Discipleship

2019 Summer Dialogues in Theology

Becoming Whole: Living and Flourishing in a Broken World

Western Civilization is wealthier, but it isn't happier.

We are the richest people ever to walk the face of the earth, but according to research, we aren't becoming happier. Families and communities are increasingly fragmented, loneliness is skyrocketing, and physical and mental health are on the decline. Our unprecedented wealth doesn't seem to be doing us much good.

Yet, when we try to help poor people at home or abroad, our implicit assumption is that the goal is to help them to become like us. "If they would just do things our way, they'd be fine!"

In Becoming Whole (building on the best-selling When Helping Hurts), Brian Fikkert and Kelly M. Kapic look at the true sources of brokenness and poverty and uncover the surprising pathways to human flourishing, for poor and non-poor alike. - From the publisher

This year’s Summer Dialogues in Theology will study Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn't the American Dream," by Dr. Brian Fikkert and Dr. Kelly M. Kapic (available for purchase on the book table).

Dr. Brian Fikkert is the Founder and President of the Chalmers Center at Covenant College, where he has also served as a Professor of Economics and Community Development since 1997. He is co-author of six books, including the best-selling When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself.

Dr. Kelly M. Kapic (Ph.D. King's College, University of London) is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2001. He has written and edited numerous books, including Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering, which won the Book of the Year Award from Christianity Today in the category of Theology and Ethics.