Christianity and social development theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/socio-politica.v15i2.44878Keywords:
cultural resistance, religious values, social policies, social reconciliation, theological textsAbstract
This study explores the role of Christianity in social development by examining its foundational values of love, social justice, and service to others. Employing a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical method, this research analyzes various sources, including policy documents, Christian theological texts, and case studies from different countries. The findings reveal that the Church plays a significant role in social development through education, healthcare, and economic empowerment, while also contributing to social reconciliation, particularly in conflict resolution and addressing social disparities. This study highlights how Christian values can serve as a basis for inclusive and sustainable social policies, despite challenges in implementation, such as cultural resistance and resource constraints. The study concludes that fostering collaboration among religious institutions, policymakers, and civil society is essential to optimizing the role of religion in promoting a more just and harmonious society.
Contribution: This research bridges theoretical perspectives with practical examples, offering valuable guidance for leveraging religious values in the pursuit of social progress.
References
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Asamoah, E., Tam, C. H., & Cudjoe, E. (2023). A systematic review of the roles of social workers in inclusive education for children with disabilities. International Social Work, 66(1), 36–51.
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Bible, K. J. (2020). KJV in the USA: the Impact of the King James Bible. The Critique of Religion and Religion’s Critique: On Dialectical Religiology, 165, 261.
Birkler, M. K. (2023). Symbolic Theology and Resistance in the Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Paul Tillich. Open Theology, 9(1), 20220229.
Boba, E. R., & Saingo, Y. A. (2023). Kesepahaman Nilai Pancasila Dengan Nilai Kristiani Berdasarkan Injil Matius 22: 39-40. BULLET: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu, 2(6), 1219–1227.
Bosch, D. J. (2019). Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books.
Budiman, N. D., Jeramat, A. A., Sikone, H. Y., Karlina, M. A. A., Achmadi, P. C., Luju, M. T., Utama, W. G., Cordanis, A. P., Jandu, I. H., & Ngoni, M. S. (2024). Bunga Rampai: Pengembangan Sistem Pertanian Terintegrasi Menuju Manggarai yang Ekologis dan Ekonomis. Mega Press Nusantara.
Busari, S. (2023). Emerging Social Waqf Model for the Welfare of Pandemic Orphans. IIUM Journal of Religion and Civilisational Studies, 6(2), 139–158.
Cahill, L. S. (2021). Social justice and the common good: Improving the Catholic social teaching framework. Journal of Moral Theology, 1(CTEWC Book Series 1), 106–118.
Clarke, G. (2020). Development and Religion: Theology and Practice. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Desportes, I., Wicaksono, W., & Voss, M. (2024). Disaster Cultures–Indonesia and its Tsunami Warning System.
Dobski, B. J. (2024). Twain’s Interest in Religion & the Divine Right of Kings. In Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity (pp. 59–90). Springer.
Eliade, M. (1991). Images and symbols: Studies in religious symbolism (Vol. 538). Princeton University Press.
Endrizal, E., & Fajri, E. (2023). Identity Politics and Threats to Religious Pluralism in Bukittinggi. Journal of Scientific Research, Education, and Technology (JSRET), 2(1), 314–327.
Gheorghe-Luca, C. (2021). Toward a Pentecostal Understanding of Communio Sanctorum: Reflections on Peter Kuzmič & Miroslav Volf’s “Theology of the Church as a Fellowship of Persons” in the Context of the Pentecostal-Roman Catholic Dialogue. Kairos: Evangelical Journal of Theology, 15(1), 95–111.
Ghony, M. D., & Almanshur, F. (2012). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif. Jogjakarta: Ar-Ruzz Media.
Gianina, C., & Daniel, P. G. (2022). Models of Christian Social Work. Technium Soc. Sci. J., 36, 523.
Gutiérrez, G. (2018). A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation. Orbis Books.
Hamu, F. J., Sihombing, A. A., Prasojo, Z. H., Martasudjita, E. P. D., & Firmanto, A. D. (2023). Liturgical transformation of diocesan church in Palangkaraya, Indonesia. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 79(1), 7850.
Hendriks, J. (2020). Rediscovering Diakonia: Service and Charity in Christian Mission. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Hickman, C. R., & Silva, M. A. (2018). Creating excellence: Managing corporate culture, strategy, and change in the new age. Routledge.
