In this episode, we speak with Brian Fikkert, who is an economist and professor at Covenant College. We speak about his influential book When Helping Hurts and how Christians can make the greatest possible positive impact in the lives of the poor. Some things we touch on in this episode: Why short-term missions often make things worse for the poor. How wealthy Americans define “poverty”. “Relief” vs. “Development” work, and where Christians are most needed. Balancing insights from the Bible and economic experiments. Career advice for Christians looking to tackle global poverty. More at https://www.christiansforimpact.org/episodes/brian-fikkert

Economist Brian Fikkert discusses the intersection of economics and the image of God. Topics include economic growth reducing poverty, material prosperity vs. well-being, human flourishing as image bearers of God, critiquing socialism, resisting economic-centric thinking, and integrating economics with Christian beliefs for holistic flourishing.