When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 1,646 ratings · 276 reviews

Churches and individual Christians typically have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty, resulting in the use of strategies that do considerable harm to poor people and themselves. When Helping Hurts provides foundational concepts, clearly articulated general principles and relevant applications that make it ideal for Sunday School classes, small group studies, mi...more

ebook, 240 pages

Published June 24th 2009 by Moody Publishers

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 19, 2012 John Martindale rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to John by: Pastor Bynum

Shelves: favorites, hope-to-re-read, audiobook

A very good book, though it is messing up my world. Their chapter on why short term mission trips are typically more harmful then good, was unsettling (Especially since my job is to host short term mission teams), I disagree with them on some points (for example, they claimed short term trips don't result in more full time missionaries, but I am a full time missionary because of going on short term mission trips and practically ever missionary I know has the same story). but yeah, I still see ho...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Barnabas Piper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first half of this book should get 6 or 7 out of five stars. The principles, concepts, and framework it presents are ministry and mindset altering. For me, as someone who gravitates toward that kind of instruction and thinking, it was priceless. The second half of the book looked deeper at particular areas of ministry such as short term missions or micro finance, so it was aimed a bit more at practitioners. Over all, this is one of the few books that I think every single missionary, pastor,...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Harold Cameron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“How TO Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting The Poor And Yourself”

“With a new foreword by David Platt, two new chapters and a final word on how to help without hurting, this expanded edition of When Helping Hurts creates a new paradigm for partnership by asking Christians to declare and demonstrate among people who are poor that Jesus Christ is making all things new. While this book exposes past and current development efforts that churches have engaged in which unintentionally undermine the peopl...more “How TO Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting The Poor And Yourself”

“With a new foreword by David Platt, two new chapters and a final word on how to help without hurting, this expanded edition of When Helping Hurts creates a new paradigm for partnership by asking Christians to declare and demonstrate among people who are poor that Jesus Christ is making all things new. While this book exposes past and current development efforts that churches have engaged in which unintentionally undermine the people they're trying to help, its central point is to provide proven strategies that challenge Christians to help the poor empower themselves. Focusing on both North American and Majority World contexts, When Helping Hurts catalyzes the idea that sustainable change for people living in poverty comes not from the outside-in, but from the inside-out.” (Moody Publishers Website)

About the Authors: STEVE CORBETT is the Community Development Specialist for the Chalmers Center for Economic Development and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Community Development at Covenant College. Previously, Steve worked for Food for the Hungry International as the Regional Director for Central And South America and as Director of Staff Training. Steve has a B.A. from covenant College and a M.Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Georgia.

DR. BRIAN FIKKERT is a Professor of Economics and the founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He has been a consultant to the World Bank and is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he was a professor at the University of Maryland--College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.

My Thoughts About The Book: The book starts with a true and compelling as well as heart touching story written by Steve about his experiences ministering to the impoverished and needy people in Uganda. The story lays a foundation for what the authors are going to share in their book concerning alleviating poverty without hurting the poor as well as ourselves.

The book consists of 3 main parts: “Foundational Concepts For Helping Without Hurting,” “General Principles for Helping Without Hurting,” and “Practical Strategies for Helping Without Hurting.” The authors do a superb job of explaining what the problems are concerning our helping the hurting and poor as well providing the best solutions for helping them. And this is information that is relevant and timely considering the state of our nation and world.

Staring in Part 1 and Chapter 1 with an explanation why Jesus came the authors then define the problem in Chapter 2 concluding with Chapter 3 that asks the question, “Are We There yet? and then answers it.

