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

Steve Corbett (Author), Brian Fikkert (Author), David Platt (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: April 20, 2012

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. Don't let this happen to you, your ministry or ministries you help fund! A must read for anyone who works with the poor or in missions, When Helping Hurts provides foundational concepts, clearly articulated general principles and relevant applications. The result is an effective and holistic ministry to the poor, not a truncated gospel."e;Initial thoughts"e; at the beginning of chapters and "e;reflection questions and excercises"e; at the end of chapters assist greatly in learning and applying the material. A situation is assessed for whether relief, rehabilitation, or development is the best response to a situation. Efforts are characterized by an "e;asset based"e; approach rather than a "e;needs based"e; approach. Short term mission efforts are addressed and economic development strategies appropriate for North American and international contexts are presented, including microenterprise development.Now with a new preface, a new foreword, and a new chapter to assist in the next steps of applying the book's principles to your situation, When Helping Hurts is a new classic!

Editorial Reviews

Review

I can honestly report that When Helping Hurts is the single best book I've seen on this topic. Although this book will make many readers uncomfortable, it quickly offers hope in the form of understandable, feasible new strategies that better grasp the dignity and promise of the materially poor. It deserves a #1 spot on the reading list of every Christian who wants to follow Jesus in a genuine, mutually transforming love of neighbor.
-Amy L. Sherman, PhD, senior fellow and director, Sagamore Institute Center on Faith in Communities, author, Restorers of Hope

What an opportunity evangelicals have to make a difference in our world through the church. Corbett and Fikkert build on the growing momentum of holistic witness that's sweeping our country and globe and are eminently qualified and positioned to take motivated kingdom citizens on a Christ-centered and comprehensive journey that will pay huge dividends for impoverished people and for Christians in our broken world.
-Dr. Ronald J. Sider, president, Evangelicals for Social Action, author, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

How can a local church make a difference, and how do individual Christians meaningfully reflect Christ's grace, when the disparities of wealth and power in our world are so great? When Helping Hurts explores biblical principles in terms of real-life situations to offer real help and grace-filled answers for such questions.
-Bryan Chappell, president, Covenant Theological Seminary

When Helping Hurts wonderfully combines heavy-duty thinking with practical tools. I appreciate their zeal to root all strategies in the institution God has ordained to bring about His goals. No donor should invest another dollar in any kind of relief effort before digesting the last page of this important book.
-Joel Belz, founder and writer, World Magazine

Churches in North America will find this a helpful way to educate congregations and then motivate them to action, both globally and in their neighborhoods.
-Bryant Myers, PhD, professor of International Development, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary

A clarion call to rethink how we apply the gospel to a broken world. This book will transform our good intentions into genuine, lasting change.
-Stephen J. Baumann, senior vice president, World Relief

About the Author

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.

BRIAN FIKKERT is Professor of Economics at Covenant College and the Founder and Executive Director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. Brian received a Ph.D. in Economics with highest honors from Yale University, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Dordt College.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (April 20, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802457061
• ISBN-13: 978-0802457066
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Poverty
  • #98 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Christian Living

More About the Author

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars an informed and thoughtful approach to poverty alleviation February 22, 2011

By Donner C. S. Tan

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a concise, theologically informed, ground-tested and provocative book on helping the poor - not for the faint of heart! Those who are gungho about mission and going out there to 'save the world' might have to plod patiently through this short but discomforting book without throwing our hands up halfway in despair about what exactly one can do for the poor without hurting them and ourselves. In the last decade or so, Brian Fikkert points out that there has been an explosion of 'short-term mission trips' (STMs) from churches in North America, investing tons of dollars into sending members for a two-week assignment in the developing nations. His hard-nosed critique provides a cautionary note beyond the surface hypes and reports of 'life-changing experiences' that commonly surround STM advertisements. As one who has participated in a few of such trips, I have learned much from his critique and am challenged to reflect on ways we might have unknowingly caused more harm than good in our eagerness to step in and help - that ends up encouraging dependency, deepening the sense of inferior-superior complex between the poor and the non-poor, crippling local initiatives, etc. Through all these, the advice that 'we do not do for people what they can do for themselves' serves as a poignant reminder.

