Beyond functionality: religion and international development

Abstract

Abstract With the resurgence of religion in global politics, more attention has been given to how religion functions as an instrument of development. This paper argues that religion has a contribution to make to international development theory as well. The contention is examined against the evolution of the meaning of religion and of international development within the secular state, secularism and secularisation. The paper proposes that religion's role in meaning making and the new alternative forms of international development provide the basis for interaction in the construction of theories of development.

Résumé Avec la résurgence de la religion dans la politique mondiale, on s'intéresse aujourd'hui à sa fonction en tant qu'instrument du développement. Cet article soutient que la religion a également une contribution à faire à la théorie du développement international. Il examine cette hypothèse à la lumière de l’évolution de la signification de la religion et du développement international avec la sécularisation, la laïcité et l’État laïque. Il conclut que c'est parce que la religion joue un rôle important dans la construction du sens qu'elle peut, en dialogue avec la recherche de nouvelles formes de développement international, faire un apport aux théories du développement.

Keywords:

• religion
• meaning
• secularism
• secularisation
• alternative development

Notes

Questions and issues around definition of religion occupy a sizable literature, to which any introductory text in religious studies will attest. There is, therefore, fluidity around the content of what one studies or understands as religion.

For example, in countries where freedom of religion is a right, some groups must justify the designation of their practices as constituting a religion (note, for example, the designation of Christian Scientology as a religion in the US but not so in Germany, and arguments based on this. See http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/105996/scientology-is-not-a-religion). Also, many scholars resort to listing general characteristics rather than defining religion; groups meeting most of these characteristics are then denoted a religion. Some forms of Buddhism do not have a “god”; some “religions” have no normative text; what constitutes miracles for some may be ordinary activity of spirits or even superstition to others. See Thomas (2005, 57–65) for an overview of definitions. Most introductory religion textbooks also give overviews.

Christianity is the largest and fastest-growing religion in the world, in particular in the global south. It is also the religion most clearly associated with colonisation. Therefore accounts are more extensive than they are for other religions.

See discussion of Sarvodaya Shramadana movement below.

The equation of secularisation with differentiation was first made by Talcott Parsons in the 1960s. See Martin (2005, 20).

See the large body of literature cited by Woodberry (2004).

This followed the UN decade for development of the 1960s. The brief account of the Washington Consensus offered here follows Williamson (2004, 2008).

See links on the website of the Berkley Center: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu.

See their websites, http://www.united-church.ca/funding/msfund and www.cccb.ca, the latter with a link to Canadian Catholic Conference for Development and Peace (http://www.devp.org/devpme/main-eng.html).

For updates on Islamic Relief's efforts relating to floods in Pakistan, and recent efforts in the Sahel, see http://islamicreliefcanada.org/?p=1298

For an overview of its history and principles see the website http://www.sarvodaya.org/about/philosophy/collected-works-vol-1/the-movement. See also Narayanswamy (2003), which gives a broad perspective on Gandhian-inspired movements but also lists some of the many development projects in which these movements are involved, especially in the global south.