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 The Purpose of the Book | The Perspective | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

The Purpose of the Book

Psychotic, delusional, schizophrenic. These words make many feel squirmish. Yet, given the statistics, you are likely to encounter mental illness if you work in some form of outreach or ministry to those in poverty. 50% of the sheltered homeless and 78% of unsheltered homeless individuals suffer from some form of mental health condition. 

Many, including those in ministry to the poor, feel ill-equipped to deal with those experiencing serious mental illness and feel they need to immediately refer struggling individuals to professional mental health services. But, Dr. Matt Stanford, author of Madness & Grace, posits that there is a place for you in the process and seeks to equip lay persons “to better serve and support those suffering with mental illness” (11). He provides “4 Rs”—recognition, referral, relationship, and restoration—that provide a faith-based framework for involvement in mental health care while dealing with misconceptions surrounding the mind and the spirit. 

Dr. Stanford identifies the target audience of Madness and Grace as “pastoral counselors,” and he regularly refers to these individuals as pastors, ministers, and priests. However, those involved in faith-based charity work outside of the walls of a church will undoubtedly find themselves in the role of a pastoral counselor in the lives of those they encounter and serve, perhaps the only person they have ever had to fill this role. Dr. Stanford believes that, if a pastoral counselor can take the right steps to help begin an individual’s journey to recovery from serious mental illness, it can make the process much smoother and help them to avoid potential adverse experiences.

The Perspective

Dr. Stanford is CEO of the Hope and Healing Center and Institute in Houston, TX, and an adjunct professor of psychiatry at Baylor University. He is well-known for his research into the interplay between psychology and faith. His experience goes beyond the academic, though; throughout his extensive career, he has treated individuals with a spectrum of mental health challenges.

As a Christian, Stanford is able to view mental illness from the fullest perspective. He writes to fellow believers to emphasize the importance of engagement by those in the faith community with those who are experiencing mental health issues. He points out research that reveals that those experiencing mental illness do not usually turn first to a physician or a psychiatrist but rather to someone who serves a pastoral role in his or her life. 

He contends that when the pastoral counselor works collaboratively with mental health professionals, it can have enormous benefits for the individual being treated and his spiritual well-being.

The Key Points

Dr. Stanford contends that the 4 Rs of recognition, referral, relationship, and restoration are integral to better serving and supporting the mental and spiritual well-being of those experiencing mental illness. The process occurs through building and maintaining relationships with, not only the one suffering, but with others clinically treating his condition. In each of the Rs, Stanford provides practical tools and resources to equip the lay person for on-going supportive relationships. He includes specific questions, risk factors, and scripture to help support you or the individual with whom you are working.

Recognition

If you regularly work with those in poverty, you are on the front lines of mental health support. You are in a position to recognize the signs of general mental illness and help direct them to further treatment, if needed. To recognize mental illness, though, we must first understand what it is and is not, as well as what causes it. 

“Mental illness,” also know as a mental disorder, is defined as a “disruption of a person’s thoughts, moods, behavior, and/or ability to relate to others that is severe enough to require treatment or intervention” (17). In our lifetime, all of us will experience disruptions of those aspects listed, but those won’t necessarily require treatment or intervention. According to Dr. Stanford, “only a small percentage of people are ever diagnosed with mental illness” (18). 

Stanford explains that mental illness is a result of living in a fallen world. It’s another example of the brokenness of creation and our need for a “Savior who can heal and make us whole again” (21). More specifically, it results from a complex interaction of the biological and environmental or, in other words, nature and nurture. We are all born with varying genetic predispositions that interact differently with our external experiences, such as poverty, abuse, or military combat. 

There are some common environmental factors, though, that are associated with a higher risk for the occurrence of mental illness. These include physical or sexual abuse or neglect as a child, divorce, financial stresses, substance abuse, lack of social support, and poverty, many of which we can recognize in those served in charitable efforts. Generally, it is a combination of these factors and others that result in serious mental illness. 

Stanford provides a detailed list of common mental illnesses, including ways to identify them and short examples of individuals who exhibit these symptoms. Additionally, he explains the various clinical treatments for serious mental disorders.

As previously discussed, Stanford contends that a lay person can help identify specific mental disorders and direct individuals to appropriate treatment so that care can be expedited. Stanford provides a chapter full of assessment questions to help evaluate whether an individual needs to be referred directly to a mental health professional. 

