* Examines differences between faith-based and secular nonprofit organizations in the context of international development
* Based on fieldwork and over 100 interviews with FBO staffers in respective countries

Local faith-based NGOs (FBOs) are a major force in international development. Almost all religious traditions call followers to charity and non-profits are often the perfect vehicles for such work. FBOs are seen as having long-term commitments to local communities, focus and spiritual strength in the face of difficult conditions, and compassionate staff members. Indeed, there is a growing body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of faith-based health and social services.

However, history has shown that religious faith also carries the potential for violence and exclusion. Especially for FBOs working in countries plagued by religious conflict, this reality can highlight dubious and harmful undercurrents in their work. For the Love of God examines the ways history and religious identity influences FBOs in Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Bosnia Herzegovina and finds that they often reinforce rather than transcend schisms found in the larger society. Based on over 100 interviews with FBO staffers in these countries, Flanigan reveals the darker, more ambivalent side of altruism.

Table of Contents:

1) NGOs, Religious Identity, and Violence in the Developing World
2) Sectarian Social Welfare: Faith and Faction in Lebanon’s NGO Sector
3) Problems in Paradise: Violence, Fear, and Coercion in Sri Lanka’s NGO Sector
4) Cities of Cemeteries: Legacies of Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s NGO Sector
5) Faith-Based Organizations and Violence: The Broader Picture