In Part 2 and Chapter 4, “Not All Poverty is Considered Equal” author’s Corbett and Fikkert explains that there are different types of need and thus different types of help required to meet the need. In this chapter the author’s write, “One of the biggest mistakes that North American Churches make-by far-is in applying relief in situations in which rehabilitation or development is the appropriate intervention.” Different types of problems require different types of help, however, many churches wrongly use a one solution fits all approach to their ministry to the hurting, needy and poor. In Chapter 5, “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, and Their ASSETS” the authors refer to using the “asset based community development” approach to help the needy. However, they do also state that in the event the need can not be met with the assets of those whom the church is trying to help, we then need to use what we have to help. But as the authors write, “Rather than trying to “fix” them (the poor), they engage in relationships with them,” following the Biblical model that ultimately leads to helping those who are hurting. And that is exactly how Jesus helped the poor and hurting in his ministry so as his model and methods worked the best at getting the most effective and lasting results, we should also follow Christ’s example in our helping of the poor. In Chapter 6 the authors refer to an example of what happened when a non profit organization tried to help a village in Columbia providing equipment to produce rice, however, after the people involved in the organization left them, everything fell apart in the village, literally. When people from the non profit went back to the village years later the equipment that had been donated was broken down, rusting away, or never used at all. They write that “despite an estimated $2.3 trillion in foreign aid dispensed from Western nations during the post-World War II era,” more than 2.5 billion people, approximately 40% of the world’s population, still live on less than two dollars per day. So, what we did and in many cases still do to try and help the poorest of the poor in our world has been woefully ineffective and unsuccessful. The authors then go on to share effective and successful strategies to providing help to the poor stressing the need and importance of joint participation – between the poor and those wanting to help – in order to achieve the best and most lasting results.

In Part 3 and Chapter 7 the authors address the issue of doing “Short-Term Missions, Without Doing Long-Term Harm,” reminding us that our going is “not about us, but rather, it is about them.” And they offer some invaluable insights a to how to properly do short-term mission trips that will have the most impact. In Chapter 8 the authors remind us that even though there are significant needs globally there are also enormous unmet needs right here in our own backyard, that is, here in the US. Poverty in the US is pandemic and the churches need to learn how to more effectively serve Christ and the poor right here in our own country. And finally in Chapter 9 authors Corbett and Fikkert address the issue of ministering effectively to the impoverished throughout the “ends of the earth.” They share the scope of the problem globally as well as practical ways that the church and Christians can do more to help “Alleviate Poverty Worldwide without Hurting the Poor” and us.

I found the book When Helping Hurts sobering and convicting causing me to want to not only do more to help the poor and needy both in the US as well as worldwide, but to do so in a way that helps them, glorifies God and does not hurt me. If you have a concern for the poor and want to help them then I highly recommend your reading this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book at no cost from Moody Publishing Company for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."(less)

like · see review

Nov 06, 2012 Christy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So here's the thing. This book contains radically important and often overlooked information. Sometimes the band-aids we put on what we view as poverty ends up causing much more harm than good in the long run, in ways we've refused to see. I get that. It points out that we sometimes see ourselves as some kind of savior, perfect and needing to share that perfection which is just all wrong. I get that too. I also feel more and more that we should help smarter-put our time and effort into the ways...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 29, 2012 The other John rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, theology, sociology, curiosity

I picked up this book in the hope that it would have some advice on the eternal question of what's the best way to respond to a panhandler. Of course, I didn't find a pat, easy answer. What I found instead was a book geared more towards those in church leadership whose congregations wish to offer collective aid to the poor. The authors do a very good job of presenting a holistic view of ministering to the impoverished, pointing out that poverty is more than just material wealth but also extends...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Paul Sheldon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: church-the, theology

Steven Corbett is the community development specialist for the Chalmers Center for Economic Development, and an assistant professor in the department of economics and community development at Covenant College. Brian Fikkert is and associate professor of economics at Covenant College, and the founder and executive director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. These two men have partnered to write a book challenging Christians, specifically North American Christians...more Steven Corbett is the community development specialist for the Chalmers Center for Economic Development, and an assistant professor in the department of economics and community development at Covenant College. Brian Fikkert is and associate professor of economics at Covenant College, and the founder and executive director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. These two men have partnered to write a book challenging Christians, specifically North American Christians, to rethink how they approach poverty-alleviation both at home and abroad.

