Center for Public Justice
The Center for Public Justice is an American Christian think tank that develops and promotes policy perspectives shaped by a Christian understanding of public justice.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Center for Public Justice (CPJ) is an American Christian think tank based in Washington, D.C. It seeks to bring a Christian worldview to public policy while engaging questions of government, civil society, religious freedom, family policy, poverty, immigration, lending, and democratic responsibility. Rather than presenting itself as a conventional political campaign organization, CPJ works through research, public commentary, educational initiatives, fellow networks, coalition participation, and policy advocacy. The organization was founded in 1977 under the name Association for Public Justice. Its board of trustees adopted the name Center for Public Justice in 1990, reflecting a broader institutional identity focused on public-policy analysis and the relationship between faith and civic life. CPJ’s intellectual roots are associated with the Christian democratic and Reformed political traditions of Dutch thinkers including Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper, and Herman Dooyeweerd. These influences support an approach that views political institutions as having a positive, though limited and accountable, role in securing justice and supporting the flourishing of diverse communities. James W. Skillen was the organization’s first executive director, serving from 1981 to 2000, and later became president from 2000 to 2008. His work was important in shaping CPJ’s institutional development and its approach to Christian engagement in public life. Gideon Strauss subsequently served as chief executive officer. Strauss had earlier worked as an interpreter with South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and advised the group involved in drafting South Africa’s 1996 constitution. He later became a senior fellow at CPJ. Stephanie Summers has led the organization as chief executive officer since July 2011. CPJ’s work has included initiatives addressing the value of families in public policy, institutional religious freedom, civic education for younger people, and the role of faith-based organizations in social-service provision. Initiatives identified with the organization include Families Valued, the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, Shared Justice, and Sacred Sector. The organization has also published Capital Commentary, an online journal that has appeared weekly since 1996. A recurring theme in CPJ’s policy work is the possibility of cooperation between government and religious or community institutions without requiring those institutions to surrender their identity. The organization participated in the development and promotion of ideas associated with charitable choice provisions in the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. Through the work of senior fellow Stanley W. Carlson-Thies, CPJ also contributed to an intellectual and policy environment that helped lead to the creation of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The center has engaged immigration policy through advocacy for what it describes as a just model of immigration reform. In 2010 it sponsored a panel series with several partner organizations, including Nyack College’s Institute for Public Service & Policy Development, the Institute for Global Engagement, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. During the 2011 budget crisis, CPJ joined Evangelicals for Social Action in issuing a proposal on intergenerational justice and the American debt crisis. It has also participated in the Faith for Just Lending Coalition, which seeks to increase awareness of predatory lending and encourage action by individuals, lenders, churches, and government. Since 2019, CPJ has supported the Fairness for All Act, which combines protections against discrimination based on sex or sexual identity with protections for religious freedom. CPJ’s public identity is therefore built around Christian policy analysis, institutional pluralism, and the pursuit of justice through public institutions and civil society. Its influence is expressed primarily through policy ideas, coalition work, publications, and educational programming rather than through commercial products or electoral activity.
