Child Poverty: Love, Justice and Social Responsibility

by Pamela Couture

Child Poverty: Love, Justice, and Social Responsibility serves as a tool for those who wish to become instigators of love and justice in the world. Developed from a nine-year task force for the United Methodist Bishops Initiative on Children and Poverty, Child Poverty explores the possibilities for the church to assume a responsibility for children with needs in the local community, state, nation, and around the world. Children who are economically poor face many of the same problems as children with more economic means, yet poverty concentrates problems in the lives of poor children. Problems that should be merely an inconvenience turn out to be life threatening for some children. Through analysis of concrete cases and ministries, Child Poverty demonstrates that the flourishing of poor children and all children is best supported by interdependent conditions of both love and justice. Just as children and poverty are interconnected, so too should be love and justice.

235 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

Reviews

[Brandon Stiver · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be more like a 3.5 to me. It was a good book and pertinent to my field of work so I'm glad I read it. I will have some good takeaways from the book. There were times where Couture was talking and it was like she was firing on all cylinders and I was highlighting and thinking about her thoughts. But then there were other times that the book just dragged. To many moments where the book was going slow or just felt that the content was hitting the spot. Nonetheless, her explanation of children and poverty and love and justice are an important understanding. When the book really got into certain areas of society that directly impacted children, it was at it's best. I'll revisit this book again, but also good to be moving on.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good resource for understanding how the United States defines poverty and the need for new definitions. Call to action for a problem that is a world concern that leads to many other symptoms such as sex trafficking, child slavery and prejudice.