Histories of religious fundraising: religion, economy, and value in global perspective: introduction

Abstract

ABSTRACT This special issue brings together a series of articles addressing histories of religious fundraising across a diverse range of religious and geographical contexts and historical periods. This guest editors’ introduction situates the issue within the broader literature on religion and economy, reflecting on the new perspectives that the study of religious financing can offer, particularly when considered across different cultures and times. We then highlight and discuss two major themes emerging from the articles: the mutual interplay between religious fundraising strategies, their ethics, and changing economic thought and practice; and the politics of value at stake in histories of religious fundraising. We finish by drawing attention to the potential for religious fundraising as a concerted field of study and some possible avenues of future research.