They rest on a communitarian ethic that regards both prior historical injustice to groups of people and goals of fair democratic participation for all in both private and public life. These historic injustices and the goals of equal opportunity involve institutions which are under the control of churches, non-governmental agencies, and the state. In short, affirmative action is goal oriented, envisaging a barrierless society which enhances personal realization and mutual responsibility. Affirmative action is both a democratic tradition and a present need. The theological foundations for affirmative action are as broad and deep as the covenant idea in the Hebrew Scripture and the kingdom of God ethic taught by Jesus.
Salvation rests on an ethic of righteousness and grace.
The ideal of the year of jubilee engages the Torah, the prophets, and ministry of Jesus. Human solidarity and compassion for the oppressed underlie the church's communitarian mission. Affirmative action, resting on God's righteous rule and God's love for each person, requires the church to institute fair practices in its own life and to infuse the whole community with a spirit of rectification of past abuses and an eagerness to make possible equal opportunity for all in life and work. Indeed, the church should be a pro-active model for the whole secular order. Affirmative action programs may become problematic at the juncture of competing claims of competence, merit, methods of personnel selection, prior condition of advantage or disadvantage, goals of the institution, and the inclusive goals of establishing a just, participatory, and sustainable society.