Religion in Philanthropic Organizations: Family, Friend, Foe? (Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies) - Softcover

Overall, Religion in Philanthropic Organizations: Family, Friend, Foe? provides a useful review of the various Abrahamic religions and their approaches to philanthropy. However, what gives this edited volume special value is that it brings to light the tension between secular and religious giving and the implications that this tension has for faith practitioners and society-at-large. . . . After reading the book, one walks away with a greater understanding of the challenges surrounding faith-based motivators that make giving in both religious and secular spheres so important to philanthropy in America. * Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly *

Religion in Philanthropic Organizations explores the tensions inherent in religious philanthropies across a variety of organizations and examines the effect assumptions about "professional" philanthropy have had on how religious philanthropies carry out their activities. Among the organizations discussed are the Salvation Army, the World Council of Churches, and Catholic Charities USA. The essays focus on the work of one individual, Robert Pierce, founder of World Vision and Samaritan's Purse, and on more general matters such as philanthropy and Jewish identity, American Muslim philanthropy since 9/11, and the federal program that funds faith-based initiatives. The book sheds light on how religion and philanthropy function in American society, shaping and being shaped by the culture and its notions of the "common good."