Internationalis, C. (1897). Caritas Internationalis. Secretariado Generale de Cartas Internationalis.
Junaidi, J., Majid, L. A., & Nazri, M. A. (2023). Revisiting Social Justice: Exploring the Qur’anic Paradigm in Addressing Contemporary Challenges. Afkar: Jurnal Akidah Dan Pemikiran Islam, 25(2), 153–192.
Kartasasmita, G. (1997). Pemberdayaan masyarakat: Konsep pembangunan yang berakar pada masyarakat. Bappenas, Jakarta.
King Jr, M. L. (1963). Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963). Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: A Brief History with Documents.
Kirkpatrick, D. (2021). A Gospel for the Poor: Global Social Christianity and the Latin American Evangelical Left. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Lee, B. (2024). Jesuit Higher Educational Leadership. Springer.
Longman, T. (2009). Christianity and genocide in Rwanda (Vol. 112). Cambridge University Press.
Madur, L. (2021). Keterlibatan Gereja Lokal Keuskupan Ruteng dalam Pembangunan Pendidikan Masyarakat Manggarai. IFTK Ledalero.
Mangentang, M., & Salurante, T. (2021). Membaca konsep kasih dalam Injil Yohanes menggunakan lensa hermeneutik misional. Phronesis: Jurnal Teologi Dan Misi, 4(1), 1–13.
Mangunwijaya, Y. B. (1999). Gereja Diaspora. PT Kanisius.
Massaro, T. (2022). Pope Francis, the Ethicist: Ignatian Roots, Jesuit Priorities, Contemporary Challenges. Review for Religious: New Series, 2(2), 173–191.
Mathie, A., & Cunningham, G. (2005). Who is driving development? Reflections on the transformative potential of asset-based community development. Canadian Journal of Development Studies/Revue Canadienne d’études Du Développement, 26(1), 175–186.
Matošević, L., Šeba, E., & Knežević, R. (2022). Two Protestants, Three Churches: Croatian Protestantism: Churches, Denominations, and Theological Institutions. Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 42(9), 3.
McPherson, G. (2024). Jesuit Refugee Service’s Influence on International Refugee Policy. Comillas Journal of International Relations, 29, 90–103.
Mentang, P. J., & Mua, M. M. (2022). Hubungan Kompetensi Pedagogik dan Iklim Kerja dengan Kinerja Guru SMP Yayasan Pendidikan Katolik Keuskupan Manado di Sulawesi Utara. Syntax Literate; Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 7(4), 4452–4462.
Midgley, J. (2005). Asset-based policy in historical and international perspective. Inclusion in the American Dream: Assets, Poverty and Public Policy, 42–58.
Moltmann, J. (2019). The Church in the Power of the Spirit: A Contribution to Messianic Ecclesiology. Fortress Press.
Mourao, P. R., & Martinho, V. D. (2021). Discussing a challenging document focused on land use: The first bibliometric analysis of Laudato Si′. Land Degradation & Development, 32(16), 4680–4692.
Northcut, T. B. (2004). Pedagogy in diversity: Teaching religion & spirituality in the clinical social work classroom. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 74(2), 349–358.
Nur, K. (2017). Moderasi Sufistik atas Pluralitas Agama. Jurnal Pemikiran Keislaman Dan Kemanusian, 01(02), 166–180.
Pali, K. J. (2019). The leadership role of emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the social development of the South African society. Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 5(1), 263–297.
Papiah, J. (2025). Where Was Jesus At The Time Of His Death According To 1 Peter 3: 18-20 To Answer Jesus’ Teaching Of Preaching The Gospel To The Dead. Protos Journal of Theology and Christian Education, 1(1), 24–33.
Parsons, T. (1937). The structure of. Social Action, 491.
Parsons, T. (2017). The present status of “structural-functional” theory in sociology. In The idea of social structure (pp. 67–84). Routledge.
Pratama, D. A. (2023). The role of religion in dealing with natural disaster trauma: A case study of the survivor of Aceh’s earthquake and tsunami in 2004. Empirisma: Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Kebudayaan Islam, 32(2), 287–316.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. In Culture and politics: A reader (pp. 223–234). Springer.
Rahman, M. T. (2025). Metodologi Penelitian Agama. Prodi S2 Studi Agama-Agama UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung.
