Faith-based social service delivery in a country with low religious affiliation: The case of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church

0576543 - SOÚ 2024 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Beláňová, Andrea
Faith-based social service delivery in a country with low religious affiliation: The case of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church.
Social Compass. Roč. 70, č. 3 (2023), s. 428-445. ISSN 0037-7686. E-ISSN 1461-7404
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA21-01429S
Institutional support: RVO:68378025
Keywords : Czechia * Czechoslovak Hussite Church * faith * faith-based organization * religion
OECD category: Religious studies
Impact factor: 0.9, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00377686231198771

Faith-based social service delivery is influenced by the sociocultural conditions in which it transpires. Czechia, as a low religious affiliation country, presents specific conditions for investigating this relationship. This study is based on 10 interviews with CEOs from faith-based organizations related to the Czechoslovak Hussite Church. The findings reveal important differences between perceived meanings of faith, institutionalized religion, and spirituality in relation to social service delivery. The thematic analysis reveals a problematic relationship between these CEOs and the church, with the public presentation of religion among the main issues. All interviewed CEOs understand their social service delivery as their own individual projects and only loosely related to the church. Alternatively, they appreciate its occasional support and religious character, which also provide feelings of distinctiveness. The CEOs present social service delivery as doing everyday religion, but they presume the church sees social service delivery as useful public relations (PR).
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0346100