History
The Center for Public Justice was established in the United States in 1977 as the Association for Public Justice. From its beginning, the organization was concerned with the relationship between Christian convictions and public institutions. Its intellectual orientation developed within a Christian democratic and Reformed tradition associated with Dutch political and theological thinkers such as Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer, Abraham Kuyper, and Herman Dooyeweerd. In this tradition, government is neither expected to control every area of social life nor treated as irrelevant to justice. Instead, political authority has a legitimate but bounded responsibility to protect public justice and support the conditions in which families, religious communities, voluntary associations, and other institutions can contribute to social well-being. James W. Skillen became the organization’s first executive director in 1981 and held that position until 2000. He later served as president from 2000 through 2008. His long association with CPJ helped establish its approach to Christian political engagement, including attention to institutional diversity, the responsibilities of public officials, and the positive role that political processes can play in pursuing justice. In 1990, the board of trustees renamed the Association for Public Justice as the Center for Public Justice, giving the organization a name that more directly described its research and policy mission. CPJ’s policy work expanded around questions involving faith-based organizations, government partnerships, families, religious liberty, immigration, poverty, and public responsibility. The organization was involved in promoting charitable-choice provisions connected with the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. It also helped advance arguments for permitting religious and community organizations to participate in publicly supported social services while retaining their institutional character. Through the work of senior fellow Stanley W. Carlson-Thies, CPJ was an early advocate of ideas that later contributed to the development of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Since 1996, CPJ has published the weekly online journal Capital Commentary. The publication has provided a regular outlet for discussion of public policy and Christian civic thought. The organization has also developed or supported initiatives including Families Valued, the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance, Shared Justice, and Sacred Sector. These initiatives reflect different applications of the center’s broader interest in family policy, religious institutions, youth and civic formation, and the capacity of faith-based organizations to serve the public. Gideon Strauss served as chief executive officer before Stephanie Summers took over the role in July 2011. Strauss brought experience from South Africa, including work as an interpreter with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and advisory involvement with the group that drafted the country’s 1996 constitution. He later became a senior fellow at CPJ. Summers has led the organization as CEO since July 2011. The center’s public-policy engagement has included immigration reform. In 2010, it sponsored a panel series with Nyack College’s Institute for Public Service & Policy Development, the Institute for Global Engagement, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. The series presented a policy discussion informed by CPJ’s view that immigration reform should meet standards of justice. During the 2011 federal budget crisis, CPJ worked with Evangelicals for Social Action on A Call for Intergenerational Justice: A Christian Proposal for the American Debt Crisis. The statement framed public debt and fiscal policy as questions of responsibility between generations and attracted signers including Michael Gerson, Richard Mouw, Ron Sider, and Stephanie Summers. CPJ has also participated in the Faith for Just Lending Coalition, which seeks to draw attention to predatory lending and encourage responses from consumers, lenders, churches, and government. In the area of civil rights and religious liberty, CPJ supported the Fairness for All Act from its first introduction by Representative Chris Stewart in 2019. The measure sought to combine protection against discrimination based on sex or sexual identity with statutory safeguards for religious freedom. This position illustrates CPJ’s preference for policy approaches that attempt to reconcile competing public commitments rather than treating nondiscrimination and religious liberty as mutually exclusive. Today, CPJ remains an active Washington-based Christian think tank. Its work is conducted through policy analysis, publications, initiatives, advocacy, fellow networks, educational activity, and coalitions. It does not operate as a conventional consumer brand; its institutional reputation rests on its ideas, policy relationships, and role in debates about Christian participation in American public life.
- 2019
Support for the Fairness for All Act
[1]CPJ supported the first introduction of the Fairness for All Act, which paired nondiscrimination protections with religious-freedom protections.
- 2011
Stephanie Summers becomes chief executive officer
[1]Stephanie Summers became CEO in July 2011, succeeding Gideon Strauss.
- 2011
Intergenerational justice proposal released
[1]CPJ and Evangelicals for Social Action issued a Christian proposal addressing the American debt crisis and responsibilities between generations.
- 2010
Immigration-reform panel series
[1]CPJ sponsored a panel series on immigration reform with several academic, evangelical, and religious-engagement partners.
- 2008
James W. Skillen concludes presidency
[1]Skillen’s period as president ended after serving in the role from 2000 to 2008.
- 2000
James W. Skillen becomes president
[1]After nearly two decades as executive director, Skillen became president of the organization.
- 1996
Capital Commentary begins publication
[1]CPJ began publishing its weekly online journal, Capital Commentary.
- 1990
Organization renamed Center for Public Justice
[1]The board of trustees changed the organization’s name from Association for Public Justice to Center for Public Justice.
- 1981
James W. Skillen becomes executive director
[1]James W. Skillen began his tenure as the organization’s first executive director.
- 1977
Organization founded as the Association for Public Justice
[1]The organization was established in the United States under the name Association for Public Justice.
Products and positioning
A Christian public-policy think tank that emphasizes justice, institutional pluralism, religious freedom, family policy, and constructive engagement between government and civil society.
Online journal · 1996
Capital Commentary
Capital Commentary is CPJ’s weekly online journal, published since 1996. It provides a recurring platform for Christian reflection on public policy, political institutions, and civic responsibility. The journal forms part of the center’s broader publication and public-education work rather than functioning as a commercial media product.
