Co-authors bridge law and art
Review of "Beauty and Justice" by Makoto Fujimura and Haejin Shim Fujimura.
Beauty and Justice: Creating a Life of Abundance and Courage
By Haejin & Makoto Fujimura
Brazos
2026
Reading Beauty and Justice is like walking through an art gallery. Each paragraph has the potential to capture one’s imagination, causing one to linger before moving to the next piece.
Makoto Fujimura, the artist, partners with his wife Haejin Shim Fujimura, the lawyer. This is a winsome picture of two lives and vocations joining.
They understand the work of beauty and justice in light of Christ’s gospel as kintsugi: taking what is broken by sin then carefully joining fractured pieces to re-create the original work, one more lovely and valuable by being repaired than it would be if it was never broken.
They lay out ideological, theological, relational and cultural convictions that led them to their respective fields. They consider biblical concepts of mishpat and tsedaqah, “justice” and “righteousness,” as central to both the Christian vision of the New Creation and the life of discipleship. They explore cultivating room for possibility. Haejin uses the image of an estuary for creating fragile liminal spaces which require intentional conservation. (“Estuary” is also the name of her nonprofit collaborative, which houses diverse partners: a law firm, a justice NGO, a global art collaborative, a culture care group, a peacemaking agency and an art gallery.)
Abundance
Exploring their healing after the 9/11 terror attacks, the covid pandemic, family challenges and professional disillusionment, the authors emphasize the importance of art, creativity, catharsis and community. They call us to trust in God’s abundance in a scarcity culture, allowing grace to overflow in our lives and work. The Christian discipline of giving thanks in the midst of suffering sustains believers in their calling by keeping hearts close to God. Our vocation cultivates hope and confidence for the next generation. Haejin shares the inspiring story of working in India, empowering children in one of the country’s poorest and most oppressive neighbourhoods. The authors conclude with a renewed gospel vision for both law and art: setting the world right, confident in what Christ has accomplished.
This inspiring work weaves together and between the genres of memoir, manifesto and theological reflection. Haejin’s personal familiarity with the topic of modern-day slavery offers an illuminating and sobering perspective on what is now a political cause célèbre plagued by misinformation and ignorance.
At times the book feels self-promotional: highlighting the authors’ nonprofits, lauding their approaches to management and professional development. But this is a minor flaw. Overall, this offers a compelling vision for both law and art that pursue and point to the coming kingdom of shalom.
