Customer Reviews

Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practice of Transformational Development

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"Walking with the Poor..." is simply the best single book about holistic Christian development theory, theology, and real Christian organizational practice which I have read to date. The purpose of the book in Myers' own words "is to describe a proposal for understanding the principles and practice of transformational development (positive material, social and spiritual change) from a Christian perspective. It is my intention to try to bring together the basic streams of thinking and experience. The best of the principles and practice of the international development community needs to be integrated with the thinking and experience of Christian relief and development nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Then these two streams of experience need to be informed and shaped by a biblical framework for transformational development." For the most part, Myers achieves his purpose.

Myers quotes liberally from many other development thinkers and theologians from both economically developed countries and lesser developed countries. He uses wonderful diagrams that are worth their weight in gold for those who learn visually, and his appendices list pertinent Biblical texts and ways to evaluate spiritual transformation in a community. If you are a Christian working anywhere in development, you need to read this book! "Walking With the Poor" introduces a variety of development paradigms and theological reflections about development to those who may never have studied development formally and includes material likely to be new to even the more experienced development practitioner. "Walking With the Poor" is especially useful to get westerners thinking about and praying about how much they do not know about indigenous people, their worldviews, the problems they face, and the importance of the spiritual aspects of development work. Specific topic areas addressed are: a)differing Christian worldviews; b)Christian theology for development including "Third World" theologians views; c) descriptions of major development writers secular and sacred theories of development; d)the importance of participation of the poor in project design and management; e)some methods used by World Vision and other development organizations for encouraging participation by the poor; and f)some transformational evaluation methods used by World Vision.

The only mild criticism is that the book uses too many World Vision examples and experiences (which is reasonable given Myers' position as Vice-President of that organization) and does not include as much about other Christian NGOs work.

Myers certainly packs much keen insight into a very concise book on this subject. The book may not have a recent publishing date, but I have found this to be the single best volume on the subject. I would recommend reading it to all christian workers working where poverty is a way of life.

Excellent must read even for those not too heavily involved in community development.If you find yourself helping an odd family here and there, with micro finance or some other method of bettering their lives, read this book.

Myers introduces us to the dynamics of what we need to know about Transformational Development. Will help ou to know what questions to ask before you start. Myers helps to keep us humble in the process too.

I would highly recommend this book to Christian Colleges/Universities teaching classes in Transformational/Community Development. Ideal text overview for an introductory class - with sufficient depth and breadth to wet the appetite for more, of anyone serious about transforming poor communities.
Andy Rayner (International Field Administrator for Man of Peace Development (org)