Gabrielle Donnelly

Spaces of Faith Activism in the Global North?: An Exploration of Religious Resistance to Current Notions of ‘Progress’ in the Case of KAIROS

by Gabrielle Donnelly
March, 2008

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at
Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia

Drawing on theories of critical postmodernism and social constructionism, this paper aims to unpack the incomplete and unhelpful meta-narratives of religion that are prevalent today even within the post-modern turn. Through an exploration of the lived experiences of communities and members of the faith-based organization KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, this study provides an entry point to investigate how some religious and faith spaces are responding to burgeoning global challenges through resistance and activism. By examining meanings and interactions which underpin discourses of religion and modernity, community, faith and resistance, a diverse map is drawn which alludes to the complexity of religious expression in the contemporary world that is presently unacknowledged.