All the Lives You Can Change
Effective Altruism for Christians
- Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
- Work, Money & Leadership
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
Learn how to go beyond good intentions and create real change in the world. In a world full of seemingly intractable problems, many Christians wonder if their efforts make any real difference—or if they’re just throwing money and time into a void. All the Lives You Can Change directly addresses this question, pointing Christians to impactful opportunities for loving their neighbors. It encourages readers to go beyond conventional philanthropy, symbolic actions, and feel-good volunteering and to discover surprising tools from effective altruism—an evidence-based approach to doing the most good. Drawing on Scripture, years of nonprofit management experience, and research from experts at Oxford, the authors equip followers of Christ to turn compassion into meaningful, measurable change. This book offers practical tools to: Prioritize needs: Identify where money and energy most impactfully solve pressing, neglected global issues—taking Jesus’s radical command to love your neighbor seriously. Give smarter: Leverage proven, evidence-backed strategies to achieve results hundreds of times greater per dollar than traditional charity. Develop powerful careers: Clarify one’s calling and pursue careers that don’t just feel meaningful but genuinely glorify God and significantly improve the world. Full of eye-opening case studies, sharp biblical insights, and candid advice, All the Lives You Can Change is a road map for a life that makes a difference. Professionals short on purpose, church leaders eager to mobilize their congregations into meaningful action, and students uncertain about the future will all learn how to move past good intentions and into genuine, world-changing outcomes that radically transform the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Endorsements (3)
Foreword
“I couldn’t put this book down. It manages to be both inspiring and practical. It blends cutting-edge research with careful theological discussion. . . . Essential reading for Christians who are trying to figure out how to steward their resources wisely.”
“Effective altruism asks us to extend our empathy beyond our immediate circle to include distant strangers and future generations. All the Lives You Can Change argues powerfully that this ‘radical empathy’ is at the very core of the Christian faith. Inspiring, intellectually rigorous, and deeply practical, this is an essential guide for Christians who want to ensure their compassion translates into the greatest possible impact for the world’s most vulnerable people. It’s a beautiful, moving book.”
“Jesus tells us that the two most important commandments are to love God and love our neighbor; everything else is commentary. And who is our neighbor? It’s the entire human family. To me, this has always meant that the call of my faith as a Catholic is to do as much as I can to improve the lot of the ‘least of these’ whom Jesus talks about in Matthew 25. All the Lives You Can Change is an engaging road map for how to do precisely that; it should be mandatory reading for Christian clergy and for every Christian who wants to live their faith to the fullest.”
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