Religion and Philanthropy

Catalog description

This course is designed to help understand why and how religious people and religious communities around the globe engage in philanthropic action. Drawing from a variety of case studies, including disaster relief work in India, religious charity in post-revolutionary Egypt, and social outreach from evangelical megachurches in the United States, we will identify the wide array of causal factors contributing to the exponential growth of faith-based funding. In doing so, we also explore the potential problematics of philanthropy- How much and for how long is one obligated to give? Should there be any expectation of accountability for the recipients of charity? Should social engagement align or misalign with political views? Can there ever be true altruist giving, or is that an unattainable myth? -and measure whether philanthropy leads to long-term social development and change, or just allows us to overlook long-standing inequities through the temporary belief in the concepts of shared humanity and belonging to a singular moral community. Satisfies Religious Studies major and minor requirement. Satisfies the Philosophical & Religious Perspectives Ways of Knowing requirement. Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community Graduation requirement.