Must Reads, Episode 38: Jennifer Ackerman

by Perkins Center for Preaching Excellence on Tuesday, March 31, 2026

For this month’s Must Reads, Dr. McKenzie interviewed Dr. Jennifer Ackerman about her recently published book Preaching the Gospel of Justice: Good News in Community. Central to her book is Ackerman’s claim that there is no difference between the gospel’s message of grace and its message of justice. In her introduction, Ackerman states, “If we are living in the freedom afforded to us by the love and forgiveness of God, made possible by the saving work of Christ and continually empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit, then our only adequate response is to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” Dr. McKenzie and Dr. Ackerman also discuss the commitments that flow from this central claim: a call to community, a covenant of justice, a prophetic witness, and a life of worship.