When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself. By Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. Chicago, Illinois, US, Moody Publishers 2009. Pp. 230. $6.99 (original) (raw)

When Helping Hurts comes out of the Chalmers Centre for Economic Development and is the result of close cooperation between Steve Corbett, an experienced practitioner in a major Christian relief and development agency, Food for the Hungry International, and an academic researcher and professor, Brian Fikkert. Most of the writing was done by Fikkert, although it is not designed as an academic book so much as a discussion handbook to help in alleviating poverty without causing more harm. Fikkert is closer to When Charity Destroys Dignity by Glenn Schwarz (2007) than to To Give or Not To Give, by John Rowell (2007), although the background is much more clearly within the North American church than within the developing world. Theologically, When Helping Hurts follows the line of Bryant Myers in Walking with the Poor (1999) but is more accessible. When Helping Hurts can be used for personal study or for group discussions with helpful questions at the beginning and end of each chapter. The clear explanation of relational theology in connection with creation leads to very practical discussions not only on poverty of material things but what Fikkert calls "poverty of being." This challenges the superior attitudes or "god-complexes" of many of the non-poor in relation to the materially poor. Poverty alleviation moves beyond relief of material poverty into the wider realm of restoration of the basic broken relationships: "Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation" (78). Having set the scene with descriptions of what poverty is and is not, including a good theological foundation, Fikkert goes on to discuss helpful principles for poverty alleviation without hurting donor or recipients. Few of the ideas are new. Some, such as "asset-based assessments" and "participatory learning and action" are being used widely in Christian relief and development work in the field. Each is, however, very clearly explained and put into context in this book for average Christians to understand and relate to their own situation. In an important statement warning about the dangers of hurting recipients rather than helping, Fikker writes, "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" (105). In the final section, Fikkert and Corbett tackle practical issues in modern poverty alleviation. They have some very strong things to say about short-term missions to help them avoid causing long-term harm. Their pleas are closely related to the themes passing throughout the book, particularly the concept of the superior "god-complex." Throughout the book, ideas are explained through apposite anecdotes from around the world, including many from within North American communities, making it a book for all and not just those interested in foreign mission. The final chapter on microfinance and business as mission is helpful in explaining how some of these schemes work and of their importance in using many of the principles already enunciated throughout the book.