Does religion make a difference? : religious NGOs in international development collaboration / Andreas Heuser, Jens Koehrsen (editors).

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Heuser, Andreas, 1961- editor.

Kohrsen, Jens, 1980- editor.

Series:

Religion - Wirtschaft - Politik ; Bd. 20.

Religion - Wirtschaft - Politik ; Band 20

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Non-governmental organizations.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (364 pages) ; 23 cm.

Edition:

1st edition.

Place of Publication:

Baden-Baden, Germany : Pano Verlag : Nomos, [2020]

Summary:

Religions are increasingly being regarded as relevant partners in international development cooperation due to their special attributes. However, to date there has been little research into what the special attributes of religious development agencies actually are or how such organisations employ them. What resources do religious NGOs draw on in development cooperation? How do such NGOs differ from other development agencies? Does their engagement make a considerable difference to collaborative development work? Using empirical case studies and theoretical analysis, the contributions in this book address these questions. In doing so, they examine different religions and their collaborative development work in various regions of the world, and chart the most recent changes in religions.

Contents:

From a Quiet Revolution to the Tolerance of Ambiguity: Religious NGOs in International Development Discourse

A Quiet Revolution

The Reluctant Discovery of Religion

The Great Global Transformation

RNGOs' Abilities in Sustainable Development

Tolerance of Ambiguity

Multireligious Case-Studies

Outline of the Volume

Section I: Religious NGOs and International Development Politics

Religious Engagement in Development Work: A Continuing Journey

Introduction: the "resurgence" of interest in religious matters

Definition challenges; Global agendas, religious involvement

The religious landscape in development work

A bumpy path to religious engagement

Eight live topics to address on religious engagement

Religion and violence

Motivations and boundaries: the issue of Proselytizing

Controversies on gender

Coordination and harmonization

Governance issues

Instrumentalization debates

Human rights

Debates about models

The United Nations and Development: What do Religious Actors Add to Debates about Achieving Better Outcomes?

Introduction

Development concerns at the United Nations; The World Bank, the WCC and the MDGs

The World Bank, the WCC and SDGs: Building Cooperation between Religious and Secular Development Actors

Conclusion

Transculturation Grammars in Secular and Religious Development NGOs

1 Introduction

Development

Religion

Spirituality

Secularity

2 The "balancing identity" skill

2.1 Elements of cultural anthropology and the sociology of religions

2.2 Elements of communication skills

3 The differentiation skill: "fundamentalist vs fundamental"

3.1 Conceptualizing religion

3.2 Fundamentalist and fundamental; 3.3 Fundamentalism and fundamental options: sociology of comparative religions

3.4 The fundamentalist radicality

i. Cognitive level: binary thinking

ii. Social level: proselyte dynamism

iii. Psychological aspects: hardening around morals

iv. Strategic procedures: eradicating the stigmatised reality

3.5 The fundamental option

i. Theological cognitive level: axiological difference between the "divine milieu" and subsequent socio-political manifestations

ii. Social level: empathic availability

iii. Psychological level: the right to difference; Iv. Strategic level: beauty of compromise

3.6 Findings on the "fundamentalist vs fundamental" shift

4 Development NGOs during the Rwandan genocidal processes

4.1 Fundamentalist Rwandan radicality

i. A binary doctrinal argument

ii. Socio-political consequences

iii. Psychology hardening around morals

iv. Police and military consequences

4.2 Fundamental options in the Rwandan context

i. The encompassing "divine milieu"

ii. Fundamental empathy

iii. Solidarity in difference

iv. Political level

5 Outcomes and new beginnings on development and religion issues.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

3-7489-0763-X