Published in 1998, The Silent Church: Human Rights and Adventist Social Ethics is a book born out of a young pastor's daily walk past homeless people in London — and the haunting question of why his church had nothing to say to them. More than 25 years later, its diagnosis remains painfully relevant.

Dr. Zdravko Plantak joins Dilys and Nathan to trace the book's origins, its reception, and its ongoing challenge to the Adventist church. The conversation moves through the Kingdom of God as both present and future reality, the difference between peacekeepers and peacemakers, the church's retreat from official justice pronouncements since the 1980s and 90s, and what it means to recover the prophetic voice — not just institutionally, but in small communities of believers committed to action.

Ezekiel Teo adds a vital younger-generation perspective, reflecting on how the book's diagnosis still matches his lived experience as a young Adventist today — in Singapore, in the US, and across the global church. His challenge to church leaders: stop keeping the peace and start making it.

The episode closes with a hopeful charge from Dilys: we believe that action creates hope. A church that acts, not just speaks, is the church JustLove Collective is working toward.

Rooted in Micah 6:8, JustCoz believes justice is more than a cause — it's a calling.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00  Intro & Theme Music

1:00  Host Welcome & Episode Overview

3:00  Personal Connection to JustLove's Mission

5:00  Guest Introductions — Dr. Zdravko Plantak & Ezekiel Teo

7:00  The Story Behind The Silent Church — London, Homelessness & Phil Collins

12:00  How the Book Was Received by the Church

16:00  Ezekiel's Discovery of the Book & Its Continued Relevance

20:00  The Kingdom of God: Now and Not Yet

25:00  What Do We Mean by "Church"? Corporate vs. Local Community

29:00  The Church's Official Statements — More Active in the 80s and 90s

33:00  Peacemakers vs. Peacekeepers — A Word for Church Leaders

38:00  Zach's Hopeful Vision: Students Carrying the Mantle Forward

42:00  Closing — A Church That Acts, Not Just Speaks

44:00  Host Sign-Off & Episode Credits

KEY QUOTES

"Concern for justice and human rights is the ultimate test on which a church stands or falls in its understanding of God's nature and God's desire for creating humankind."

"Are we just keeping the peace or are we making peace? Because peacemaking is also speaking up where we are silenced."

"I don't recognize Jesus of Nazareth in Christianity today. We need to go back."

"We are not sitting ducks waiting for divine intervention. Are we not co-creators?"

"Action creates hope."

Featured Book

The Silent Church: Human Rights and Adventist Social Ethics — Dr. Zdravko Plantak (Macmillan Press, 1998)

People & Works Referenced This Episode

Jürgen Moltmann — Theology of Hope

John Brand — Now and Not Yet (Kingdom of God concept)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer — "Who is Jesus Christ for us today?"

Phil Collins — "Another Day in Paradise" (cultural prophets)

Bob Dylan — "Blowin' in the Wind"

Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles) — Social loneliness and community

Ellen White — Kingdom of Grace and Kingdom of Glory

Proverbs 31 — Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves

Luke 4 — Jesus' Nazareth Manifesto

Matthew 24–25 — Signs of the times and caring for the least

Chuck Scriven, Roy Branson, Doug Morgan — Adventist justice scholars

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — The Danger of a Single Story (referenced by Dilys)

CALL TO ACTION

This Week's Challenge

Ask yourself: Is my church keeping the peace or making it? Then identify one issue in your local community where your faith community could move from silence to action — and take one step toward making that happen, however small.

Book Recommendation

Read The Silent Church by Dr. Zdravko Plantak — and ask what has changed since 1998, and what hasn't.

EPISODE CREDITS

Dilys Brooks — Co-Host & Content Producer

Nathan Brown — Co-Host & Editorial Feedback

Beverly Maravilla Jaramillo — Scheduling Coordination & Guest Confirmations

Sam Gungaloo — Audio Engineer Web Content Manager

Corban Rosspencer — Mix & Master

Music

Lumber Down — Intro Music, licensed via Riverside FM

Palms Down — Outro Music, licensed via Riverside FM

The JustCoz is a podcast of JustLove Collective.