Referral

When an individual meets at least one of the following four situations, it’s necessary to refer them to the appropriate community resource.

1. 1. Experiencing hallucinations and/or delusions.
   2. Actively abusing alcohol and/or drugs.
   3. Showing signs of significant psychological distress.
   4. In danger of self-harm.

To help the reader understand the assessment process more fully, Stanford provides specific case examples that walk through the question and potential answers. 

Dr. Stanford provides an extensive list of resources and health providers generally available within a community for both crisis and non-crisis situations and practical steps you can take when connecting individuals with mental health resources. 

Stanford makes a point in this section to emphasize the importance of “pastoral counselors” proactively building relationships with mental health providers in their community, such as counselors and psychologists. Many Christians experiencing mental illness are hesitant to engage with a psychologist or counselor who does not understand their faith. Stanford suggests having coffee or a meal with various providers over time will allow you to identify those who will be sensitive and respectful to spiritual issues and affirm the individual’s Christian faith. Additionally, it’s important that the provider understands the continued role that you would desire to play in clients’ treatment, as described in the next R.

Relationship

Isolation and loneliness are often associated with mental illness. This can sometimes be a result of the interpersonal challenges of the mental illness, but it might also be due to the stigma associated with mental illness. This is why a continued relationship with those receiving treatment is imperative. Although a psychologist can provide help in the realm of the body and mind, your continued spiritual support and guidance can be key to that individual returning to a flourishing life. 

Dr. Stanford discusses practical ways on how to provide spiritual hope and encouragement during one’s treatment, helping to establish an understanding of her identity in the eyes of her Creator. Additionally, he covers how to de-escalate situations in which an individual is distressed or communicating in an illogical manner.

Restoration

Because you offer hope in your organization or ministry, you will draw those who are in need of hope, including those in mental distress. In this section, Dr. Stanford advocates for establishing mental health ministries that meet the needs of your community. These might include services addressing, addiction, homelessness, and trauma, and can provide frontline support for individuals in need and referring to the appropriate community resources, as needed, while continuing to maintain relationships throughout their treatment. 

In the remainder of this section, Dr. Stanford features a number of ministries meeting various needs with details about how they operate to help inspire establishing similar ministries in your community.

Details We Love

As the subtitle of the book suggests, A Practical Guide for Pastoral Care and Serious Mental Illness, this book provides in-depth information about serious mental illness along with case studies, assessment questions, and suggested actions for various scenarios. It is not only a primer for understanding mental illness from a faith perspective but also a handbook that can be used while working with those experiencing mental illness. This is the kind of practical resource True Charity seeks to identify and provide to those working to positively impact those in poverty. 

The emphasis that Dr. Stanford places on maintaining relationships with those suffering from mental distress is significant and refreshing, including a chapter on how to support family members who are caring for that individual. He also promotes replacing isolation with healthy community, particularly a faith community that rightly understands mental illness rather than stigmatizing it.

Considerations

The target audience of this book is clergy. As mentioned before, though, we believe that many in poverty-fighting ministries will be able to identify as a “pastoral counselor” to those they serve, and you might be the only person who has ever played this role in their lives. That being said, if you are not in a traditional church pastoral role, there might be some information that you find irrelevant.

Stanford acknowledges the difficult reality that not all people with severe mental illness are capable of working a job that can provide for their needs. In those situations, he refers his readers to various government entitlement programs, such as Supplemental Security Income (commonly referred to as “disability”) as well as government housing vouchers. While we acknowledge that current long-term solutions are scarce for people in these situations, we always encourage leaders to exhaust family, church, and community solutions before relinquishing responsibility to federal programs. 

We believe that assistance is most effective when it is provided voluntarily at the most local level by those engaging the individual with personalized support versus a distant bureaucracy providing impersonal transactional assistance.

Stanford’s book Grace for the Afflicted, is a good supplement to this book for readers who may feel unsatisfied with Stanford’s discussion of the interplay between the spiritual and the psychological. A synopsis of that book can be found here.

Who Should Read This?

Because the target audience is those in the traditional pastoral role at a church, it is highly recommended for pastors and those in a non-licensed pastoral counseling role. Additionally, because mental illness disproportionately impacts those in poverty, we believe those who are actively engaging with those experiencing poverty would greatly benefit from the guidance provided.

