Religion and international development in the Canadian academic context

Abstract

Although faith, religion and spirituality are central to the lives of millions in the global south, few scholars in the north explicitly address religion's role in development. This study explores this disjuncture in Canadian academia by analysing references to religion and related terms across 32 volumes of the Canadian Journal of Development Studies and in international development studies (IDS) course descriptions at Canadian universities. Fewer than 1 per cent of the articles and IDS courses explicitly address religion and development. An examination of other key publications in the field suggests that growing interest in religion and development in the past decade has not been reflected in the Canadian academy.RÉ SUMÉ Bien que la foi, la religion et la spiritualité soient centrales à la vie de millions de personnes du Sud, peu de chercheurs du Nord abordent son rôle dans le développement. L'analyse des références à la religion dans 32 volumes de la Revue canadienne d'études du développement et dans les descriptions de cours universitaires canadiens portant sur le développement international montre que cette disjonction est présente dans la recherche canadienne. En effet, moins d'un pour cent des articles et des cours traitent explicitement la relation entre la religion et le développement. L'intérêt croissant que d'autres publications clés dans le domaine des études du développement ont porté au rapport entre religion et développement durant la dernière décennie ne trouve donc pas son équivalent dans la recherche canadienne.

The role of faith-based NGOs in social development: Invisible empowerment

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Government Funding for Faith‐Based International Development: Empirical Evidence from a U.S. Survey

“…FBOs have not traditionally been perceived as instrumental players in international development by policy makers and academics, despite their history and ubiquity (White House 2001; Willis 2013). This neglect is primarily due to the pervading assumption that FBOs' religious missions lead them to pursue strategic outcomes that exist apart from, rather than alongside, the strategic outcomes of secular NGOs (Fountain 2015).…”

Faith-Based Organisations (FBO): A Review of Literature on their Nature and Contrasting Identities with NGO in Community Development Intervention

“…Indeed, for many this has often been a core aspect of their existence (Hovland, 2008). This concern with physical well-being is often experienced and delivered through faith-based organizations (FBOs) affiliated with religious communities (Clarke, 2008 Yet, for decades FBOs were ignored in mainstream discussions of community development (Willis, 2013). However, FBOs have begun to initiate contact with aid donors in recent years to seek increased involvement (and funding) in community development interventions (Marshall and Van Saanen, 2007).…”