Morten Stavland, Ole
(2011)
Balancing Word and Deed - Challenges of
Forging a Common Development Thinking
in Faith-based Organisations: A study of
Norwegian Lutheran Mission.
Research and Perspectives on Development Practice, 11.
ISSN 2009-6976
Abstract
This paper is drawn from a thesis submitted to the
Kimmage
Development Studies Centre, Dublin, in partial fuli
lment of the
requirements for the degree of MA in Development St
udies. The paper
relects on the characteristics of faith-based organ
isations – with a
particular focus on evangelical faith-based organis
ations - and the roles
of these characteristics in shaping views and pract
ices of development,
particularly among ield workers.
What people believe in affects what they do and how
they do it. Faith
therefore, expectedly, affects development practice
. But a shared faith
on its own does not necessarily guarantee a coheren
t approach to
development among staff, as this case study of Norw
egian Lutheran
Mission (NLM) illustrates. Despite the common denom
inational and
cultural background, there were in this particular
organisational
environment still signs of unclear or dual purposes
, and somewhat
fragmented approaches to development thinking in th
e ield. Deining
the role of faith in forging development views very
much seemed to be
up to the individual ield worker.
Faith-based organisations may at irst glance seem t
o have an
advantage compared to mainstream NGOs, in terms of
being made
up of a relatively ideologically homogenous staff b
ody. However, a
faith-based organisation (FBO) that wants to ensure
a coherent and
consistent approach to development thinking cannot
assume this will
happen naturally. It has to work hard if it wishes
to forge a common
understanding of purpose and practice.
Within this particular organisational environment –
the evangelical
mission organisation - the hybridity of being ‘both
’ a development
agency and an evangelising organisation seems to be
particularly at
the core of understanding how views and practices a
re shaped. In this
paper, the challenges presented by this hybridity a
re addressed and
it is hoped that these considerations will be of re
levance for all faith
based organisations.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Additional Information: |
Research and
Perspectives on Development PracticeSeries Paper No. 11 |
| Keywords: |
Balancing Word and Deed - Challenges of
Common Development Thinking; Faith-based Organisations;
Norwegian Lutheran Mission; Kimmage Development Studies Centre; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > International Development |
| Item ID: |
9954 |
| Depositing User: |
IR Editor
|
| Date Deposited: |
18 Sep 2018 16:36 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
Research and Perspectives on Development Practice |
| Publisher: |
Kimmage Development Studies Centre |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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