Bridging the Gaps

As neoliberal philosophies and economic models spread across the globe, faith-based non-governmental ("third-sector") organizations have proliferated. They increasingly fill the gaps born of state neglect by designing and delivering social services and development programming. This collection shines a much-needed critical light onto these organizations by exploring the varied ways that faith-based organizations attempt to mend the fissures and mitigate the effects of neoliberal capitalism and development practices on the poor and powerless. The essays—grounded in empirical case studies—cover such topics as the meaning of "faith-based" development, evaluations of faith-based versus secular approaches, the influence of faith-orientation on program formulation and delivery, and examinations of faith-based organizations' impacts on structural inequality and poverty alleviation. Bridging the Gaps demonstrates the vital importance of ethnography for understanding the particular role of faith-based agencies in Latin America, revealing both the promise and the limitations of this "new" mode of development.

This collection is an important addition to the growing literature on faith-based organisations and how they engage with development. In its richly contextualised and nuanced ethnographies of FBOs in Central and Latin America and the Caribbean, it highlights the complexities of the faith-based sector and the ways in which FBOs themselves are transformed by their encounter with development discourse and neoliberalism. Together, the book demonstrates the possibilities and limits of faith engagement with development. It should be read by anyone seeking to understand the shifting roles, constraints, challenges, and opportunities of faith-based development activity.

Tara Hefferan is visiting assistant professor of anthropology at Central Michigan University. Julie Adkins is an instructor in anthropology at Southern Methodist University. Laurie Occhipinti is associate professor of anthropology at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.