Toxic Charity Author: Visit Amazon's Robert D. Lupton Page | Language: English | ISBN:
B0099YC5SS | Format: EPUB
Toxic Charity Description
- Hardcover
- Publisher: HarperOne (2011)
- ASIN: B0099YC5SS
Its title notwithstanding, this book is not a case for stinginess. Its author has four decades' experience of faith-based charitable work to his credit and draws on this experience as well as a host of anecdotes and research (which, however, he does not cite - the book does is one of advocacy, not scholarship). His is also not an argument against voluntary or faith-based giving in favor of public welfare or rights-based claims on the state. Rather, with multiple and compelling examples, from weeklong `missions' of church youth groups to poor countries through inner-city charitable initiatives to the enormous Kroc grant to the Salvation Army, Lupton argues that this work needs to be rethought and reoriented.
As Brooks (Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism) has shown, giving by religious Americans, both to church-based charities and secular agencies like the Red Cross, is extraordinarily generous by any measure, in time, treasure, and talent, compared with that of secular Americans and citizens of other affluent countries. Lupton does not disparage these efforts or their (mostly) good intentions, but argues that most of this activity does more harm than good. Given the author's own commitment and credentials in the field, anyone engaged in this work will want to pay attention to his critique.
In some ways, Lupton echoes those 19th-century critics of "sentimental charity," who sought to replace random handouts with organized charity based on a relationship between giver and recipient that offered "not alms, but a friend" (the motto of the Charity organization Societies).
Criticism of missions is so common these days that it's almost boring. But it's legitimate criticism. The short-term "vacationaries" are indeed pathetic and deserve every bit of that criticism. Career western missionaries living U.S. lifestyles among their third world subjects taking the American exceptionalism brand of watered-down, family friendly religion to other cultures is disgusting. The happy suburban American white knights going into poor neighborhoods, passing out twinkies meanwhile patting themselves on the back for being such good Christians makes me want to puke. Do you see how easy and annoying it is to criticize western missions?
In this book, the author takes it to the next step in identifying why the modern western mission approach is so pathetic and unfruitful. He provides a set of principles that should be used in desigining any mission program whether it's a mission to a third world nation or to a neighborhood a half mile away. It's not a how-to book. The issues are too complicated and the people too diverse for him to write a simple set of instructions or a simple strategy. Following his guidance will not be easy. It will require studying people, identifying leaders and influences and creating relationships all before the first step is taken. If you're looking for an easy read that you can communicate to your pastor or group during a 30 minute presentation, then forget about it.
While this book is from the point of view of a religious person, the principles and information in this book are not religious at all. In fact, any talk of preaching or developing churches is totally absent. The only goal mentioned is helping people improve economically and socially. There is no spiritual diminsion to this book.
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