Books
My Top 5 Books On Poverty
Picks from Brian Fikkert, co-author of 'When Helping Hurts.'
Brian Fikkert | posted 4/12/2011 12:00AM
This classic documents the riveting story and enduring principles of one of the greatest heroes of the civil rights era. Despite little formal education, Perkins combines practical theology, a deep understanding of grace, and keen insights on the essential elements of community development.
Sider's 1977 book was a prophetic call for evangelical Christians to make a radical commitment to end global poverty. His appeal to Scripture moved a generation of Christians to believe loving poor people is inherent to following Jesus Christ.
Easterly, a secular economist, demonstrates that good intentions are not enough. Improper incentives and inadequate information plague most attempts at poverty alleviation, with profound implications for Christian efforts.
Combining theology, social science research, and grassroots experience, Gornik narrates how the New Song Church in Baltimore created one of the premier examples of Christian community development in the U.S.
Arguing that poverty is fundamentally relational rather than material, Myers critiques the standard Western approaches and provides an essential handbook for pursuing transformational development for both the rich and the poor.
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Related Elsewhere:Let Justice Roll Down,
Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger,
The White Man's Burden,
To Live in Peace, and
Walking with the Poor are available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers. Brian Fikkert's When Helping Hurts is also available.
Previous Christianity Today articles on poverty include:
An Obligation to Remember Eternally? |
Resentment, even in the name of justice, is not for those who expect God's final reconciliation. (May 18, 2007)
Centering on Poverty | A coalition of the Right and Left launches a new project to reduce poverty. (February 17, 2009)
How We Fight Poverty | U.N. Millennium Development Goals are good—as far as they go. (December 5, 2007)
Can We Defeat Poverty? | Unless Africa tames corruption, new aid efforts will fail. (September 26, 2005)
Previous Top 5 lists have featured dating, poetry, C.S. Lewis, the historical Jesus, family ministry, the problem of evil, biographies of theologians, orphans, prayer, doubt, community, sports, parenting, Advent, life ethics, emerging movement, Islam, loss, Calvin, spiritual memoirs, neglected doctrines, spiritual memoirs, marriage, Lent, fiction books for the soul, managing your money, devotionals, how character shapes belief, food, atheism, China, presidents, world Christianity, ancient-future faith, the civil rights era, social justice, church history, popular culture, the Civil War, apologetics, atheism, and sex.
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April 2011, Vol. 55, No. 4, Page 64