Religious Communities

Wherever two or more are gathered, there can civic reflection take place.

People of faith tend to locate their reasons for volunteering their time, or for giving to their communities, within their own faith tradition. They might say, for example, that the earth and all people and things deserve care and attention because they are God's creation (Genesis 1), or that the poor and the needy in particular bear the image of Christ (Matthew 25:38-40) and that he is served when we serve them. But certain questions also underlie these traditions, and have for centuries: Who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29), How can we give without undermining equality? (1 Cor. 11:17-22), What is the best way to attend to the needs of others? (James 2:15-17).

For a good example of how one congregation has built civic reflection into its communal life, click here.

The Project on Civic Reflection encourages conversations like these by providing resources that help congregations to raise and discuss fundamental questions about faith, giving, and service. Resources like the ones identified below can be used in a variety of settings, including Sunday School classes and small group meetings, or longer periods designated for reflection and retreat.

Resources from the Project on Civic Reflection for use by Religious Communities

The Project's Resource Library is home to more than 250 texts that have helped people and organizations reflect on civic activity. Organized under four major categories (Giving, Serving, Leading, and Associating), the Library suggests possible themes and questions for such reflection. Some of these draw on the relationship between civic activity and faith: How should people of faith relate to poverty and the impoverished? Do gifts require sacrifice? Additionally, some of the Library's authors address this relationship specifically. Featured within the database are passages from Scripture, as well as sermons and essays from historical figures like Martin Chemnitz, John Wesley, and Moses Maimonides; and even statements that bear directly on contemporary society, including articles by Walter Brueggemann and letters written as an evangelical response to climate change .

Finding Our Place / Designing Our Future: Engaging in Mission and Giving as a People of Tradition is a resource created specifically for use by congregations. Centered in Scripture, Finding Our Place also includes E. Lynn's and D. Susan Wisely's piece "Four Traditions of Philanthropy" and a variety of other short selections from The Perfect Gift (Amy Kass, ed.). The materials encourage participants to look at their own personal timeline of engagement with various missions, as well as their church's current mission engagement. Please contact the Project on Civic Reflection for a free copy of this resource.

Additional Resources for Civic Reflection in the Context of Faith

www.visionsofgiving.org This website encourages exploration of various religious traditions of giving and serving in America. It asks questions and offers resources for dealing with such issues as,

Why is tithing so popular as an image of the "good" giver?
"Give all you can" – How much is "all"?
So what is the root of our problem? Materialism? Greed?
How do we understand the struggles over giving within us? ""

The Lake Institute on Faith and Giving offers a public forum for exploring the multiple connections between individual philanthropy and faith, particularly within the major religious traditions. Through research and programs, the Institute seeks to foster greater understanding of the ways in which faith both inspires and informs charitable giving.