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 “Before you even go to trial, you could be held legally in jail for years. More shocks like that are in this book. In it, the author informs in order to transform. Matt Martens is a Christian, the son of a pastor, a husband and father, a church member, and an accomplished lawyer. He has worked in both the private and the public sectors for decades. In these pages, he takes the reader on a tour of what really happens when a crime is alleged. Martens provides definitions and historical context for terms familiar to the average reader, gives examples of current challenges, and raises concerns about how we actually practice justice. This book is more than informative―it is engaging to the point of being disturbing. Martens is trying to serve us by helping us get in ‘good trouble.’” ― Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC “ Reforming Criminal Justice is a book for our polarized times. Guided by classical Christian sources and a biblical vision of love’s relation to justice, Martens draws on his considerable legal experience to offer a critical yet constructive evangelical approach that is at once theologically sensitive and historically informed. Highly recommended for the church and anyone concerned about the lived realities of the American criminal justice system as an urgent moral and political issue.” ― Eric Gregory, Professor of Religion, Princeton University “ Reforming Criminal Justice is a superb tutorial on the criminal justice system, and it’s much more. An experienced criminal justice lawyer―as a prosecutor and then as a defense attorney―Martens is also a trained theologian. He offers simple, biblically grounded principles for assessing American criminal justice and doesn’t shy away from the issue of race. Highly recommended.” ― David Skeel, S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School “A book like this is long overdue and vitally important. Combining theological training, many years of legal experience, and authentically evangelical convictions, Matt Martens is just the person to write it. In part 1 he provides a biblical framework that connects criminal justice with Christian love in light of just war reasoning. In part 2 this framework helps us to appreciate certain features of America’s criminal justice system while identifying an urgent need for reform. As a result, this book will make us better citizens of both Christ’s kingdom and our earthly cities.” ― Daniel J. Treier, Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Theology, Wheaton College; author, Introducing Evangelical Theology “In a climate in which so many of our positions and policies on matters of criminal law and social justice are driven by party and politics, we need more of the biblical insights and applications Matt Martens offers in this book. Reforming Criminal Justice is a rich resource of wisdom, experience, and knowledge that will serve the church and our nation.” ― Karen Swallow Prior,  author, The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Cre