I am glad that his thinking while practical and economically informed ultimately derives its roots from the biblical concept of what constitutes poverty. His working definition of poverty goes beyond the common reductionistic one that is measured primarily in terms of material resources. He proposes a relational, rather than material, understanding of poverty as one that has to do with the dislocation of one's foundational relationships with God, self, others and the rest of creation.... Helping the poor thus means addressing these four foundational relationships and helping one to see oneself as God's image-bearer, a person of worth, a member of the human family and steward of creation. This strikes hard at the core aetiology of poverty, namely broken relationships. Hence, he writes:

'Poverty is rooted in broken relationships, so the solution to poverty is rooted in the power of Jesus' death and resurrection to put all things into right relationships again.' (page 77)

'Our relationship with the materially poor should be one in which we recognize that both of us are broken and that both of us need the blessing of reconciliation. Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially poor and more about how we can walk together, asking God to fix both of us.' (page 76)

He devotes the second half of the book exploring what a more theologically balanced and holistic approach to helping the poorer community looks like. The categorization of the various levels of intervention into relief, rehabilitation and development is helpful in clarifying our thinking about the problem we intend to address as well as the desired outcome. The suggestions for a more collaborative rather than paternalistic, asset-based than need-based, locally-initiated and sustained (ie. by the local church and community) than foreigner-run efforts, long-range mission work than short-term trips (though these have their place when properly contextualized) are spot-on. The practical strategies of 'business as missions' and 'micro-financing' schemes are also discussed as helpful alternatives, though these schemes are not without their pitfalls too.

However, if I could imagine one possible unintended ill-effect reading this book might have on the readers, it would be that of being paralyzed by over-analysis. As the whole exercise of going out of one's comfort zone to reach out to others is fraught with much inhibitions, resistance and rationalizations to begin with, this book certainly does not make it easier. That being said, this book is full of hard truths and practical wisdom one ignores at perils to himself and others.

On the whole, it provides much food for thought and some seed ideas on how to explore a more holistic way of reaching out to the poor overseas and in our own backyard. It also puts a reality check on our possibly misguided motives that often accompany our noble desires to help. Hard-nosed, intelligent and eye-opening, Fikkert's book is a huge pay-off for anyone who will persevere in the challenging task of poverty alleviation with greater discernment and much humility. Read more ›

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you've ever thought, "I want to help but I don't know how..." May 22, 2012

By Luke Duncan

Format:Paperback

If you've ever thought, "I want to help but I don't know how," then buy this book and read it right now. It is practical, encouraging, and full of ideas you've never heard before. Just last night a fire in my town displaced 200 residents from low-income housing. Because of this book, I now have a life-giving framework for thinking through how to help them.

My only caution is that you may get bogged down in some of the early "theory" chapters and decide that this book is not for you. This would be a huge mistake because in later chapters you get to see the theory in action. And in the long run, the theory is what you will remember and apply to your life. Keep reading, keep underlining, and keep praying. This book will bless your life.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Term Solution that is "Fully Orbed" and effective May 25, 2012

By Deckman

Format:Kindle Edition

The authors come from a unique angle to the issue of poverty. Brian Fikkert is an economist but has heart. Steve Corbett is a professor of community development. Both are Christians and approach this issue deeply rooted in that worldview. (And they are nice guys).

They start the book with an illustration of a doctor diagnosing the disease. If this process is done incorrectly the sickness will not better. The issue of poverty's solution depends on our definition of poverty. If you can't define the disease, then how do you know it's cure. The bottom line, according to the authors, is traditionally western society sees poverty as a thinly sliced issue--people lack material resources. There is so much more to the problem and simply giving money isn't the solution. We need to see poverty as in terms of relationships with God, self, others and the rest of creation. Sin has broken our relationships with those four areas. The materially poor need a relational solution, not merely money.

