Religion, Faith-Based Organizations and Development Paths

The economics of religion and the economics of development represent two autonomous and relevant branches of the literature, both built on traditional and heterodox assumptions. Since the emergence of the paradigm of human development (1990) and its theoretical-political evolution in terms of sustainable human development (2000), they have been characterized by contaminations and cross-fertilization. Overall, and considering their overlapping, intangible factors such as religion have a relevant role as resources and/or intrinsic goals of subjective, relational and community welfare. 

Maria Rosaria Garofalo is professor of Development Economics and Microeconomics at Salerno University; she was a research student at Marburg University and at London School of Economics. Her main interests are: epistemological issues in economics, gender inequality and development, non profit sector  and social economy. 

Silvia Marinella Fontana is lecturer of International Cooperation at University of Milano-Bicocca. She holds a PhD on Human Rights, Society and Multi-level governance from University of Padua and was a Peace fellow at Duke University; Peace Ambassador for IEP and former humanitarian aid worker. Her main interests are: social innovation, sustainability and natural resources  management.