Madness & Grace can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

This article is just the tip of the iceberg for the practical resources available through the True Charity Network. Check out all of the ways the network can help you learn, connect, and influence here.

Already a member? Access your resources in the member portal.

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 The Purpose of the Book | The Perspective | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

The Purpose of the Book

Amy Sherman hopes to encourage and equip Christian leaders who seek to serve their communities as specified in the biblical mandate of Jeremiah 29:7, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” She wants to call attention to the disconnect between vision and action on the part of local churches and enlighten her readers to more sustainable and life-giving ways of carrying out their mission. She shares biblical, historical, and present-day examples, upon which her readers can improvise for their own context.

The Perspective

From the stance that every Christ-follower is in “exile” while on earth, Sherman guides on ways to be “a counterculture for the common good” – not by attacking or giving in to the moral decay, but by engaging communities with grace and endurance. 

Every person’s true peace is brought about by the health of their relationships with God, self, others and creation. With this in mind, Sherman focuses on Christians as the royal priesthood, called to be the “agents of flourishing” for their communities. Christians are to bless the communities in which they live, and they are to understand and promote an accurate view of what a community’s “flourishing” really means (communion with God, beauty and creativity, learning and discovery, wholeness and health, justice and unity in diversity, and abundance).

The Key Points

Sherman outlines the book so that readers can use it like an encyclopedic resource, dividing the sections into six “community endowments”, based upon the Thriving Cities Group’s “Human Ecology Framework.”

• The True—public education
• The Good—social mores and ethics   
• The Beautiful—the arts/aesthetics, design
• The Prosperous—economic/business community
• The Just and Well-Ordered—political/civic life
• The Sustainable—health/environment

Sherman alerts her reader that the book is not meant to be read from cover to cover by most people, because they will likely already know the specific area (endowment) in their community for which they are equipped to influence. 

Three key takeaways are evident throughout the book:

1. Christians are uniquely equipped to lead communities into flourishing.

Throughout history, the church has been the leader in community development, and will continue to be the true agents of flourishing. For each of the six previously mentioned community endowments, Sherman devotes a chapter to its definition, creational intent, its malformation since The Fall, and the church’s historically positive influence upon it. She then devotes one or more chapters to contemporary examples of how US congregations are contributing positively toward its flourishing. Her vivid examples and their interrelationships with the six endowments are enlightening and informative.

2. The western world’s definition of flourishing has descended into a false impression that almost solely involves material wealth; Christians must debunk this misconception in order for them to effect meaningful and lasting change within their communities.

Sherman devotes her opening chapters to explore the biblical examples of flourishing and calls attention to the ways in which the Old Testament Israelites and the New Testament Christians lived thriving lives. These examples note the glaring fact that opulence was not the mark of true flourishing in the past, and it should not be the sole measurement today. Likewise, modern community flourishing is mirrored in communities through the expressions of peace, justice, unity, creativity, action, and provision within the six endowments.

3. Christian leaders can utilize the resources, skills, and professions they already have within their organizations to readily bless their communities in one or more of the six endowment areas.

Readers will recognize similarities between the example congregations that can help inform which program(s) they should implement and/or improvise upon. While exact replications are unlikely to be the case, most leaders will readily identify areas in which they and their members can get involved.

Details We Love

Sherman fully understands that at the heart of all poverty is broken relationships—with God, self, others, and the environment. That basic understanding of personal flourishing informs her approach to community flourishing. The examples she shares, both modern and historical, hinge on the basic concept of thriving relationships within a community. They are based on the dignity of every human being (the imago Dei) and promote the building of social capital for everyone.

We, at True Charity, believe that good models of charity that help individuals and communities flourish already exist. Sherman shares examples of these models, along with their struggles and successes, so that churches and nonprofits don’t have to “recreate the wheel” in order to get started within their own communities. Her thorough research of modern churches implementing specific strategies helps set a proper foundation for successful approaches.

Considerations

Agents of Flourishing is a deep read. The opening chapters are replete with biblical examples and research that might scare off the casual reader. However, taking the time to digest Sherman’s thoughtful and wise observations will certainly help frame an uncomplicated plan for churches to engage in community development. Likewise, in order to fully grasp the depth of why the presented models work in each endowment, one must understand the biblical and historical success stories they mirror.

Sherman highlights very different contemporary congregations’ specific work within the endowments.  Some may not implement challenge methods to the degree that we at True Charity would promote (parts of some programs lean toward “hand-out” models). We encourage readers to glean from the overall community approach of these congregations in this case.