Robin, P., & Marchella, C. (2024). Habitus, Arena, dan Modal dalam Feminist Mobile Dating App Bumble: Analisis dengan Perspektif Pierre Bourdieu dan Implikasinya terhadap Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan. Jurnal Citizenship Virtues, 4(2), 750–759.
Santos, A. (2024). Catholic Health Care and the Mission Leader: A Religious Exercise. The Linacre Quarterly, 91(3), 265–277.
Saul, J. (2022). Collective trauma, collective healing: Promoting community resilience in the aftermath of disaster. Routledge.
Sensenig, E. R. (2022). Local Heroes: The Legacy of Christian Social Activists and Social Justice in the Middle East. In Reconciliation, Heritage and Social Inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 231–250). Springer.
Sianipar, D. (2020). Peran Pendidikan Agama Kristen Di Gereja Dalam Meningkatkan Ketahanan Keluarga. Jurnal Shanan, 4(1), 72–92.
Sihotang, D. O. (2024). Harmoni moderasi beragama: Pemahaman, kesadaran, dan penerapannya. Penerbit P4I.
Simangunsong, H., & Sihotang, D. (2023). The impact of economic conditions on social assistance programs and poverty alleviation. Law and Economics, 17(2), 73–91.
Singer, P. (2024). Toward a more trauma-informed church: Equipping faith communities to prevent and respond to abuse. Currents in Theology and Mission, 51(1).
Sitepu, N. (2022). Makna Garam Dan Terang Dalam Matius 5: 13-16 Bagi Pengikut Kristus. Harvester: Jurnal Teologi Dan Kepemimpinan Kristen, 7(2), 116–124.
Steele, B. J. (2021). ‘The cruelty of righteous people’: Niebuhr on the urgency of cruelty. Journal of International Political Theory, 17(2), 203–220.
Sugiyono, D. (2013). Metode penelitian pendidikan pendekatan kuantitatif, kualitatif dan R&D.
Sumartana, T. (2017). Mission and Dialogue: Theological Reflections on Christian-Muslim Relations in Indonesia. LIT Verlag.
Tănase, L. D., & Dascălu, C. (2024). Perspectives on religious denominations and social crises in Romania. Sociologie Românească, 22(1), 116–136.
Turmudi, E. (2021). Merajut harmoni, membangun bangsa: memahami konflik dalam masyarakat Indonesia. Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.
Wau, H. (2020). Gereja Pasca Covid-19. Penerbit Andi.
Asamoah, E., Tam, C. H., & Cudjoe, E. (2023). A systematic review of the roles of social workers in inclusive education for children with disabilities. International Social Work, 66(1), 36–51.
Baskoro, P. K. (2022). Kajian Teologi Markus 10: 45 Terhadap Prinsip Pelayanan Yesus Kristus dan Relevansinya bagi Pemimpin Gereja Masa Kini. Ritornera-Jurnal Teologi Pentakosta Indonesia, 2(1), 39–49.
Beyers, J. (2021). The role of religion and spirituality in transforming society. Acta Theologica, 32, 52–69.
Bible, K. J. (2020). KJV in the USA: the Impact of the King James Bible. The Critique of Religion and Religion’s Critique: On Dialectical Religiology, 165, 261.
Birkler, M. K. (2023). Symbolic Theology and Resistance in the Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Paul Tillich. Open Theology, 9(1), 20220229.
Boba, E. R., & Saingo, Y. A. (2023). Kesepahaman Nilai Pancasila Dengan Nilai Kristiani Berdasarkan Injil Matius 22: 39-40. BULLET: Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu, 2(6), 1219–1227.
Bosch, D. J. (2019). Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Orbis Books.
Budiman, N. D., Jeramat, A. A., Sikone, H. Y., Karlina, M. A. A., Achmadi, P. C., Luju, M. T., Utama, W. G., Cordanis, A. P., Jandu, I. H., & Ngoni, M. S. (2024). Bunga Rampai: Pengembangan Sistem Pertanian Terintegrasi Menuju Manggarai yang Ekologis dan Ekonomis. Mega Press Nusantara.
Busari, S. (2023). Emerging Social Waqf Model for the Welfare of Pandemic Orphans. IIUM Journal of Religion and Civilisational Studies, 6(2), 139–158.
Cahill, L. S. (2021). Social justice and the common good: Improving the Catholic social teaching framework. Journal of Moral Theology, 1(CTEWC Book Series 1), 106–118.