This book consist of three major parts. Part 1 establishes the groundwork for all poverty-alleviation by helping the reader understand the nature and implications of poverty. Part 2 then builds from the groundwork of part 1 a structure of poverty-alleviation based on three key components of an effective alleviation strategy, namely relief, rehabilitation, and development. Part 3 applies the concepts of relief, rehabilitation, and development to “ecomonic development” helping the reader understand the fundamentals of a strategy for the alleviation of poverty that is effective and glorifying to God.

This book does not promote a social gospel, it does not diminish the importance of evangelism and discipleship (for example, “the gospel and its implications for humans’ relationships to God, self, others, and the rest of creation must be clearly presented and modeled in all poverty-alleviation strategies.”), and it does not speak to every area or even most areas of missions and outreach. The goal is simply to address how the church can more effectively minister to the needs of the poor. Think of missions and outreach as a pie and poverty-alleviation as a piece of that pie. This book simply focuses its attention on that one piece of pie. Additionally, it should be noted that this book is not the be-all end-all book for poverty-alleviation. By the authors’ own admission the issue of poverty is multifaceted, far reaching, and extremely complex. This book is simply and introduction to how the church should start thinking about poverty-alleviation so as to produce lasting results.

As good as this book was (and I consider it to be very good) there were a few things that I think could have been better handled. First, I think the first chapter, if not read carefully, could lead the reader to think that poverty-alleviation was the singular, or at least most significant, role of the local church. That is not the authors’ intention, but I think the possibility is very real. Second, while the importance of proclaiming the Gospel and discipling believers is stated throughout the book I would have like to see more specifically the connection between evangelism and discipleship and poverty-alleviation, rather than a simple acknowledgement that the connection exists.

What I loved about the book was the clear explanation and illustration of why so much of what is currently being done in the realm of poverty-alleviation is not only ineffective but also harmful to the poor. I appreciated the care which was shown in explaining why people are poor. I think the authors’ description of the cause of poverty was very balanced. They point to four primary causes: lack of knowledge, oppression by powerful people, personal sins of the poor, or a lack of material resources. I believe we tend to think there is only one cause for poverty, as a result we respond in only one way. The balanced approach to dealing with poverty resonated with me, and helped me to see that while most churches (mine included) tend to most often provide the type of aid that is the least helpful they can through a balanced approach to poverty-alleviation be quite effective in ministering to the needs of the poor.

This book has without a doubt helped to reshape the way I think of poverty-alleviation and the role the local church plays in that arena of ministry. I can envision this book being beneficial for either a personal or group study. While it only serves as an introduction to the complex issue of poverty-alleviation I am certain that it will be a powerful tool in the development or redevelopment of ministries focused on glorifying God by tackling the tough issue of poverty.(less)

like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Shannon Bailey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was required reading for our Uganda team -- the Sozo Children organization uses it with all of their teams. Although pretty academic in nature and a little hard to get through the first half, it's an extremely helpful and thought-provoking book. It really turns the tables on the typical missions mindset of "We know everything, and we're going to come fix everything. Our money will fix everything. You (the locals) don't know what you're doing." It talks about the RIGHT way to do short term m...more

like · see review

Sep 17, 2011 Joanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an absolute must-read for those who are engaging in the current trend toward missional poverty alleviation efforts. Corbett begins with a Biblically based understanding on broken relationships derived from the fall and their radiating effects to all the various relationships that make up our social structures. He marries this Biblical understanding to scholarly research on social work, highlighting especially potential misconceptions or matters of ignorance in the common practices of pov...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Marcus Lynn added it · review of another edition

Shelves: church-leadership

Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert have done a great service for the Church in their book When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself.

One of the major premises of the book is that “until we can embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good.” Their central point is, ” One of the biggest problems in many poverty-alleviation efforts is that their design and implementation exacerbates the poverty of being of...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 17, 2009 Cyndia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a helpful book for determining a biblical framework for engaging in ministry to the materially poor with a humble attitude. The book does a great job of pointing out how the local church should be engaged in meeting the needs of the poor as the Bible makes it clear the local church is to do. I like the relationship focus of the book. The poor are not to be helped financially without regard to the spiritual condition of their lives, and any help should take a true relational approach...more

like · see review

Aug 31, 2011 Mark Ward rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Our help to needy people should come in three stages: relief, rehabilitation, and development. Hurricane victims need relief—right away. But we can hurt others–and ourselves—if we insist on doling out relief when what they need is (personal) rehabilitation and (community) development. It's easier, in a way, to just give money to buy relief. But the personal work it takes to go on to further stages is daunting, not least because as regenerated people we know that a needy persons truest needs are...more

like · see review

Apr 19, 2013 Devin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian, economics, favorites

