Faith-Based International Development Work: A Review

• Main Authors: Dan Heist, Ram A. Cnaan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-02-01
• Series: Religions
• Subjects: international development; international social and economic development; religious community; faith based organizations; faith-based NGOs; humanitarian work
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/7/3/19

In the wake of the Faith-Based Initiative in the USA, substantial research has resulted in an increased awareness of religious congregations and faith-based organizations as welfare service providers. The next frontier appears to be the role of religious organizations in international social and economic development, a topic that only recently started to attract academic interest. In this paper, we review available literature on the role that religious, or faith-based, organizations play in international social and economic development. We also provide results from our own study of USA international NGOs1 that are faith-based. We divide the paper into the positive contributions of faith-based international NGOs and the drawbacks of these NGOs. We find that faith-based nonprofits constitute almost 60 percent of USA-based international development organizations, and their contribution to international social development is quite considerable. We conclude with a call for further research and nuanced understanding of the role religion plays in international development.