Clarke, G. (2020). Development and Religion: Theology and Practice. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Desportes, I., Wicaksono, W., & Voss, M. (2024). Disaster Cultures–Indonesia and its Tsunami Warning System.
Dobski, B. J. (2024). Twain’s Interest in Religion & the Divine Right of Kings. In Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc: Political Wisdom, Divine Justice, and the Origins of Modernity (pp. 59–90). Springer.
Eliade, M. (1991). Images and symbols: Studies in religious symbolism (Vol. 538). Princeton University Press.
Endrizal, E., & Fajri, E. (2023). Identity Politics and Threats to Religious Pluralism in Bukittinggi. Journal of Scientific Research, Education, and Technology (JSRET), 2(1), 314–327.
Gheorghe-Luca, C. (2021). Toward a Pentecostal Understanding of Communio Sanctorum: Reflections on Peter Kuzmič & Miroslav Volf’s “Theology of the Church as a Fellowship of Persons” in the Context of the Pentecostal-Roman Catholic Dialogue. Kairos: Evangelical Journal of Theology, 15(1), 95–111.
Ghony, M. D., & Almanshur, F. (2012). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif. Jogjakarta: Ar-Ruzz Media.
Gianina, C., & Daniel, P. G. (2022). Models of Christian Social Work. Technium Soc. Sci. J., 36, 523.
Gutiérrez, G. (2018). A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation. Orbis Books.
Hamu, F. J., Sihombing, A. A., Prasojo, Z. H., Martasudjita, E. P. D., & Firmanto, A. D. (2023). Liturgical transformation of diocesan church in Palangkaraya, Indonesia. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 79(1), 7850.
Hendriks, J. (2020). Rediscovering Diakonia: Service and Charity in Christian Mission. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Hickman, C. R., & Silva, M. A. (2018). Creating excellence: Managing corporate culture, strategy, and change in the new age. Routledge.
Internationalis, C. (1897). Caritas Internationalis. Secretariado Generale de Cartas Internationalis.
Junaidi, J., Majid, L. A., & Nazri, M. A. (2023). Revisiting Social Justice: Exploring the Qur’anic Paradigm in Addressing Contemporary Challenges. Afkar: Jurnal Akidah Dan Pemikiran Islam, 25(2), 153–192.
Kartasasmita, G. (1997). Pemberdayaan masyarakat: Konsep pembangunan yang berakar pada masyarakat. Bappenas, Jakarta.
King Jr, M. L. (1963). Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963). Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: A Brief History with Documents.
Kirkpatrick, D. (2021). A Gospel for the Poor: Global Social Christianity and the Latin American Evangelical Left. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Lee, B. (2024). Jesuit Higher Educational Leadership. Springer.
Longman, T. (2009). Christianity and genocide in Rwanda (Vol. 112). Cambridge University Press.
Madur, L. (2021). Keterlibatan Gereja Lokal Keuskupan Ruteng dalam Pembangunan Pendidikan Masyarakat Manggarai. IFTK Ledalero.
Mangentang, M., & Salurante, T. (2021). Membaca konsep kasih dalam Injil Yohanes menggunakan lensa hermeneutik misional. Phronesis: Jurnal Teologi Dan Misi, 4(1), 1–13.
Mangunwijaya, Y. B. (1999). Gereja Diaspora. PT Kanisius.
Massaro, T. (2022). Pope Francis, the Ethicist: Ignatian Roots, Jesuit Priorities, Contemporary Challenges. Review for Religious: New Series, 2(2), 173–191.
Mathie, A., & Cunningham, G. (2005). Who is driving development? Reflections on the transformative potential of asset-based community development. Canadian Journal of Development Studies/Revue Canadienne d’études Du Développement, 26(1), 175–186.
Matošević, L., Šeba, E., & Knežević, R. (2022). Two Protestants, Three Churches: Croatian Protestantism: Churches, Denominations, and Theological Institutions. Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe, 42(9), 3.
McPherson, G. (2024). Jesuit Refugee Service’s Influence on International Refugee Policy. Comillas Journal of International Relations, 29, 90–103.
Mentang, P. J., & Mua, M. M. (2022). Hubungan Kompetensi Pedagogik dan Iklim Kerja dengan Kinerja Guru SMP Yayasan Pendidikan Katolik Keuskupan Manado di Sulawesi Utara. Syntax Literate; Jurnal Ilmiah Indonesia, 7(4), 4452–4462.
