Customer Reviews

In Darkest England and the Way Out (Patterson Smith series in criminology, law enforcement, and social problems, publication 142)

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Mind, body, and spirit are all the concern of Booth in his book about the darkness of humanity found on the east side of London and the lack of caring shown by the government as well as the churches of the day (mid 1800's).

The sensitivity to the overall needs of man comes out of Booth's love for their soul as well as their body and he does an amazing job of connecting the two. So amazing in fact that there are many establishments of higher learning that still today make it required reading for human service majors.

Booth understood back then that there are certain things about the needs of man that could not be changed by government, society, or time itself. It was this realization that caused him to put aside his desire to feed the souls of the needy until he could feed their stomachs. He was quoted once as saying 'they can't hear the gospel over the noise of their growling stomachs' (not an exact quote).

Booth had been a minister in the New Methodist Connection church in London but left when they would not allow him to minister to the needy who were so close to his heart. Ultimately he began an organization which he called the Christian Mission, we know it today as The Salvation Army, the most successful and trusted charitable organization in the world.

The book is written in the difficult style of old world English authors and may not be the easiest read, but it is well worth it to those who want to better understand both the cause of and the answer to poverty in our world.