New approaches in recent years to the poverty dilemma are encouraging. Ronald Sider writes to convince Evangelical Christians that the Good News Gospel needs good deeds, and that faith-based initiatives are effective. He has done his homework in gathering a wealth of data which is presented in a way that reads easily and with compelling conviction. He presents a holistic, Biblical vision. Psychological ill-being such as powerlessness, violation of dignity, social isolation, the shame of dependency, hopelessness, etc. are poor people s realities.
Poverty is the lack of options.
They found two primary reasons why the problem remains elusive corruption and family breakdown including abuse. People s experiences are described vividly overshadowing the data gathered. This rich body of information was supported by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Together, these two books are comprehensive in scope, one focusing on the American scene and the other is global. One speaks of the data available while the other records experiences.