Religion and development: subjecting religious perceptions and organisations to scrutiny

Abstract

Writing on the relationships between religion and development has blossomed in the last decade or so, after years of relative neglect. Like any field of social enquiry that is both underdeveloped and closely linked to the interests of advocates and practitioners, the work available to date has encountered various pitfalls. These are outlined, to pinpoint the contribution that this special issue makes to the rapidly-evolving body of research on religion in the context of development. The paper then provides an editorial overview of the themes and papers in the special issue, which includes both research-based articles and practical notes. Nine papers in the journal issue are based on research undertaken as part of the Religions and Development Programme (2005–11), which was coordinated by the University of Birmingham and worked mainly in four countries in Africa and South Asia (Nigeria, Tanzania, India, and Pakistan).

Citation

Rakodi, C. Religion and development: subjecting religious perceptions and organisations to scrutiny. Development in Practice (2012) 22 (5-6) 621-633. [Special Issue: Religion and Development] [DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2012.686602]

Religion and development: subjecting religious perceptions and organisations to scrutiny

Published 1 January 2012