Christian Mission and Poverty

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Christian Mission and Poverty

to God but that all we receive is due to God’s provision alone. He encourages us to give up both worry and pride so we can be generous. After that, we hear from John Woolman, the Quaker abolitionist, about how poverty negatively affects people and how Christians must work to alleviate human suffering by pursuing just economic practices. Next, the theologian Howard Thurman helps us recognize what the Gospel means for the marginalized. He shows that Christian mission is not something done for the poor, but is rather the liberative message of hope arising from the poor. He reintroduces us to Jesus as a poor member of a first-century oppressed ethnic and religious group. Mary of Paris, a twentieth century Orthodox nun, helps us think through what it means to be neither greedy nor stingy while living one’s life in the world. Finally, C. Rene Padilla, a Latin American evangelical, teaches us that the Gospel is holistic. With the phrase integral mission , he expands our view of the mission of God as meeting both spiritual and physical needs. He teaches us that evangelism, justice, and charity are all part of God’s work in the world. These readings are combined into eight chapters based on shared themes and chronology. Before each reading, I present a brief introduction of the thinker, giving background details about her or his life and work, explaining their contexts, and helping us see how they fit into the larger narrative of God’s mission with the poor. Following each chapter, I ask a few questions to aid in group discussion. We recommend that you use