How do we help the poor without hurting the poor and ourselves? What sort of harm can wrongful helping cause? Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett ask and answer these questions in their attempt to help Christians think of poverty alleviation so as to initiate long-term results. Were they successful? I think so.

The authors begin by establishing their rationale and motivation for engaging in poverty alleviation in the first place. In an American context, helping the poor seems like a Liberal idea whil...more How do we help the poor without hurting the poor and ourselves? What sort of harm can wrongful helping cause? Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett ask and answer these questions in their attempt to help Christians think of poverty alleviation so as to initiate long-term results. Were they successful? I think so.

The authors begin by establishing their rationale and motivation for engaging in poverty alleviation in the first place. In an American context, helping the poor seems like a Liberal idea while fostering a certain economic environment is the goal of Conservatives. These books excuse the dichotomy and demonstrate that a Christian is called to both. Poverty alleviation involves mercy and wisdom.

Poverty, though, is not only about a lack of money or resources. No, the authors point out, employing some important, globally focused research from a couple decades ago, that poverty has many psychological and spiritual aspects also. The poor feel isolated, downtrodden, and socially neglected. They have feelings of powerlessness and inferiority. "Poverty alleviation," therefore, includes addressing these feelings as well as their material want. With this distinction in mind, between poverty and material poverty, the authors walk with careful nuances on how ministries can be incredibly successful or absolute failures to do what they aim to do.

Fikkert presents himself as especially vulnerable, telling personal stories of his past mistakes. He knows first hand how difficult it can be for a Western Christian to look past his gut-reaction and really evaluate what might be the best course of action.

In most cases, the authors advise that the best course of action is to let the poor being helped decide the best course of action. This might seem counter-intuitive to a modern, Christian audience. Nevertheless, the authors demonstrate how the poor know what they need better than the rich do, and by letting them take charge of helping themselves, they feel dignified and step out of the psychological pieces that may prevent them from every building wealth.

This book really is a rarity. Not only do the authors create a strong case for helping the poor, they also include sections on wealth-building. North American Christians might easily see that when they build wealth they have resources with which they might help the poor. The authors here, though, push further to emphasize that the poor themselves need to begin to build their own wealth if they are ever to lift themselves out of their materially impoverished estate for the long-term.

Every missions pastor needs to read this book. Every wealthy Christian who doesn't quite see how to bridge the gap between himself and the materially poor should read this book. Really, I don't think anyone can go wrong by reading this book! At least add it to your "to read" list.(less)

like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Susie added it · review of another edition

This book is an excellent read for people no matter where they may be serving. If you heart is burdened to do something to help people who live all around us it's important to read this book first. We need to stop and consider what this author has said before we throw money around thinking that we're helping. We may actually be hurting, and I don't think any of us want to do that! We need to understand that "Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2012 Jill Boyd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the best book I've ever read on this subject. My basic take away is that true, effective, sincere help is possible when given in humility and the attitude that we're all broken and in need. The reason people are in need is because their basic relationships are weak...their relationships to family, friends, God and creation. Completely fixing these things are impossible but we can help in a way that takes time, time, time and energy, energy, energy and be effective.

