We are in a tumultuous time for development agendas and international politics. Given the end of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, changes to foreign aid within the Trump administration in the US, and political upheavals around the world, this panel explores and critically engages with intersections of religion, politics, and international development. Papers will explore international development funding and practices vis-a-vis religion as well as sociopolitical contestations vis-a-vis religion and the state in global contexts.
In 2003, amidst a groundswell of activism on behalf of children living with HIV, the United States initiated the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Suddenly, children who were born with HIV in PEPFAR-supported countries had access to antiretroviral medication. Those children are now considered the first generation of people born with HIV to live into adulthood. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and a twelve-year-relationship with Mwana Mwema, a network of faith-based pediatric HIV clinics across Nairobi that were supported by PEPFAR and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) before their abrupt closure in 2024, I explore the ways PEPFAR and USAID policy became imbedded in the lives of some of these young adults. Analyzing the fragile social, financial, and spiritual ecosystems instituted through global health policy, I illuminate how young adults and practitioners widened the impact of PEPFAR and made the initiative work despite its contingent nature.
This paper analyses the understanding of faith-based development work in Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia (World Council of Churches 2022) in three steps. Firstly, I discuss the understanding of Christian social practice and ecumenical diakonia articulated in the document. Secondly, I examine how the relationship between churches and specialized ministries is conceptualised in the context of ecumenical diaconia and faith-based responses to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thirdly, I analyse how the document understands the relationship between religious faith and human rights and how it plays a role in Christian faith-based development work. I conclude by reflecting on how Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia positions faith-based actors in development practice towards 2030 and the post-2030 agenda.
This study explores the dual use of Sunni theological discourse in Turkish politics, examining how religious movements employ theological arguments to both endorse and challenge President Erdoğan’s leadership. Using political discourse analysis, the research systematically analyzes public statements, sermons, and social media posts from major religious groups. The study argues that religious discourse provides a rich set of justifications, allowing actors to selectively frame political positions through theological reasoning. It examines how Erdoğan is alternatively portrayed as a defender of the ummah and a leader uniting the Islamic world or as a hypocrite failing to uphold justice. The analysis highlights how religious leaders serve as brokers, using theological cues to mobilize political behavior. By bridging religion, social science, and political discourse, this study contributes to broader discussions on the intersection of theology and political behavior in contemporary societies.