Turkeys and toys are not the solution. Providing these "gifts" can exploit the biggest sense of need of the material poor. Our helping in providing material gifts can push them deeper into poverty of character and self-worth. So our help can and often does hurt. It makes the materially rich feel good can hurt the materially poor in the long run.

We need to work WITH the materially poor and not TO them. It's not a blueprint or recipe approach to finding "what works" in one setting and reproducing it in the next. There are no easy solutions.

According to the authors the poor see there issue in terms of shame and pain rather than a lack of money. When you tell your kids there is no food tonight, the poor don't merely see that as a food issue.... The materially poor feel that deeply on personal levels. It is shameful, horrible and painful to tell your kids that news. Merely giving money isn't addressing the issue of shame and pain at all.

Relief, rehabilitation and development are separate stages to poverty. Corbett and Fikkert argue that 90% of our aid effort SHOULD BE found in the area of development. But much of our effort is structured to fit better in the stage of relief. When need to respond differently to Hurricane Katrina victims and people trapped in decades long poverty.

Corbett and Fikkert help run Chalmers Center [...] to bring real world experience to their book knowledge presented here. In the final chapters of the book the authors look into short term missions, micro finance and saving credit associations analyzing their effectiveness in various solutions.

The authors are equal opportunity offenders to each side of the political spectrum. So you needed not worry they are bleeding heart liberals without working solutions. And they are firmly rooted in biblically based solutions with the local church and through the local church.

It's thought provoking and well written. I left the book feeling convicted about previous aid efforts and empowered to see the solution in its entirety for next time. Read more ›

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for those who want to help the poor August 21, 2011

By Jonathan (working on the humility thing)

Format:Audio CD

A necessary and well-written book about the gap between intentions and effects in our attempts to alleviate poverty. The authors lay out a convincing argument, developing strong principles and then referring back to them appropriately rather than just giving their own opinions. To put it bluntly, many of us (as individuals, organizations, and governments) have spent a lot of money and time on good intentions that have actually made poverty even worse.

I was grateful for Part 1, focusing first on God's mandate to us to help the poor (so that the discouraging message that many of our efforts are misguided doesn't deter us from following through on God's commands), and then building on that mandate by asking what poverty is really about and what our goals are when we talk about addressing it.

The book has great examples of sincere efforts that can do more harm than good. It shows how the effects of sin on individuals and systems have helped to cause poverty and stymie our attempts to address it. It also does a good job of addressing paternalistic attitudes of superiority that can further cement long-term poverty when Western "aid" is brought in to a Majority World situation. And the entire Part 3 goes in depth to explain a few ways in which we can turn it around and serve the poor in a manner that actually helps both them and us.

I only have minor gripes with the book. First of all, the book is written in such a manner that will likely turn off many non-Christians. I think the authors had to decide on an audience for the book and chose to focus on an explicitly Christian audience, but there is a need for non-Christians to hear this wisdom too.... That's not to say that the "Christian" aspects of the book are at all bad (in fact, I believe they're necessary), I just think they could have been worded in such a way as to allow a non-Christian audience to be more open to listening to the message. Second of all, the section on how to tell if something is really an emergency "relief" situation is quite good, but I feel the question "To what degree was the individual personally responsible for the crisis" could too easily be abused. I'll note that when Jesus or the disciples were helping people, this isn't a question that appeared to hold much importance. Instead, the individuals who needed help got full help regardless of whether they had brought their situation on themselves, with the mandate "go and sin no more".

The exercises at the beginnings and ends of the chapters were challenging and helpful. I would encourage anyone reading the book to complete these exercises as they read. It will slow you down and force you to think about the practical aspects of what is being said. This would be a great book to do with a small group focused on service or within a leadership group in your church, which is what I will try to do myself among our church's missions and service leadership.

All that being said, this book is still just a starting point and the authors are clear on that. Good practical advice is given, but if you really want to make your service alongside the poor effective, there's still going to be much more to learn. I was very happy that the authors offered web resources and online courses for further study, and I intend to take advantage of those in the coming year. Read more ›