So hey, maybe giving a...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 18, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian, non-fiction

I'd recently read The Hole in our Gospel, and thought it a compelling call to action. This book, recommended to me by a friend, is a plan of action. Well, not a plan perhaps, but a set of guidelines and considerations on how to help effectively. Basically, it about how not to make things worse by throwing money around and attempting to rescue those who do not need *you* to rescue them. It focuses on the need of both rich and poor for the true Savior to rescue them, and how to effectively ministe...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 12, 2009 Go2therock rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The last commenter, although respectful, missed the point of the book - and what others spoke to as well. The book's purpose is not to avoid hurting yourself, but to consider what you do so as not to hurt those Christ calls us to help. I've checked out White Man's Burden from the library, under a friend's recommendation. It's proving to be a bit more difficult to slog through. But Brian Fikkert addresses the same realm of issues in a far more simple and clear way. When Helping Hurts confirms a l...more

like · see review

Sep 08, 2012 David Meldrum rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: discipleship, social-justice, leadership, 5-star-books

Essential reading for any Christian, church leader or NGO worker in the field of aid and development. Written from a (necessarily) North American perspective, this book breaks the hard news that much of what we think helps in fact hurts - both the materially poor and ourselves, the materially rich.

Grounded in a good Biblical theology which most orthodox Christians (should) struggle to disagree with, this lays out the case for a longer-term view and commitment. The concepts and practical tools o...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2013 Darren Sapp rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The authors essentially answer the question of whether a handout or a hand up is better. Well, as they state, it depends. They cover numerous scenarios where throwing money at a situation made it worse, or lack of cultural understanding wasted thousands of dollars. This will not inspire you for missions, as that is not the intent, but educate you about missions and ministry. It covers most issues for laypersons, mission committees, churches, etc. to consider.

Regarding short-term missions (STM),...more

like · see review

Dec 09, 2010 Becca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a wonderful introduction to the complexities of compassion ministry. Fikkert shows how the modern American church can sometimes push itself into places of physical need with an overconfidence and paternalism that doesn't respect the dignity of those being helped. As a result, the wealthy receive a sense of accomplishment... while the cycles of physical poverty are actually exacerbated by our efforts.

So how can we help the poor without hurting them? Fikkert offers practical insight i...more

like · see review

May 28, 2010 Readnponder rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book in connection with my church job. One of the co-authors came and spoke to the congregation. All too often, well-meaning people try to help the poor but in a way that backfires and actually perpetuates poverty.

The authors distinguish between "relief" and "development". Relief is appropriate after a natural disaster, for example, when food, clean water, medical care, and shelter are the immediate needs. But for long-term poverty, development--not relief--is the better way to go....more

like · see review

Jul 11, 2010 Missjgray rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm about a year behind everyone else reading this. But that's ok, I've read plenty else that, I think, provides a good context for understanding where this book is coming from, and where it could be going. This book points out some relevant questions, but answers them from a very arrogant point of view (while affirming non-arrogance) and does little to provide motivation other than selfish reasoning. Don't help the poor the wrong way or you'll hurt yourself and waste your time.

There seems to b...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 12, 2010 Dale rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a helpful reminder of things that many authors have previously said ("give a man a fish...teach a man to fish..."); but it didn't break any new ground.

But there was a general tone, especially in the Forward and the Preface, towards Marxism.

In the Forward, Dr. John Perkins calls for the need for "social justice." That has become code word not for justice and mercy for the poor, but the call for the government to redistribute wealth.

In the Preface, the authors favorably discuss the...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 07, 2010 John Gardner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is so much brokenness in this world. Even here in America, we can see that things are not as they should be. Marriages end. Children are abused. Crimes go unpunished and the innocent often suffer. Babies are aborted by the millions.

When we leave our borders, this brokenness becomes even more magnified as we encounter billions of people living in abject poverty, without access to the basic needs for human survival. Every day, people die by the thousands due to starvation and preventable dis...more

like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Brandon Stiver rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spiritual-formation

A very good a very important book. It puts such good words and thoughts to a very important part of what it means to walk in justice as a follower of the Lord. I highly suggest this to every single Christian. We are called to walk in justice and to do it in a way that is effective and glorifying to God. I think that I'm going to start suggesting this book to anyone that wants to pursue short term trips in Tanzania, because it is that important. The authors present very biblical and very practica...more

like · see review

Mar 22, 2011 Mike E. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: justice-issues-poverty

I would highly encourage any Christian who desires to obey the Bible’s call for Christians to love and care for the poor (Jeremiah 22:3; James 1:27 et. al.) to read this book. The book looks at how evangelicals should help the poor from an uncommon and fresh perspective. The book is almost like a seminar with practical--and sometimes overloading and overwhelming practicality.

