Institutional Logics within Faith-Based Aid: Routledge Research in Religion and Development

“In this impressive book Nina Kurlberg offers us a new lens for examining the operations of large faith-based organisations that takes seriously what their faith orientation means in actual practice. This suggests a new approach in the study of religion and development, of interest to scholars, development actors and faith-based organisations themselves.” 
Emma Tomalin, Professor of Religion and Public Life, University of Leeds 
“A valuable analysis of faith-based organisations that takes seriously the complex space between individual and collective identities. Nina Kurlberg carefully explores how religion is embedded in the institutional logics that frame aid and development work across the world today.”
Mathew Guest, Professor in the Sociology of Religion, Durham University 
“Nina Kurlberg's book is a must-read for those interested in faith-based organisations (FBOs), offering a compelling and nuanced examination of their practice. By introducing a new perspective and developing an analytical tool based on it, Kurlberg provides a valuable framework for future studies in this field.”
Gry Espedal, Theologian and Associate Professor at VID specialized University, Oslo, Norway

Nina G. Kurlberg is Postdoctoral Research Associate at Durham University. In her PhD (University of Edinburgh, 2023), she used the lens of institutional logics to explore what the faith orientation of faith-based organisations means in actual practice. Nina has worked within the international development sector for nearly a decade, both in the UK and Sri Lanka. Most recently, she worked for Tearfund – a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organisation – developing theology in the area of diversity and inclusion (D&I). Nina is co-editor of Theologies and Practices of Inclusion and Disability Inclusion in Africa.

Introduction
Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs)

FBOs within religions and development
Understanding and researching FBOs

Roadmap to the institutional logics perspective

A critique of the existing frameworks
The institutional logics perspective

Overview of the book

Structure
Defining key terms

1 The institutional logics perspective in research
Theoretical framework

The institutional logics perspective
Theoretical contribution of the book

The significance of the field

The field and the institutional logics perspective
The field and FBOs

Empirical research

Developing a field-level typology of logics
Methods of data collection

Conclusion
2 Institutional logics within the practice of aid
The historical roots of the practice of aid

The emergence of development
The emergence of humanitarianism
The emergence of ‘long-distance advocacy’

The practice of aid post-WWII

The post-WWII period
The establishment of the sector
The increasing professionalisation of aid
The influence of the logics of corporation and market on organisational practice
Key aspects of logics evidenced within the practice of aid post-WWII

Conclusion
3 Institutional logics within the field
Constructing a field-level typology of logics

Identifying a suitable subcomponent of the field
The process

The typology of logics

The logics
The categories

Conclusion
4 Institutional logics within a UK-Based FBO
Data collection and processing

Data collection
Method for processing the data

Data analysis

Logics at the organisational level according to the typology

Conclusion
5 Christian organising through the lens of institutional logics
What institutional logics are in force and how are they manifested within the organisation?

The logic of long-term sustainability
The logic of impact
The logic of participation and consensus-building
The logic of pastoral care and support

How do individual actors negotiate these logics on a daily basis?
What role does the logic of religion play, and how does it interact with other institutional logics?
What does the faith orientation of FBOs mean in practice?

What questions is the FBO asking in this regard?
How does faith actually influence organisational practice?

Conclusion
Conclusion
Summary of argument
Contribution of book

Contribution to the study of FBOs in religions and development
Contribution to the institutional logics perspective

What next?