Archbishop Rowan: Aid as a 'cloak for proselytism'

The Archbishop of Canterbury on faith and development at the RSA for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. He spoke of the fear that religious groups use aid as a cloak for proselytism.

Listen here to an MP3 of the entire speech.

In his address, he recognised the “long standing suspicion” towards faith in the development world. There is a fear that faith groups will prioritise giving aid to “their own” and not everyone irrespective of belief and that aid will be used as a cloak for conversion, he said.

'Religious communities do not begin from a clear Enlightenment doctrine of universal liberties; they are necessarily exclusive, in the sense that they are committed to particular beliefs that not everyone shares.

'There is always going to be the shadow of a suspicion that they will favour their own instead of working for universal benefit, or that they are using aid and development as a vehicle for propaganda on behalf of their convictions, a cloak for proselytism.

'And they may, of course, disagree about what 'universal benefit' might mean: for example, in the area of reproductive rights and liberties. The development agency may come to see religion as a positive obstacle to liberation; and the result is often a standoff between what can look like two sets of absolutisms, traditional faith and a passionate enlightened universalism.

'Faced with the rise of aggressive religious conservatism – the word 'fundamentalism' is not actually all that helpful – all this long standing unease becomes more sharply focused. Combined with governmental reluctance to be seen as favouring specific communities and their convictions, it can produce a standoff between development agencies and faith groups that has the effect of shrinking the possibilities of creative co-operation.'

  Episcopal Life Online has a report of his tribute to the Mothers' Union.

Read the full transcript here at Articles of Faith.

Follow Ruth Gledhill on Twitter.

Comments

[Tony B]

I seem to recall a case some time ago (Earthquake in Pakistan?) where a Christian group was reported to have delivered aid to Christians only in the stricken area. I can't remember whether there was any truth in the story or not.

[M.Robinson]

In spite of Jesus's command to go out and make disciples of all nations, I believe that most, if not all, Christian aid organisations work for the good of the community to which they are sent in its entirety. Caring for those in need, of whatever nationality or creed, is surely the most effective way of preaching the Gospel without even mentioning it. I somtimes wonder if Dr Williams is at all concerned with the salvation of the people of the world, or merely with sounding like an angst-ridden intellectual.

[Pageantmaster]

I am glad we have Tim to explain what the "other" is banging on about.

Thanks so much Ruth for bringing us this mutually enriching reality.

[tim]

His whole lecture was an argument for why aid agencies and and governments should work more with faith based development organisations and communities.