The gist of the book is this, “”Until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do fa...more I would highly encourage any Christian who desires to obey the Bible’s call for Christians to love and care for the poor (Jeremiah 22:3; James 1:27 et. al.) to read this book. The book looks at how evangelicals should help the poor from an uncommon and fresh perspective. The book is almost like a seminar with practical--and sometimes overloading and overwhelming practicality.

The gist of the book is this, “”Until we embrace our mutual brokenness, our work with low-income people is likely to do far more harm than good (64).” With a central thesis like this, readers will need to get over their prideful response of “Who do these guys think they are!” Once your heart gets to a teachable place, few will not find help, challenge, and specifics for the task in this short, practical book.

Another thread that runs through the book is that rich people like us need to recognize our sin or what the authors call “god-complexes.” This is a “subtle and unconscious sense of superiority in which [we] believe that we have achieved our wealth through our own efforts and that we have been anointed to decide what is best for low-income people, whom we view as inferior to ourselves (65).”

According to the authors the North American church finds itself locked into the following equation:

Material def. of poverty +
God-complexes of Materially Non-poor +
Feelings of Inferiority of Materially Poor =
--------------------------------------------------------
Harm to both materially poor and Non-poor

The authors helpfully point the reader to the conclusions of experts like Nobel Laureate Amarty Sen. What is the distinguishing feature of poverty? Most of us would naturally think it is material. Sen concludes that it is the “lack of freedom to be able to make meaningful choices--to have an ability to affect one’s situation (71).” We don’t really move the poor forward with handouts. We need to help them become self-sufficient & totally dependent on Christ. We can help the poor with the former. They can help us (the rich) with the latter.

The authors, I believe, rightly identify that one of the biggest errors North American churches make is to apply relief (handouts, emergency aid) in situations in which rehabilitation or development is the appropriate intervention (105). In the USA, the poor need our friendship and leadership in becoming disciples more than they need food or clothing.

I could go on and on but you will profit from reading about how we need to identify the assets and spiritual gifts of the poor.

Also, the section evaluating and critiquing short-term missions (STM) trips should be read by anyone leading or participating in a STM.(less)

like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 Dalaina May rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, non-fiction

As a missionary to a Majority World country, I was blown away by this book. It explained so much of what I have observed and answered many of my questions about poverty. I really enjoyed the explanations of why poverty exists from systemic, cultural, and spiritual standpoints, and I was very challenged to look at my own biases and paternalistic practices.

In particular, I though the chapter on short term missions was invaluable. I will require any short term team that I host to read this book and...more

like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Stephanie Simon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book with a group of people going to Kenya from my church on a medical mission about three summers ago. If you can get past some of the pretentious language you will find some profound thought. For instance maybe our best intentions damage the ones we mean to help and dignity and self reliance are gifts with no price. The one that really hit me was that we are all impoverished spiritually (in some fashion) and God alone through his works is the cure. Not money and not even good deeds...more

like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow! This is a book that will go beyond stepping on toes.....it stomps on them, slaps your face and pierces your heart! Steve Corbett makes total sense and addresses the alleviation of poverty in a way totally opposite of what I generally hear in churches or in literature geared toward sparking folks to "get involved in missions." Those in poverty focus on the shame and humiliation that comes with an inability to provide for yourself or your family. It seems that the focus of many Americans with...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2011 Blake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fikkert and Corbett have produced a well written and very accessible book for those interested in thoughtfully engaging poverty. I've read the book twice; each time it has re-shaped my understanding of what it means to draw near to the vulnerable in our society in the name of the Jesus.

