Connecting religious transnationalism and development: charitable giving amongst Zimbabwean Catholics in London

Abstract

This article argues that religious transnationalism amongst diaspora members shapes engagements with their homelands through charitable giving. Religious networks connect migrants to their homeland through constant interactions with the mother church and its members. Using the case of a Zimbabwean Catholic Christian community in London, the article takes forward debates about religious transnationalism, charity and development, arguing that religious networks infuse and underpin a transnational sense of diasporic belonging amongst migrants. They underpin not only in situ support within hostlands but also a plethora of engagements in the homelands, involving significant flows of material resources into church and community development projects and humanitarian relief. This demonstrates the important role religious formations play in aid and development, challenging assumptions of development’s secularism. While the literature illustrates the importance of religion within development, it has yet to fully engage with what ordinary people seek to do when confronted with the global disparities of the modern world. Additionally, these transnational charitable engagements sit in between individual remittances and organised charities and can sometimes be motivated by the differences between the so-called Global North and South. The article therefore contributes to the growing literature demonstrating the complex interactions between religion, religious practice, charity and development.