Foremost, some readers might differ politically with Sherman in the areas of social justice, racial inequity, and the environment, but we encourage readers to seek and understand the reasons for her examples’ successes within communities, despite these possible political differences.

Who Should Read This?

Any Christian church or nonprofit leader who wants to clarify and implement a comprehensive strategy to actively engage their community would benefit from this book. Its deeply founded biblical principles are at the heart of every approach offered, so leaders desiring a biblical approach to community flourishing and development will find this book a priceless resource.

While any poverty-fighter or community leader would benefit from both the historical and contemporary models presented, non-Christians might take issue with Sherman’s overall approach: Christians as royal priests leading their communities into flourishing.  Also, even though the Thriving Cities Group’s “Human Ecology Framework” is not explicitly Christian, Sherman aligns this framework with Christian and explicitly biblical examples.

“Agents of Flourishing” can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

Jump to:

 The Purpose of the Book | The Perspective | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

The Purpose of the Book

Change for the Poor provides a philosophical and practical foundation for Christians invested in life restoration for individuals in extreme poverty, specifically those participating in long-term residential recovery.

The Perspective

Through the author’s experience with an addiction that “nearly destroyed” his life, he came to faith in Jesus Christ. God burdened Mark McKnelly’s heart to minister to people in extreme poverty. A former business leader and entrepreneur, he developed a discipleship ministry through his local church. In 2017, he joined the Victory Mission + Ministry team, a True Charity Network member in Springfield, Missouri. He developed the 12-18 month Restoration Program where he continues to serve as leader. The combination of his understanding of recovery on a personal level and his vocational expertise make the wisdom he imparts in this book particularly valuable to those interested in making a long-term difference in the lives of others.

The Key Points

The book is divided into sections based on three vital principles that bring change for the poor: Relationships, Structure, and Accountability.

Relationships

McKnelly encourages restoration ministry workers to take time to uncover their motivation. A person’s reason to help individuals experiencing material and relational poverty must be driven by compassion and empowered by prayer. If their motivation is “more about serving a need you have in your heart, then the person you serve is more of a project to be completed than a person to be cared for.” Because compassion was the fuel that motivated Jesus in his ministry, McKnelly gently encourages the reader to find something else to do if their motivations are anything other.

McKnelly differentiates three types of approaches to helping people: To, For, and With. The “To” approach is transactional/paternal, like writing a check for a person or project. The “For” approach is maternal, such as moving furniture for a disabled person. Although the “To” and “For” approaches are appropriate at times, he encourages Christian servants that the “With” approach is where true life change happens. It is “highly relational and personal, marked by prayer, heart-level truth-in-love conversations, and wholistic support.” This necessary reciprocal relationship, although challenging, is vital for restoration.

Structure

McKnelly emphasizes a highly structured program for individuals in need of restoration. Many in poverty have only experienced chaotic environments with little to no routine, rules, or expectations. He provides detailed information regarding the specific phases of the 12-18 month commitment, including a model for a daily schedule.

The elements of the program are called the “Five Areas of Wholistic Change”:

1. Spiritual
2. Relational
3. Personal
4. Vocational
5. Financial

McKnelly gives detailed implementation ideas for each area and emphasizes that ignoring any of the five is detrimental. The graduates who experience long-term success are restored in all five areas.

Accountability

McKnelly addresses holding individuals accountable to the program covenant agreed to upon Phase 1 entry. Each phase offers an increased amount of freedom, and it is vital to develop and communicate very specific expectations. Although the details may seem like “overkill,” they help avoid frustration and increase the participants’ likelihood of staying out of financial poverty after leaving the program. 

Peer accountability is vital to success. Individuals in higher phases become mentors to the men just getting started. These “Residential Supervisors” are equipped through a four-month-long Leadership Development Training. They learn the biblical principles of addressing conflict and then shadow chaplains who are responsible for having tough conversations when needed. They put their skills to practice when staff and volunteers are not available or present.

McKnelly discusses addressing individuals who fail to comply with the rules, restrictions, and requirements, which are meant to be “protective, not punitive.” He says there are times when additional accountability measures are necessary. These “Discipline and Restoration Plans” are meant to build character and “correct, not condemn.” He provides specific examples of challenging situations he has encountered when these plans have strengthened individuals.

