Just Courage

Gary Haguen, President of International Justice Mission has written a new book that is due out any time now entitled "Just Courage: God's Great Expedition for the Restless." You can pre-order the book at Amazon.com. Of course, I'm looking forward with great anticipation to reading it after being personally changed and transformed by his two previous books - The "Good News of Injustice" and "Terrify No More." Below is a book review by Byron Borger posted on Hearts & Minds Books

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"...Homelessness, oppression, displacement, injustice? God's hope, real hope? Deep joy amidst great sorrow? Few have illustrated this more than the remarkable career of Gary A. Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission. I recall a conversation on the phone with Gary years ago; he had returned from overseeing for the Department of State the horrors of the genocide in Rwanda and felt compelled to start a Christian ministry, in those days described as something like a faith-based Amnesty International, a spiritually-powered agency that could tap into the wisdom and on-the-ground resources of God's global people and resist the sorts of structural evils that the UN just couldn't touch. IJM has developed in to the premier NGO fighting international slavery, particularly child sex slavery and Haugen has become one of the most influential Christian leaders worldwide. Evangelical students, especially, flock to hear him and are blogging, starting local chapters, and donating to groups fighting international abuse. (He was just awesome at Jubilee 2007, one of the best presentations in the history of that famous Pittsburgh gathering.) His first paperback book, Good News About Injustice and subsequent video curriculum is a balanced and thoughtful study of international injustice issues and a mature invitation for Christians to care about public policy and see what God is doing through those who work for reconciliation, justice and public goodness. Like a modern-day Wilberforce, he's campaigned against modern day slavery (worse now than it was in the 18th and 19th centuries) and his powerful story Terrify No More documents in page-turning, heart-pounding detail the undercover rescue efforts to free child slaves from a brothel in Southeast Asia. Maybe you saw the special on 20/20 or recall our recommendations of the book when it came out. It is one that you can't put down!

Now, Mr. Haugen brings us his most general book, not nearly as policy oriented and serious as his first, not as specific and detailed as his second, rather, an inspirational overview of the call to stand for justice, to be faithful and courageous, to move beyond comfort and safety and rise to the call to make a difference, in small and daily ways. Just Courage: God's Great Expedition for the Restless Christian (IVP; $18) could be his best yet, and we are thrilled that it has released a bit early. Please don't skip over the important Eerdmans Bouma-Prediger/ Walsh book as it is a truly profound and theologically mature bit of cultural analysis. Just Courage, though, could be a great companion book, a brief but stirring call to trusting faith, to daily discipleship, to a global vision, the hope of what Christ's followers are doing, and how we can take further steps to be agents of healing, hope and social transformation, especially for the hurting or oppressed...."