Policy initiative
Families Valued
Families Valued is an initiative associated with CPJ’s interest in family policy and the social conditions affecting families. It reflects the organization’s view that public policy should recognize families as important social institutions and should consider how government decisions influence family stability, responsibility, and participation in community life.
Religious-freedom initiative
Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance
The Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance addresses the ability of religious organizations and faith-based institutions to maintain their convictions, practices, and organizational identities in public life. Its subject matter is consistent with CPJ’s wider emphasis on pluralism and on allowing diverse institutions to contribute to society without unnecessary loss of religious freedom.
Civic education initiative
Shared Justice
Shared Justice is an initiative connected with CPJ’s work to encourage civic learning and public engagement. It applies the center’s Christian understanding of justice to questions of community, political participation, and the responsibilities of citizens and institutions.
Faith-based sector initiative
Sacred Sector
Sacred Sector is an initiative associated with CPJ’s interest in the contribution of religious organizations to public and community life. It reflects the organization’s broader work on faith-based institutions, public partnerships, and the role of civil society in addressing social needs.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Fairness for All advocacy
United States
CPJ supported the Fairness for All Act from its first introduction, endorsing an approach that combined protections against discrimination based on sex or sexual identity with safeguards for religious freedom.
Outcome. The position became part of CPJ’s public advocacy on the relationship between civil-rights protections and institutional religious liberty.
- 2011A Call for Intergenerational Justice
United States
Working with Evangelicals for Social Action, CPJ issued A Call for Intergenerational Justice: A Christian Proposal for the American Debt Crisis during the federal budget crisis.
Outcome. The proposal framed debt and fiscal policy as questions of justice between generations and attracted prominent Christian and public-policy signers.
- 2010Immigration Reform panel series
United States
CPJ sponsored a panel series on immigration reform in partnership with Nyack College’s Institute for Public Service & Policy Development, the Institute for Global Engagement, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
Outcome. The series advanced public discussion of an immigration-reform model that CPJ characterized as just.
- 1994Charitable-choice advocacy
United States
CPJ became involved in promoting charitable-choice provisions before their association with the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. The effort supported the participation of faith-based organizations in publicly supported social services while preserving their institutional identity.
Outcome. The ideas promoted through this work became associated with charitable-choice provisions in the 1996 welfare legislation and later influenced debate about federal faith-based partnerships.
Brand decisions
2019
Support for Fairness for AllStrategyBackground
The proposed legislation addressed both discrimination based on sex or sexual identity and religious-freedom protections.
Action taken
CPJ publicly supported the act from its first introduction.
Aftermath
The support reinforced CPJ’s advocacy for policy compromises that seek to protect civil rights while preserving institutional religious freedom.
2011
Stephanie Summers appointed chief executive officerOtherBackground
Gideon Strauss had previously served as CEO and later became a senior fellow.
Action taken
Stephanie Summers assumed the CEO position in July 2011.
Aftermath
Summers has continued to lead the organization according to the available reference material.
1990
Adoption of the Center for Public Justice nameStrategyBackground
The organization had operated since 1977 as the Association for Public Justice and sought an identity more directly associated with its public-policy and justice mission.
Action taken
The board of trustees renamed the organization Center for Public Justice.
Aftermath
The new name became the organization’s enduring institutional identity.
Recent events
- 2019
Center for Public Justice supports the Fairness for All Act[1]
Regulation
CPJ supported legislation intended to prohibit discrimination based on sex or sexual identity while also providing protections for religious freedom.
- 2011
Center for Public Justice issues intergenerational-justice proposal during budget crisis[1]
Other
CPJ and Evangelicals for Social Action released a Christian proposal addressing intergenerational justice and the American debt crisis during the federal budget debate.
- 2010
Center for Public Justice participates in immigration-reform panel series[1]
Other
CPJ sponsored a panel series on immigration reform with academic, evangelical, religious-engagement, and Hispanic Christian organizations, presenting arguments for what it considered a just reform model.
- 1996
Center for Public Justice promotes charitable choice and faith-based social services[1]
Regulation · Other
The organization promoted charitable-choice provisions associated with the 1996 Welfare Reform Act and advocated a constructive role for religious organizations in publicly supported social services.
Sources2 sources
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