The author outlines the importance of goal setting and “benchmark” meetings every six weeks. Rather than a hurried list of boxes to check, ample time is allowed for individuals to speak from their heart about their experiences in the program. McKnelly offers advice on using grace while speaking the truth and the value of allowing people to experience the consequences of their choices.

What happens when a program participant stops participating or becomes apathetic? According to McKnelly, “relationship supersedes everything in the restorative process.” Accountability and discipline must be done in an atmosphere of love. He encourages program leaders to be willing to “let go of” people who are not yet ready for restoration. Leaders must be willing to see change in a few rather than impacting many people through relief ministries that, although at times are necessary, “don’t break cycles of material and relational poverty.”

Details We Love

Mark McKnelly’s developmental program aligns with all three True Charity Initiative Pillars. The most effective methods in leading people to live the flourishing life God intends is through locally resourced, challenge-oriented, and outcome-driven methods. 

The Restoration Program of Victory Mission + Ministry is focused on implementing challenge, which we believe is integral for any person to develop. Although there is a time when relief is needed in cases of crisis, life change rarely happens as a result of hand-out models. McKnelly’s view of charity as “To,” “For,” or “With” mirrors this messaging. Although it is intuitive that relationships are at the heart of restorative ministry, he rightly concludes that most ministries are transactional rather than relational. He believes, “The deeper you go with the few, the greater potential impact you will have with the many.”

The Victory Mission + Ministry Restoration program holds individuals accountable. Inevitably, there are times that a person must be removed. By doing this in a way that the person knows they are valued and loved, the “change process” is not interrupted thereby allowing individuals to sit with their decision and the consequences that come with it. This aligns with the quote from the 19th Century New Orleans Charity Organization Society often used in True Charity trainings, “Intelligent giving and intelligent withholding are alike true charity.”

Considerations

McKnelly’s content is excellent as a resource for ministry leaders who work with impoverished individuals in any context. The five program elements, for example, are a great reminder of the importance of each area that requires long-term change in an individual’s life. Most of the suggestions, structure, and real-life examples in this book are gleaned from McKnelly’s experiences in long-term recovery. Although pertinent concepts for all poverty-fighting contexts and valuable information to have, the principles may be less applicable for churches or programs that are just focused on one area (i.e., offering only vocational or financial classes).

Who Should Read This?

Change for the Poor is a must-read for anyone working in restorative, relational ministry. For the person who has been in the field for years, this is a tool for re-igniting enthusiasm and being reminded of the important work to which God has called them. Jamie Myers, Director of Forge, the men’s recovery program at Watered Gardens Ministries, said, “I wish I had this book to read five years ago when I started working in a similar ministry. It would have saved me quite a few heartbreaking mistakes … Restoration is not for the faint-hearted but it is one of the most rewarding ways to serve those who need others to walk alongside them as they build or rebuild their lives. If you are new or seasoned in this sort of ministry, I highly encourage you to read this book.”

Whether read individually for introspection or with a group for discussion, the author provides thought-provoking questions to challenge current thinking and practices, with blanks available for note-taking along the way. For churches or nonprofits starting a new restoration program, these questions will help teams think through their motivations, structure, and processes before launching. For the mature program, the questions will spark conversation regarding effectiveness and inspire improvement.

If you are interested in instruction and inspiration beyond the book’s content, contact Mark McKnelly at mark@changeforthepoor.org for details on scheduling a Change for the Poor workshop. In-depth information including program summary, handbooks, and applications can be found at https://www.victorymission.com/restoration

Change for the Poor can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

Jump to:

The Perspective | The Purpose of the Book | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

The Perspective

The Hole in our Gospel is written by Richard Stearns, President Emeritus of World Vision, one of the largest international relief and development nonprofits in the United States. Rich first shares his own “rags to riches” story: Despite his impoverished and dysfunctional childhood household, Rich attended an Ivy League school and climbed the corporate ladder, eventually landing the CEO position at a luxury tableware company. Vulnerably, Rich shares his initial reluctance to leave the corporate world to join World Vision: He had grown accustomed to the cushy lifestyle afforded to him and his family through his position. However, Rich eventually submitted to the direction He felt the Lord nudging him in and changed career paths in an effort to help the global poor. That decision, and the experiences he had in the years following, led to strong convictions about the Church’s unique role in caring for the impoverished, which he shares about in this book.