I have a clearer understanding of what poverty actually is (in contrast to how my background and culture have defined it) and I have a greater sense of what it means to seek renewal in both our local and global c...more

like · see review

Aug 22, 2010 Drick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: community-work, theological

I chose this book for two of my classes this fall, Christ and the City & The Theology of Poverty, because it addresses a very important issue in Christian missions and community development work: the tendency of do-gooders to leave the ones they are helping in a less empowered state than when they got involved with them. The authors have a great deal of experience consulting with Christian organizations overseas seeking to help the poor, and make an important distinction between relief, reha...more I chose this book for two of my classes this fall, Christ and the City & The Theology of Poverty, because it addresses a very important issue in Christian missions and community development work: the tendency of do-gooders to leave the ones they are helping in a less empowered state than when they got involved with them. The authors have a great deal of experience consulting with Christian organizations overseas seeking to help the poor, and make an important distinction between relief, rehabilitation and development, making the point that Christian mission groups often offer relief, when what they should be seeking to do is empower local communities with rehabilitation (I don't like that term) and development. They promote an asset based approach to community development. and in the final chapters offer concrete suggestions that are very practical and illustrate the reality that implementing the models and theories requires patience and wisdom.

The book is good --- as far as it goes. What troubled me is what was left undeveloped.

1. At different times the authors mentioned that poverty was not just a matter of bad personal choices but also unjust structures and systems. However, they never fully addressed the systemic issues and assumed the capitalistic model was the only model available. Their politics and evangelical theology blinded them to the fact that much of the poverty faced around the world and in this country is a result of policies and procedures that bilk the poor on behalf of the rich. I would have appreciated a more concerted discussion on how Christians must address the unjust and oppressive policies and structures --- from global capitalism to the World Bank to US government policy --- that contribute to the suffering of the poor.

2. The authors also gave lip service to the idea that we relatively wealthy North Americans can learn from the poor, and the Freirean idea that we must work with and not to or for the poor. Nonetheless, the entire book focuses on what WE can do for THEM, and did not honestly reflect on what wealthy North American Christians can learn from the poor. The authors' blindness, common to many evangelicals, kept them from seeing that in many ways the poor are far more faithful on a daily basis than middle class Americans since God is all they have to depend on. This is why the evangelical-pentecostal movement in Africa and Latin America is surging - they preach a gospel where God is intimately involved in the lives of people. The authors show no awareness of that movement among the poor. Moreover, they show no awareness of liberation theology, which places the theological task in the hands of culture circles where poor folks speak in and thru the Biblical text out of their own experience. In fact there is much we in the developed world can and must learn from the poor, if we are too truly hear the gospel.

3. Finally, their evangelical orientation causes them to overlook the value of other perspectives and worldviews. They equate postmodern thought with relativism and dismiss it out of hand, instead of seeing merit in postmodernism's idea that "reality" as we experience is a "socially constructed phenomenon." The value of postmodernism is that TRUTH is viewed and experienced in ways consistent and relevant to various worldviews and cultures. Like so many evangelicals the authors fall into the trap of thinking that my view of truth, my values and my way of seeing the world are THE truth, values and worldview. Because they were not truly willing to learn from the poor, they were blinded by their own perspective.

This book raises the right questions, and offers some direction to the answers, but does not go far enough. For that reason in the end I was left feeling disappointed. I applaud the authors for challenging evangelical churches to re-think their approach to overseas missions; I just wish they had gone farther.(less)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (5)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

When Helping Hurts Author Interview (entire)

1 comment

Genres

Non Fiction

37 users

Christian

29 users

Religion > Theology

28 users

Social Movements > Social Justice

17 users

Religion > Christianity

17 users

Social Issues > Poverty

15 users

Religion > Faith

11 users

Economics

9 users

Spirituality

8 users

Religion > Church

6 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Steve Corbett

Community Development Specialist for the Chalmers Center for Economic Development and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Community Development at Covenant College.

More about Steve Corbett...

Books by Steve Corbett

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About When Helping Hurt...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from When Helping Hurts: Ho...

“Poverty alleviation occurs when the power of Christ's resurrection reconciles our key relationships through the transformation of both individual lives and local, national, and international systems.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself
avg rating	preview: When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself Goodreads rating: 4.23 (1646 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8425148-when-helping-hurts?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356195743l/8425148.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8425148-when-helping-hurts?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett[/url]

When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website