New Book: Poverty Abolitionists: Faith, Activism, and Hope for Difficult Times

Posted by Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity on June 9, 2026

The Rev. David Beckmann has spent a lifetime fighting against hunger and poverty as the former president of Bread For The World and the 2010 winner of the World Food Prize. But in his new book, Poverty Abolitionists: Faith, Activism, and Hope for Difficult Times, Beckmann calls for a newly partisan approach to meeting what he sees as a crisis for the neediest Americans as a result of the policies of the Trump administration. Beckmann, a Lutheran minister, also has launched a new newsletter.

In the latest Spotlight exclusive, we talk to Beckmann about the book, his change of approach and the solutions he sees to create more economic opportunity. Said Beckmann: “I wrote this book to talk about 10 effective ways that people who care can push back. And much of it is pushing back against MAGA, but there are other things that we can do together that will lead to a restoration of progress against poverty and hunger. I’m a preacher and I think God wants this to happen, so we should get on with it.”