In a world plaqued by disease, oppression, and chronic poverty, Christians want to reach out to the suffering. But what can we really do to help? In 1987 a group of forty evangelical Christians from around the world gathered at Villars, Switzerland, to address this question. From that consultation came this book. Some Christians may be surprised to learn that the evangelical relief agencies they support finanacially are failing to give the gospel. Instead these organizations try to change Third World countries through Marxist ideas. Frredom, Justice and Hope shows the conflict between Christianity and leftist liberation theology and presents a Biblical framework for helping the poor. Because poerty is both a physical and a spiritual problem, the authors contend that relief work must also stress conversion and discipleship.. They bring up several other important question: Why are people poor? Who are the oppressed, according to the Bible? Is it wrong to link aid to United States foreign policy? Beyond exposing the tragic failure of social engineering and utopian ideology, Freedom, Justice, and Hope points to solutions that will change lives and cultures at the deepest level through the transforming power of the gospel and give practical assistance to those in need.