Midgley, J. (2005). Asset-based policy in historical and international perspective. Inclusion in the American Dream: Assets, Poverty and Public Policy, 42–58.
Moltmann, J. (2019). The Church in the Power of the Spirit: A Contribution to Messianic Ecclesiology. Fortress Press.
Mourao, P. R., & Martinho, V. D. (2021). Discussing a challenging document focused on land use: The first bibliometric analysis of Laudato Si′. Land Degradation & Development, 32(16), 4680–4692.
Northcut, T. B. (2004). Pedagogy in diversity: Teaching religion & spirituality in the clinical social work classroom. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 74(2), 349–358.
Nur, K. (2017). Moderasi Sufistik atas Pluralitas Agama. Jurnal Pemikiran Keislaman Dan Kemanusian, 01(02), 166–180.
Pali, K. J. (2019). The leadership role of emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu in the social development of the South African society. Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 5(1), 263–297.
Papiah, J. (2025). Where Was Jesus At The Time Of His Death According To 1 Peter 3: 18-20 To Answer Jesus’ Teaching Of Preaching The Gospel To The Dead. Protos Journal of Theology and Christian Education, 1(1), 24–33.
Parsons, T. (1937). The structure of. Social Action, 491.
Parsons, T. (2017). The present status of “structural-functional” theory in sociology. In The idea of social structure (pp. 67–84). Routledge.
Pratama, D. A. (2023). The role of religion in dealing with natural disaster trauma: A case study of the survivor of Aceh’s earthquake and tsunami in 2004. Empirisma: Jurnal Pemikiran Dan Kebudayaan Islam, 32(2), 287–316.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. In Culture and politics: A reader (pp. 223–234). Springer.
Rahman, M. T. (2025). Metodologi Penelitian Agama. Prodi S2 Studi Agama-Agama UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung.
Robin, P., & Marchella, C. (2024). Habitus, Arena, dan Modal dalam Feminist Mobile Dating App Bumble: Analisis dengan Perspektif Pierre Bourdieu dan Implikasinya terhadap Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan. Jurnal Citizenship Virtues, 4(2), 750–759.
Santos, A. (2024). Catholic Health Care and the Mission Leader: A Religious Exercise. The Linacre Quarterly, 91(3), 265–277.
Saul, J. (2022). Collective trauma, collective healing: Promoting community resilience in the aftermath of disaster. Routledge.
Sensenig, E. R. (2022). Local Heroes: The Legacy of Christian Social Activists and Social Justice in the Middle East. In Reconciliation, Heritage and Social Inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa (pp. 231–250). Springer.
Sianipar, D. (2020). Peran Pendidikan Agama Kristen Di Gereja Dalam Meningkatkan Ketahanan Keluarga. Jurnal Shanan, 4(1), 72–92.
Sihotang, D. O. (2024). Harmoni moderasi beragama: Pemahaman, kesadaran, dan penerapannya. Penerbit P4I.
Simangunsong, H., & Sihotang, D. (2023). The impact of economic conditions on social assistance programs and poverty alleviation. Law and Economics, 17(2), 73–91.
Singer, P. (2024). Toward a more trauma-informed church: Equipping faith communities to prevent and respond to abuse. Currents in Theology and Mission, 51(1).
Sitepu, N. (2022). Makna Garam Dan Terang Dalam Matius 5: 13-16 Bagi Pengikut Kristus. Harvester: Jurnal Teologi Dan Kepemimpinan Kristen, 7(2), 116–124.
Steele, B. J. (2021). ‘The cruelty of righteous people’: Niebuhr on the urgency of cruelty. Journal of International Political Theory, 17(2), 203–220.
Sugiyono, D. (2013). Metode penelitian pendidikan pendekatan kuantitatif, kualitatif dan R&D.
Sumartana, T. (2017). Mission and Dialogue: Theological Reflections on Christian-Muslim Relations in Indonesia. LIT Verlag.
Tănase, L. D., & Dascălu, C. (2024). Perspectives on religious denominations and social crises in Romania. Sociologie Românească, 22(1), 116–136.
Turmudi, E. (2021). Merajut harmoni, membangun bangsa: memahami konflik dalam masyarakat Indonesia. Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.
Wau, H. (2020). Gereja Pasca Covid-19. Penerbit Andi.
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