Handbook of Research on Development and Religion

With eighty percent of the world's population professing religious faith, religious belief is a common human characteristic. This fascinating and highly unique Handbook brings together state-of-the-art research on incorporating religion into development studies literature and research. The expert contributors illustrate that as religious identity is integral to a community's culture, exclusion of religious consideration will limit successful development interventions; it is therefore necessary to conflate religion and development to enhance efforts to improve the lives of the poor. Issues addressed include: key tenets, beliefs and histories of religions; religious response to development concerns (gender, environment, education, microfinance, humanitarian assistance); and the role of faith based organizations and missionaries in the wider development context. Practical case studies of countries across Africa, Eastern Europe and the Pacific (including Australia) underpin the research, providing evidence that the intersection between religion and development is neither new nor static. By way of conclusion, suggestions are prescribed for extensive further research in order to advance understanding of this nascent field. This path-breaking Handbook will prove a thought-provoking and stimulating reference tool for academics, researchers and students in international development, international relations, comparative religion and theology. Contributors: N.A. Alolo, J. Anderson, M. Bano, L. Bi, S. Bradbury, G. Buchanan, M. Clarke, J.A. Connell, B. De Cordier, S. Deneulin, I. Fanany, R. Fanany, X. Fang, S.T. Flanigan, F. Helmiere, G. Hoffstaedter, R. Ireland, M. Jennings, H. Marquette, J. Miller, C. Moe-Lobeda, Y. Narayanan, I. Nolte, L. Rae, J. Rees, P. Riddell, A.W. Sanford, M. Sharpe, C. Starkey, J. Sweet, D.S. Tatla, D. Tittensor, E. Tomalin, A. Ware, V.-A. Ware, J. Wills, A. Yumina

Table of Contents:
Contents: 1. Understanding the Nexus between Religion and Development Matthew Clarke PART I: RELIGIOUS FAITH AND DEVELOPMENT 2. Islam as Aid and Development Peter Riddell 3. Buddhism and Development Emma Tomalin and Caroline Starkey 4. Christianity and International Development Séverine Deneulin 5. Judaism – A Cry for Justice Matthew Clarke 6. Hinduism and Development A. Whitney Sanford 7. Sikhism and Development: A Perfect Match? Darshan S. Tatla 8. Daoism and Development James Miller 9. Confucianism Xiangshu Fang and Lijun Bi 10. Indigenous Religions and Development: African Traditional Religion Namawu Alhassan Alolo and James Astley Connell 11. Name It and Claim It: Prosperity Gospel and the Global Pentecostal Reformation Matthew Sharpe PART II: DEVELOPMENT ISSUES/THEMES AND RELIGION 13. Gender, Religion and Development Emma Tomalin 14. Moral Power at the Religion–Development–Environment Nexus Cynthia Moe-Lobeda with Frederica Helmiere 15. Corruption, Religion and Moral Development Heather Marquette 16. Islamic Education: Historical Evolution and Attempts at Reform Masooda Bano 17. Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Development Shawn Teresa Flanigan 18. Religion in the Policy Domains of International Financial Institutions John Rees 19. A Sustainable Islamic Microfinance Model in Poverty Alleviation Aimatul Yumina 20. Religion and Post-Disaster Development Ismet Fanany and Rebecca Fanany 21. Religious Symbolism and the Politics of Urban Space Development Yamini Narayanan 22. Cultural Heritage and Development in South East Asia Jonathan Sweet and Jo Wills PART III: FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND MISSION 23. ‘Do Not Turn Away a Poor Man’: Faith-based Organizations and Development Michael Jennings 24. ‘Pan-Islamism’ as a Form of ‘Alter-globalism’? Hizb Ut-Tahrir and the Islamic Khilafah State Bruno De Cordier 25. Religion and Development: Prospects and Pitfalls of Faith-based Organizations Gerhard Hoffstaedter and David Tittensor 26. Mission, Missionaries and Development Steve Bradbury 27. Why Western-based, Pentecostal Mission Organizations Undertake Community Development in South East Asia Vicki-Ann Ware, Anthony Ware, Matthew Clarke and Grant Buchanan PART IV: CASE STUDIES 28. Religion, Development and Politics in Nigeria Insa Nolte 29. Religion and Development in Brazil, 1950–2010 Rowan Ireland 30. FBOs in Tanzania Michael Jennings 31. Partnership through Translation: A Donor’s Engagement with Religion Jane Anderson 32. The (In)visible Hand of Muhajirat. A Field Observation on Labour Migration, Social Change and Religion in the Vakhsh Valley, Tajikistan Bruno De Cordier 33. Where Shadows Fall Patchwork: Religion, Violence and Human Security in Afghanistan James Astley Connell 34. Australian Development FBOs and NGOs Lindsay Rae and Matthew Clarke Index

About the Author :
Edited by Matthew Clarke, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Researcher Development and Alfred Deakin Professor, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia