Religion and Volunteering: Complex, Contested and Ambiguous Relationships

Abstract

This chapter introduces the reader to the main themes and general content of this edited volume on religion and volunteering. It starts from the observation that the relationship between religion and volunteering constitutes a key focus of research on volunteering. The ‘default’ perspective posits a strong and positive causal relationship between both phenomena. However, both volunteering and religion are multi-dimensional and dynamic social phenomena. On closer inspection the relation between them appears to be more complex, contested and ambiguous than is generally assumed. The introduction further explores the (intensifying) tensions between religion and volunteering from the viewpoint of the particular nature and changing role of religion in society. A fundamental tension originates in the definition of volunteering as a freely chosen activity. From a religious perspective, in contrast, being of service to others is something the pious person does in obedience to God. A second source of tension relates to processes of religious change that include both the return and decline of religion A post-secular perspective is introduced, contributing to a more complex and variable understanding of how religion and volunteering interrelate. Against this broader background, the anthology addresses the following questions: How do the relationships between types of religions/religiosity and types of volunteering vary within and across nations? What recent changes in our understanding of society, religion and volunteering challenge the default view? What other dimensions, enactments, and consequences of the interplay religion and volunteering can be studied beyond the traditional perspective?