Faith and Humanitarianism: It's Complicated

This article examines the relationship between faith and humanitarianism in a variety of religious traditions, with particular emphasis on Christian and Muslim organizations. Following a brief historical overview and a short (and incomplete) description of the scale of faith-based contributions to humanitarian work, the article then addresses three issues: the distinctiveness of faith-based organizations, their professionalism, and the potential for partnerships between secular and faith-based organizations. It finds that the variety of faith-based actors makes generalizations difficult and questions the utility of the term, suggesting that differences between faith-based actors are often greater than those between secular and faith-based organizations. The article concludes by noting the need for serious academic research on faith-based humanitarian organizations and suggesting areas where future research is particularly needed.