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For nearly 80 years, Christian Aid has been a force for justice on the global stage - speaking truth to power, responding to crises, and challenging the structures that keep people poor.
Justice Song tells the story of this groundbreaking organisation not as a linear history, but through a series of vivid, thematic chapters that trace its evolution from post-war beginnings to present-day campaigns. It explores how a church-founded agency became a pioneering voice in international development, human rights, and political activism - and how that legacy can still inspire action today.
Founded in 1945 by British and Irish churches to support refugees after World War II, Christian Aid has expanded its humanitarian mission across the globe. Always rooted in a vision of justice, it has provided emergency relief, backed long-term development, and championed the rights of the marginalised.
Sir Robert Birley once wrote of Christian Aid's founding Director, Janet Lacey CBE: 'Bureaucracy [...] collapsed at her approach; no one ever broke more rules.' The book will capture the spirit of dissent and innovation which marks both Christian Aid's beginnings and its work today.
From challenging the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to helping found the Voluntary Service Overseas, Disasters Emergency Committee, and Fairtrade Foundation, Christian Aid has consistently pushed beyond the boundaries of traditional charity. It helped set up the World Development Movement to drive political change, advised Martin Luther King during his UK visit, and partnered with leaders like Bishop Oscar Romero.
Bringing together the voices of those who built, worked with, and were transformed by Christian Aid - including staff, partners, and communities around the world - Justice Song reveals an organisation defined by solidarity, defiance, and a restless drive for change. Christian Aid has never shied away from bold alliances or uncomfortable truths. At every turn, it has remained committed to a radical vision: a world where justice sings louder than despair.
— Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury
"Having worked with Christian Aid for more than thirty years, I commend Justice Song. The book not only chronicles the organisation's history but also explores the evolving meaning of development and the changing nature of Christian engagement with global justice. It traces the shift from charity to partnership, from aid to advocacy, reflecting broader changes in theology, politics and practice. 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."
— Robert Beckford, Professor of Climate and Social Justice, University of Winchester
"As a door-to-door collector, a partner (in Haiti) and a director (with Michael Taylor) - from pulpits, in lecture halls and from the red benches (in the House of Lords) - it seems as if Christian Aid has become part of my DNA. This book arrives at a kairos moment in the world we're living in - there was never a greater need for its message."
— Leslie Griffiths, Lord Griffiths of Burry Port
"Christian Aid has transformed lives and given hope to so many in some of the most daunting parts of the world. As this book clearly shows, we should all be so proud of their commitment and achievements in the fight against international poverty."
— Andrew Mitchell, former UK Secretary of State for International Development
"My first introduction to Christian Aid was collecting for them during Christian Aid Week. Many years later, I had a Christian Aid poster on my wall declaring that they believed in life before death. I have been a long-term fan of their work and, having a family member work for them also, am delighted to endorse the publication of this very fine book by Michael Taylor. This is an ideal book for all those wanting to know the back story of the admirable work undertaken by Christian Aid."
— Anthony G. Reddie, Professor of Black Theology, University of Oxford
"Justice Song is a story that needed to be told, not least as a reminder of the extraordinary impact that is created when committed people work together for a better world. Michael Taylor weaves together an account of how, from its foundation in the aftermath of the Second World War, Christian Aid has tried - and usually succeeded - in being a champion of peace, justice and human rights, challenging those in authority to use their power for the common good."
— Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
"There are many words one might use to describe the story of Christian Aid, which Michael Taylor's book tells with admirable freshness and energy, but the one I would choose is partnership - an organisation that is sufficiently humble and theological to want to work with rather than for or instead of others. It's an approach and a story we would do well to listen to today."
— Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow, Theos
When I needed a neighbour 19
2 Afghanistan 21
South Africas national anthem 32
3 On the campaign trail 33
4 Brazil 49
Momento novo - 'A new moment' 55
5 Christian identity, faith and theology... we believe in life
before death 56
6 Burma/Myanmar 71
Common ground 78
7 Christian Aid Week... the little red envelope 79
8 Haiti 90
9 Partnership... you'll never walk alone 101
Welcome to the Feast 112
10 India 113
11 Learning to care 126
12 Palestine 141
Sent by the Lord 151
13 The Big Issue 152
14 The Philippines 163
15 Sierra Leone 169
16 Pie charts and all that 181
17 Sudan and South Sudan 194
18 Untold stories 203
Magnificat 209
19 Hope and realism 210