Justice is rarely quiet. It shows up in moments of courage, disagreement, rebuilding and defiance. It appears in emergency responses and long, patient work for change. And often, it is carried by ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Justice Song, a new book by Professor Michael Taylor, brings together 80 years of Christian Aid’s story. Written at a time when the world can feel fractured and unjust, the book invites us to look closely and listen.
In honour of its 80th anniversary, Justice Song celebrates Christian Aid's incredible journey from its post-World War II origins to its emergence as a leading force in the fight against poverty and injustice
Why Justice Song?
The title Justice Song comes from the idea that justice is something people sing as they go.
Across the book, ‘song' is used as a way of speaking to resilience, faith, defiance, gratitude, pride and hope. It reflects on journeys marked by hardship and courage, which are often costly, sometimes unsuccessful, but never silent.
As Taylor reflects in the book’s introduction, justice is ‘infinitely varied and complicated once you get up close’, but it endures.
In every chapter, it tells a story of bold alliances for change, of challenge and discomfort, and of occasional setbacks alongside success.
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What is Justice Song about – and why now?
Justice Song traces Christian Aid’s journey through decades of humanitarian response, long-term development, advocacy and partnership.
More than a history book, it reflects an organisation that has continually wrestled with how to respond to suffering – not only by meeting immediate needs, but by challenging the systems and structures that keep people trapped in poverty.
The book arrives as Christian Aid marks the end of its 80th year. At a time when global injustices continue to deepen, Justice Song reflects on why the organisation was founded, how it has changes and why its vision of justice remains urgent.
Eighty years on, Christian Aid is not out of business, and the urgency is even greater… In this welcome book, [Michael Taylor] gives a lucid, lively account of both the thinking and the action that have shaped Christian Aid’s identity.
The voices behind the story
At its heart, Justice Song is a book shaped by people. It brings together the voices of those who have walked alongside Christian Aid over eight decades -- staff, partners, supporters and communities whose lives and experiences have shaped the organisation as much as any strategy or structure.
Many of these voices come from church communities, where faith and action have long been intertwined, connecting what is lived and prayed for locally with struggles for justice around the world.
Justice Song serves as an inspiring reminder that faith, when united with justice, can transform both communities and the global structures that shape their lives.
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I hope it will encourage readers to be angry, active and determined in a world where injustice systematically benefits the better off - but always with a song in their hearts while insisting that nothing, from a woman’s desperation to an unfair financial system, need stay as it is.
Who is Michael Taylor?
Professor Michael Taylor is a former Director of Christian Aid, leading the organisation from 1985 to 1997, and now Emeritus Professor of Social Theology at the University of Birmingham.
Drawing on his time at Christian Aid, alongside archival material and past publications, Taylor brings together stories that span the organisation’s history – reflecting not only on what Christian Aid has done, but how it has learned, changed and responded to the world around it.
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