Short Abstract

In this workshop, which is sponsored by the DSA Religions and Development study group, we will reflect on moments in the last 25+ years that can be classified as critical junctures, or key turning points leading to significant change, in the field of religions and development.

Description

Despite the faith-based roots of many development approaches and organisations, faith, religion and spirituality were long a taboo in international development policy, practice and academic circles. Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, this has slowly started to change. Many international development agencies now have faith engagement strategies, working groups, and advisors. Practitioners and academics have produced a significant body of evidence on what works and what doesn’t in religions and development practice and policy. Religions and development has arguably grown into a distinct field of study, with its own journal, handbooks, university courses, and a DSA study group that has been contributing to the association since 2016.

In this workshop, which is sponsored by the DSA Religions and Development study group, we call for contributions that reflect on the past 25+ years of scholarly and practice/policy-focused debates and activities in the field of religions and development with a focus on critical junctures that have shaped the discipline and field of policy/practice. What moments in the last 25+ years can be classified as critical junctures, or key turning points leading to significant change, in the field? We are interested in contributions reflecting on the role that key events (such as the end of the Cold War, 9/11, debates about localisation and decolonisation, the Covid pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, recent USAID and FCDO funding cuts, or the Gaza war) have had on the discipline. We welcome presentations based on either academic papers or personal/professional experience.

This Workshop has 1 pending contribution proposal.
Propose contribution