work on God’s Holiness!
- By Anonymous User on 01-24-25
By: R. C. Sproul
-
A Chance to Die
- The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael
- By: Elisabeth Elliot
- Narrated by: Elisabeth Martin
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Chance to Die is a vibrant portrayal of Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary and writer who spent fifty-three years in south India without furlough. There she became known as "Amma," or "mother," as she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a refuge for underprivileged children. Amy's life of obedience and courage stands as a model for all who claim the name of Christ. She was a woman with desires and dreams, faults and fears, who gave her life unconditionally to serve her Master.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Rosalie Alderman on 01-26-25
By: Elisabeth Elliot
-
The Death of Porn
- Men of Integrity Building a World of Nobility
- By: Ray Ortlund
- Narrated by: Ray Ortlund
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pornography may seem inescapable, but God can free us from its destructive power. The gospel replaces the dehumanizing lies of pornography with this surprising truth: God created us as royalty. How then can we reclaim our God-given identity to take a stand against - and ultimately starve - the predatory porn industry? In The Death of Porn, Ray Ortlund writes six personal letters, as from a father to his son.
-
-
Voice is annoying but message is GREAT
- By Scott on 04-05-22
By: Ray Ortlund
-
What Is Saving Faith?
- Reflections on Receiving Christ as a Treasure
- By: John Piper
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens in the heart when it experiences real saving faith? John Piper argues that faith in Christ is not saving unless it includes an "affectional dimension of treasuring Christ." Nor is God glorified as he ought to be unless he is treasured in being trusted. Saving faith in Jesus Christ welcomes him forever as our supreme and inexhaustible pleasure. What Is Saving Faith? explains that a Savior who is treasured for his all-satisfying worth is more glorified than a Savior who is only trusted for his all-forgiving competence
-
-
Great description of what it really means to be saved
- By RJRCO on 11-04-22
By: John Piper
-
Counseling the Hard Cases
- True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God’s Resources in Scripture
- By: Stuart Scott, Heath Lambert
- Narrated by: John Behrens, Lisa Wright
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Biblical counselors have worked for decades to demonstrate that God’s resources in scripture are sufficient to help people with their counseling-related problems. In Counseling the Hard Cases, editors Stuart Scott and Heath Lambert use the true stories of real patients to show how the truths of God’s word can be released to bring help, hope, and healing into the lives of those who struggle with some of the most difficult psychiatric diagnoses.
-
-
Counselor In Transition
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-25
By: Stuart Scott, and others
-
Humility
- The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness (Growing Gospel Integrity)
- By: Gavin Ortlund
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There are many misconceptions about what it means to be humble. Some think that being humble means hiding your talents and abilities or being weak and inauthentic. But the Bible paints a different picture—defining humility as a self-forgetfulness leading to joy and explaining that it is a life-giving virtue that frees you from the restricting needs of your ego. In Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness, Gavin Ortlund encourages listeners that humility is not just an abstract virtue but a mark of gospel integrity.
-
-
Fuel for my soul 🔥
- By Taylor Racich on 01-20-23
By: Gavin Ortlund
-
It's Not Like Being Black
- How Sexual Activists Hijacked the Civil Rights Movement
- By: Voddie T. Baucham Jr.
- Narrated by: Clayton Brown
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We are living in crazy times. Biological men are competing and winning against biological women in sports. The newest Supreme Court justice declined to answer the simple question: “What is a woman?” Record numbers of young Americans now identify as transgender. Sexually explicit materials permeate schools. Pedophiles have rebranded as “minor-attracted persons.” Pastor and bestselling author Voddie T. Baucham Jr. equips Christians to fight back against this pervasive sexual identity ideology and stand firm in biblical truths.
-
-
What a powerful resource of information
- By S. Hill on 07-17-24
-
Gentle and Lowly
- The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
- By: Dane Ortlund
- Narrated by: Dane Ortlund
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Christians know what Jesus Christ has done — but who is he? What is his deepest heart for his people, weary and faltering on their journey toward heaven? Jesus said he is "gentle and lowly in heart." This audiobook reflects on these words, opening up a neglected yet central truth about who he is for sinners and sufferers today.
-
-
Disappointment.
- By Fossilized Tree Sap on 12-27-21
By: Dane Ortlund
-
Romans
- An Expositional Commentary
- By: R. C. Sproul
- Narrated by: William Sarris
- Length: 20 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Often called Paul’s magnum opus, Romans has been pivotal to Christians’ understanding of salvation for generations. It had a profound influence on Augustine and Luther. Calvin saw it as the key to understanding all of Scripture. In this volume, Dr. R.C. Sproul introduces us to Paul’s fullest, grandest, most comprehensive statement of the gospel and explains why it is just as vital for believers today as it has been for believers throughout history. Verse by verse, Dr. Sproul unfolds the vast truths that Paul has clearly and carefully woven throughout this book.
-
-
Great commentary
- By Jim on 01-03-24
By: R. C. Sproul
-
Crisis of Confidence
- Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity
- By: Carl R. Trueman
- Narrated by: R. E. Biddulph
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Historic statements of faith—such as the Heidelberg Catechism, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Westminster Confession of Faith—have helped the Christian church articulate and adhere to God’s truth for centuries. However, many modern evangelicals reject these historic documents and the practices of catechesis, proclaiming their commitment to “no creed but the Bible.” And yet, in today’s rapidly changing culture, ancient liturgical tradition is not only biblical—it’s essential.
-
-
Very relevant to this time in the modern church life.
- By Randy McLemore on 05-16-24
By: Carl R. Trueman
-
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
- Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible
- By: E. Randolph Richards, Brandon J. O'Brien
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own cross-cultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time, and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways.
-
-
Not at all what you think. Not at all helpful for Christian Faith
- By Jammie B. on 04-18-24
By: E. Randolph Richards, and others
-
Impossible Christianity
- Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time
- By: Kevin DeYoung
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kevin DeYoung speaks to anxious Christians who feel inadequate or overwhelmed in their faith and assures them that they can experience lasting joy in a life of sincere and simple obedience.
-
-
Outstanding listen
- By Kira Angel on 01-14-25
By: Kevin DeYoung
-
Daily Doctrine
- A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology
- By: Kevin DeYoung
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All thoughtful Christians want to better understand the Bible, its author, and its influence on their beliefs. In short—whether they recognize it or not—they want to understand theology. But many find the subject matter too academic, dense, or difficult to understand, and they lack proper study resources to help expand their knowledge of God and his written word. Designed to make systematic theology clear and accessible for the everyday Christian, this devotional audiobook walks through the most important theology topics over the course of a year.
-
-
Chapters & Days don't match
- By Kevin E. on 01-09-25
By: Kevin DeYoung
-
Remaking the World
- How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West
- By: Andrew Wilson
- Narrated by: Andrew Wilson
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With dizzying social transformations in everything from gender to social justice, it may seem like there's never been a more tumultuous period in history. But a single year in the late 18th century saw a number of influential transformations—or even revolutions—that changed the social trajectory of the Western world. By understanding how those events influenced today's cultural landscape, Christians can more effectively bear witness to God's truth in a post-Christian age.
-
-
EXTRAORDINARY
- By Wade on 09-26-23
By: Andrew Wilson
-
The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness
- The Path to True Christian Joy
- By: Timothy Keller
- Narrated by: Neil Gardner
- Length: 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In an age where pleasing people, puffing up your ego and building your résumé are seen as the methods to "make it", the Apostle Paul calls us to find true rest in blessed self forgetfulness. In this short and punchy book, best selling author Timothy Keller, shows that gospel humility means we can stop connecting every experience, every conversation with ourselves and can thus be free from self condemnation. A truly gospel humble person is not a self-hating person or a self-loving person, but a self-forgetful person.
-
-
A must read
- By W. Horn on 06-02-23
By: Timothy Keller
-
Truths We Confess
- A Systematic Exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith
- By: R. C. Sproul
- Narrated by: Michael Beck
- Length: 34 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Westminster Confession of Faith is one of the most precise and comprehensive statements of biblical Christianity, and it is treasured by believers around the world. Dr. R. C. Sproul has called it one of the most important confessions of faith ever penned, and it has helped generations of Christians understand and defend what they believe. In Truths We Confess, Dr. Sproul introduces listeners to this remarkable confession, explaining its insights and applying them to modern life.
-
-
Great book ruined by narration
- By Mr. Steven K. Cooper on 08-06-22
By: R. C. Sproul
-
Prayer
- Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God
- By: Timothy Keller
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act.
With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers brilliant and inspirational biblical guidance, as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each listener.
-
-
Powerful
- By Gem on 02-12-15
By: Timothy Keller
What listeners say about Reforming Criminal Justice
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gabriel Chaney
- 01-13-25
Bold, credible, and clear
There were many times during reading this book I felt angry and sad that the US criminal justice system lends itself to injustice in so many places (bail system, plea bargaining, etc.). But even more anger and sadness that I have been so indifferent and ignorant, making me me complicit. This book called me to repentance to obey God's law: to love my neighbor as myself including the criminally accused and the law enforcement worker doing injustice.
Part 1 of this book is a Christian ethic on general criminal justice. part 2 is a detailed description of ways the US criminal justice system lends itself to injustice. The main point of the book is to show how both the people being accused and people working in the criminal justice system are both our neighbors entitled to our love, even the accused, and both are capable of doing injustice, even prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officers. This book calls us away from partisan rhetoric on criminal justice (especially "tough on crime" stuff) and a call to God's law: love your neighbor as yourself.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nick
- 01-04-24
Excellent presentation of the CJ system
Martens’ book is readable, well-organized, and appropriately presented for the lay person.
It serves the dual purposes of helping the reader to develop a sort of theology of criminal justice, as well as an introduction to the history of the American criminal justice system. I cannot say I come to all the same conclusions as he does, but I am grateful for his heart and work. Highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!