The Purpose of the Book

Rich asserts that the message of the Bible can be summed up in this way: love God, love your neighbor. However, he claims in The Hole in our Gospel that many American Christians have adopted a watered-down version of the Good News (hence the title of the book) that is personal only, with no redemptive vision for the broken world around. Because of this misunderstanding, the American Church is currently falling short in its God-given task to “love thy neighbor.” Rich aims to correct this misunderstanding and open the eyes of the Church to the plight of the global poor and petition them for sacrificial action.

The Key Points

Christians bear a responsibility to radically love the widow, the orphan, the hungry, and the hurting.

Rich notes God’s heart for the poor and His disgust with religious people who are apathetic to their plight, as demonstrated in scripture. He also points to scripture’s clear mandate to love others in word and deed and laments that Christians appear to be largely failing at this: He cites the fact that American Christians hold 50% of the global Christian wealth while only making up 5% of the global Christian population. Despite this astounding wealth available to us, the average giving of American church-goers is at an abysmal 2.17% of total income; and giving trends indicate that, as our wealth has grown, Christian giving to the Church and to nonprofit ministries has dwindled. Rich compels his Christian readers to ask the Lord to align our hearts with His and act accordingly, loving the poor in highly personal, sacrificial ways.

There are global issues of poverty that present opportunities for impact.

Rich spends a good deal of this book illuminating the most grinding poverty afflicting various parts of our world today, and the grave implications that those issues of extreme poverty have if left unaddressed. For example, Rich cites the fact that more than 3 million children under the age of five die from issues of undernutrition every year; nearly 3 million people die from malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS every year; and 700 children die every day from illnesses contracted from drinking dirty water. Though these are grim statistics, Rich ultimately takes an optimistic stance, seeing these realities as opportunities for the Church to have incredible impact by alleviating great suffering. 

We must see all our resources from a Kingdom perspective.

Specifically, Rich focuses on three resources: our time, our talent, and our treasure. The emphasis is that God cares about willingness and availability.  Even if we don’t have much in the way of resources, God can use what we give Him in a multiplicative way; it only requires that we submit to Him the resources that have been entrusted to us through radical generosity. He shares several such stories about radical generosity, including a young boy who raised millions of dollars for AIDS victims by shooting free throws and an impoverished woman who pinched pennies for many years in order to make a $1,000 donation to World Vision. Rich notes in all these inspiring stories that willingness is the essential ingredient that resulted in a difference made.

Details We Love

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from The Hole in our Gospel is that the Church needs to step up its game in bold, sacrificial love for our neighbors—even neighbors across the world. We applaud Rich’s clarion call to the Church to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs those, and we wholeheartedly agree that the Church ought to be on the frontlines of addressing social ills in personal, sacrificial ways. Rich’s humility in accepting his past failure to boldly love his poor neighbor allows this message to be gentle yet firm, with no condescension or judgment.

Furthermore, we love Rich’s heart for personal, relational action that sees every person as a valuable creation made in God’s image. At a couple of points in his book, he shares some related guiding principles for poverty-fighting that are spot on. As we engage people experiencing poverty, we must remember the following:

• Every one of these hurting people is created in God’s image and loved by Him.
• Every one of these challenges has a solution.
• Every one of us can make a difference.

These are timely reminders for those who may feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the problems of poverty or who feel unmoved by the plight of the poor: that we each have a role to play in the necessary, attainable progress to help our suffering fellow man.

We also appreciate Rich’s acknowledgment of the complexity of poverty. Especially when it comes to extreme poverty across the globe, it can be tempting to think that relief interventions alone are what’s needed: providing clean water, nourishing food, and sufficient housing to those who need it. While Rich acknowledges that relief may be immediately necessary for those who are in desperate and dangerous circumstances, he also is clear that poverty is complex and requires developmental solutions, even in (or especially in!) situations of extreme poverty. He is careful to note that those in absolute poverty are also made in the image of God and, therefore, have giftings, skills, and capacities that ought to be put to use. Rich puts the focus on creating contexts in which those capacities can be utilized to create flourishing, which we applaud.

