Religion and civic engagement: the case of Iglesia ni Cristo in the Philippines

ABSTRACT

The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) is one of the fastest-growing indigenous Christian churches in the world. They have an estimated membership of 2.25 million adherents in more than 100 countries. In recent years its civic engagements have expanded through bigger relief operations and charity dedicated to the poor and those affected by calamities. These initiatives are typically articulated in terms of unity, duty and obedience to God. This article gives attention to this expansion by spelling it out and explaining it in view of its newfound role in civil society. This is an important intervention in the literature. Studies on INC have mainly focused on its successes in the political and religious spheres. INC now repackages itself as a civic organisation, which cares about public welfare. My argument is that this is how it manifests its new triumphalism in the Philippines, but with implications on its expanding presence in civil society.

KEYWORDS:

• Iglesia ni Cristo
• civic engagement
• religion
• civil society
• Philippines

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. I had to secure permission from INC’s central administration in order to conduct this study. The administration’s approval was crucial before I could interview Brother Edwil Zabala and meet other ministers. I am thankful to Raymond Reyes of INC TV and the leadership of INC for the trust they have given me.

2. See the sermon in this old documentary uploaded on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVxSuT2S49o. The preacher asserts that contemporary followers of INC should be inspired by the unwavering faith demonstrated by those persecuted in Hacienda Luisita.

3. INC has a website dedicated to its civic engagements: http://iglesianicristo.net/kabayankokapatidko/. It is important to note that INC is a highly mediatised religious organisation. Its TV station broadcasts programmes in different languages and its social media showcases savvy productions catered for a global audience. Commonly featured on its YouTube channel, for example, are members from different countries and their stories of discovering what they consider Biblical truths in INC: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVrtEeGnwAdvkWnd134AaLQ.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jayeel Serrano Cornelio

Jayeel Serrano Cornelio is the director of the Development Studies Program at the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. He is the author of Being Catholic in the Contemporary Philippines: Young People Reinterpreting Religion (Routledge, 2016). He also co-edited (with Khun Eng Kuah-Pearce) the special issue of the Asian Journal of Social Science (2015) on religious philanthropy in Asia.