Rethinking Religion in Development: Faith, Power, and the Politics of the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Abstract Religious communities have long been underestimated as actors in global development, yet they are increasingly central to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG s). Despite the growing visibility of faith-based organizations in addressing poverty, inequality, and environmental crises, scholarship and policy often overlook the structural and cultural conditions that shape their contributions. Guided by a critical-development theoretical framework, this study foregrounds religion as a dynamic site of social transformation and examines the diverse ways religious traditions and networks mobilize values, resources, and collective action toward sustainable futures. Drawing on case studies across multiple contexts, we analyze how religious actors engage in poverty alleviation, environmental stewardship, education, and healthcare, while also negotiating tensions between spiritual commitments and development paradigms. Rather than treating religion instrumentally, we highlight how religious communities co-construct development priorities in ways that both align with and challenge dominant models. We argue that religious communities are not merely supplementary to the SDG s but constitute critical partners whose moral and institutional infrastructures expand possibilities for more just and contextually grounded forms of global progress.