Considerations

At a couple of points within the book, Rich appears to be making the argument that wealth is a zero-sum game. For example, he seems to give tacit approval of former President Jimmy Carter’s diagnosis of poverty: that the main driver behind poverty is the growing disparity between the wealthy and the poor, as the “rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” In other places throughout the book, however, Rich supports the idea that wealth is a tool and not inherently evil, as well as the idea that poverty is complex and not easily diagnosed, but this passage taken in isolation can be troubling. It’s important to remember that wealth, earned legally and ethically, is not the problem that needs solving. Rather than pinning the problem on the gap between wealthy and poor, we advocate the Church focus on solutions to poverty and search for on-ramps for the poor to join the wealth-creation process.

Who Should Read This?

The Hole in our Gospel is, first and foremost, for Christian audiences. More specifically, this is a great read for anyone who has a particular interest in global poverty. If the reader desires a firmer grasp on issues of extreme poverty and the needed interventions, this is the book for you.

The Hole in our Gospel can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

Jump to:

The Perspective | The Purpose of the Book | The Key Points | Details We Love | Considerations | Who Should Read This?

The Perspective

At the time of writing of The Inclusive Economy, author Michael Tanner had spent over 30 years studying poverty and welfare. Though he spent much of his career pointing out the flaws in the welfare state, in this book, he embarks on a more solution-oriented journey. While clearly writing from an academic perspective (the 85 pages of cited research at the end of his book demonstrate this tangibly), Tanner maintains an admirable view throughout: that behind all the research, dry statistics, and political quibbles about best approaches to poverty resolution are the lives of real people. Therefore, compassion and genuine concern for the welfare of the poor ought to temper all conversations about the nature of and best solutions to poverty.

The Purpose of the Book

The Inclusive Economy challenges narratives about poverty from both the political Left and Right. To those who would advocate for increased redistribution to ameliorate the effects of material poverty in the United States, Tanner cites the diminishing returns of the War on Poverty, President Johnson’s social welfare program that has rapidly expanded over the last several decades with little evidence that it’s helped the poor become self-sufficient. To those who would categorize poverty as being merely the natural outcome of bad life choices and insufficient planning, Tanner names specific systemic hurdles that disproportionately—and sometimes even intentionally—affect the poor and other disadvantaged groups negatively. Tanner provides five specific policy-level changes that he asserts would help level the playing field for the poor in America by creating greater access to opportunity and wealth-creating tools.

The Key Points

The book centers around five specific policy changes that Tanner contends would remove barriers to achieving “The American Dream” for the poor. Tanner doesn’t rely on the typical notion of “The American Dream,” one that focuses almost exclusively on material wealth. Instead, he reminds his readers of the origin of the phrase: James Truslow Adams wrote in his book The Epic of America that the American Dream “is not a dream of motorcars and high wages merely, but a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain the fullest stature for which they are innately capable, and be recognized for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” (For an additional perspective on the insufficiency of a materially-focused “American Dream” as an aim for those in need, see our article about the book Becoming Whole.)

With this conception of the American Dream framed as holistic human flourishing, Tanner makes the following suggestions:

1. Reform the criminal justice system and curtail the War on Drugs.

Tanner makes the argument that the criminal justice system in the US is fundamentally marred, resulting in mass incarceration that has grave repercussions, particularly for the poor. Leaving arguments about whether mass incarceration is a good use of resources or even whether it helps reduce crime rates, Tanner instead zeroes in on the specific effect of over-incarceration on people in poverty. His contention is two-fold: 

• • The United States over-criminalizes (an example Tanner uses in his book is arrests made over people selling single cigarettes without a tax stamp) and, as a result, over-incarcerates.
  • Incarceration (regardless of whether this punishment was proportionate to the crime) has unjustified consequences beyond the prison sentence that prevent ex-offenders from being able to successfully reenter society.

Specifically, Tanner notes that incarceration contributes to family breakdown (in families that are already disproportionately in a fragile state), creates huge hurdles to employment post-sentence, and even hampers development of human capital, as many colleges use background checks and won’t accept applicants with a criminal record. In Tanner’s estimation, this is why the United States experiences an extremely high recidivism rate. In effect, ex-offenders are blocked from entering productive society.

2. Reform education to give more control and choice to parents and break up the public school monopoly.

Education level and socio-economic status are, not surprisingly, strongly correlated. Because we form school districts around zip codes, public schools end up being a microcosm of the community around them. For those from disadvantaged communities, the schools in their district concentrate students from poverty backgrounds, who are statistically more susceptible to a host of pathologies that can be self-reinforcing, which is part of the reason why schools in poor communities tend to underperform. Economic integration is good for all social classes, but Tanner argues that the way we create school districts ends up segregating along class lines. He suggests several reforms that would allow competition and choice for K-12 education.

3. Bring down the cost of housing by rethinking zoning laws and housing vouchers.

The price of rent and homeownership continues to rise in America, leaving increasing numbers of the bottom income-earners unable to make ends meet. Indeed, Tanner argues that rent or mortgage payments consume a much larger portion of the poor’s total income than it does middle- or upper-class citizens. While the conventional wisdom holds that one’s rent or mortgage ought not to exceed 30% of total take-home pay, many renting families are paying 50-70% each month for housing. Tanner argues these prices are caused by overreaching government policies, such as municipal zoning and land-use laws. Even Section 8 housing vouchers, a government program specifically created to help house the poor, have (ironically) contributed to this growing problem. Tanner suggests several reforms that would remedy this distortion of the housing market that has sadly left a limited supply of affordable housing for those with the least means.

4. Make it easier for the poor to bank, save, borrow, and invest.

Tanner observes that many of the poor in America are “asset-poor.” In other words, they lack the savings or other assets to allow them to survive for three months at the poverty level. Indeed, 1 in 13 US households don’t even have a bank account: a shocking statistic that’s even higher for minority populations such as African American households. In Tanner’s estimation, much of this is due to the low accessibility to banks, both in terms of physical location and amount of paperwork and identification required to even open a bank account. To make it easier for the poor to save money and therefore be able to avoid a crisis when an unexpected expense comes up, Tanner suggests several reforms that would moderately de-regulate the banking industry and therefore make banking a more accessible option for the poor.

5. Increase economic growth and make it more inclusive.

Economist Tyler Cowen states that “As a matter of empirical fact, it is economic growth that lifts most people out of poverty, not transfer payments.” An overwhelming amount of evidence suggests he’s correct. The advent of the free market precipitated an explosion of innovation and development, which resulted in sudden and major increases in worldwide wealth, as demonstrated by this graph:

That said, Tanner argues that as of recent years, the benefits of economic growth are accruing less and less to those in poverty. In his estimation, this is at least partially due to misguided economic policies such as an increased minimum wage and occupational licensing requirements, two specific areas he recommends rethinking.

Details We Love

The Inclusive Economy is an intellectually honest book: it’s clear that Tanner is not merely reciting a party platform but is honestly searching for the best policy solutions that would give the impoverished a boon on their path out of poverty. His sincere desire to see the poor in America flourish is apparent and refreshing.

Throughout the book, Tanner maintains a position toward the poor that is compassionate, and yet he does not take the condescending stance that the poor are merely helpless victims of the world around them. Tanner emphasizes the innate capacities of those in poverty and does his best to prescribe policy solutions that would help call forth those capacities rather than mute them.

Considerations

Agreement on principles is of first importance. We agree with Tanner’s overarching, principled stance that compassionate people ought to do what they can to remove undue obstructions in the poor’s path out of poverty. While Tanner’s focus is on the hindrances at the policy level, which is certainly important, we believe that this principle applies in local and personal charity as well.

That said, good-faith people can have reasonable disagreements on the nature of the barriers and the best way to remove them. One example is Tanner’s recommendation to put a stop to the War on Drugs: reasonable people may disagree and think that street drugs ought to remain illegal, or that at least some should. (The homelessness crisis in California demonstrates potential negative fall-out from liberalizing drug use.) Tanner also discusses factors such as racism and sexism in the perpetuation of poverty. The fact that they are a hindrance to the poor is inarguable; the degree to which they are is highly debatable.

True Charity does not take a stance for or against Tanner’s specific policy positions. However, we concur that laws ought to protect everyone’s access to opportunity.

Who Should Read This?

Anyone who works directly with the poor would benefit from understanding structural problems that hamper the path to a flourishing life. That said, this is an especially good read for anyone who has a particular interest in state and federal-level policy issues that affect the poor.

The Inclusive Economy can be purchased at Amazon. If you purchase the book through this link, True Charity will earn a small amount as an Amazon Associate

At True Charity, we believe that policy has a real impact on the poor. That’s why we engage lawmakers through our partnership with the Foundation for Government Accountability, communicating your concerns and representing your values in the halls of power. You can have a voice in our communications with legislators (and a chance to win $250!) by filling out the legislative survey sent to True Charity Network members every month.