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Social Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective
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Social Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 July 2021) | Viewed by 20711

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Steven Rundle

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Crowell School of Business, Biola University, La Mirada, CA 90639, USA
Interests: international economics and business; corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship; business as mission; international development
Dr. Min-Dong (Paul) Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business and Economics, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL 60187, USA
Interests: corporate social responsibility and sustainable enterprise; institutional logics theory; compassion in the workplace; business as mission; faith and business ethics; servant leadership

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Social entrepreneurship is now widely recognized to be a legitimate field of study, one that includes its own degree programs, conferences, think tanks, and scholarly journals. The surge of academic interest in this subject mirrors the explosive increase in the number of practicing social entrepreneurs around the world. Among those practitioners are many devout people of faith who see their entrepreneurship as a tangible expression of their faith, in which case the labels “faith-based social entrepreneurship”, “business as mission”, or “redemptive entrepreneurship” are sometimes used instead (Roundy, Taylor, and Evans 2015; Alderson 2012; Griebel, Park, and Neubert 2014; Rundle 2012; Johnson 2009). As noted by Tracey et al. (2014), religion can play a prominent role in shaping the motivations, decisions, and behaviors of its adherents. However, academia has traditionally segmented the study of faith and entrepreneurship (Smith et al. 2019). That segmentation has created large gaps in our understanding, especially as it relates to the intersection of faith and entrepreneurship. The aim of this Special Issue is to begin filling some of those gaps. We welcome submissions from all relevant disciplines. The primary religious orientation of the special issue will be on Christian perspectives (Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Orthodox, etc.). However, papers that shed light on the similarities and differences between other religious perspectives are also encouraged, as well as those reflecting non-Western perspectives.

Themes covered include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Theological Perspectives on Social Entrepreneurship. For example, is social entrepreneurship consistent with a biblical worldview? Put differently, is it possible for Christians to advocate social entrepreneurship without implicitly diminishing the status of “regular” business people?
  1. Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurship Theory and Evidence. For example, how does an entrepreneur’s faith affect the way they conceptualize their individual and organizational identity? How does faith influence the way one handles conflicts between different institutional logics? How is spiritual impact being defined and measured?
  1. The Priorities of Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurship. For example, does faith shape an entrepreneur’s choice of social issue (e.g., human trafficking, renewable energy, prison-to-work)? Do Protestants tend to focus on different problems than, say, Catholics?
  1. Faith-Inspired Innovations in Social Finance. Given the recent explosion of interest among Christians in using private capital to promote social and spiritual change, what are the most significant developments or gaps in this arena? Does faith influence the way social enterprises are governed or capitalized?
  1. Ethics of Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurship. For example, how do an entrepreneur’s religious beliefs promote or constrain certain market-oriented behaviors? How do faith-driven entrepreneurs handle bribery or other forms of corruption?
  1. Inspiring and Equipping a New Generation of Christian Entrepreneur. What is being done to create a robust, faith-infused entrepreneurship ecosystem, such as training programs, incubators, accelerators, impact funds, and so on?

If you are interested in submitting a paper for consideration in this Special Issue, please email Dr. Steve Rundle ([email protected]) with the title, a short abstract (100–200 words), and an estimate for when the paper will be ready for review. Full papers are due by 1 July, 2021.

References

  1. Alderson, Keanon J. 2012. “At the Crossroads: Social and Faith-Based Entrepreneurship.” Thunderbird International Business Review 54 (1): 111–116. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21443.
  2. Griebel, Jenna M., Jerry Z. Park, and Mitchell J. Neubert. 2014. “Faith and Work: An Exploratory Study of Religious Entrepreneurs.” Religions 5 (3): 780–800. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel5030780.
  3. Johnson, C. Neal. 2009. Business as Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice. Downers Grove, Ill: IVP Academic.
  4. Roundy, Philip, Valerie Taylor, and Randy Evans. 2015. “Founded by Faith: Social Entrepreneurship as a Bridge between Religion and Work.” SSRN Scholarly Paper ID 2738511. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network. https://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=2738511.
  5. Rundle, Steven L. 2012. “‘Business as Mission’ Hybrids: A Review and Research Agenda.” Journal of Biblical Integration in Business 15 (1). https://cbfa-jbib.org/index.php/jbib/article/view/172.
  6. Smith, Brett R., Michael J. Conger, Jeffery S. McMullen, and Mitchell J. Neubert. 2019. “Why Believe? The Promise of Research on the Role of Religion in Entrepreneurial Action.” Journal of Business Venturing Insights 11 (June): e00119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2019.e00119.
  7. Tracey, Paul, Nelson Phillips, and Michael Lounsbury. 2014. “Taking Religion Seriously in the Study of Organizations.” In Religion and Organization Theory, 3–21. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Dr. Steven Rundle
Dr. Min-Dong (Paul) Lee
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • faith-based social entrepreneurship;
  • religion and social entrepreneurship;
  • faith and business;
  • redemptive entrepreneurship;
  • business as mission;
  • theology of business;
  • theology of social entrepreneurship;
  • faith and globalization.

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 407 KiB  
Article
Faith, Fortune and the Future: Christianity and Enterprise in Human Development
by Peter S. Heslam
Religions 2021, 12(12), 1039; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12121039 - 24 Nov 2021
Viewed by 3263
Abstract
Insufficient attention has been paid to the interface between religion, business and development, allowing assumptions and stereotypes to abound. This paper takes a broadly conceptual and sociological approach to the development potential of the Evangelical Pentecostal Charismatic Movement (EPCM). Taking their cue from [...] Read more.
Insufficient attention has been paid to the interface between religion, business and development, allowing assumptions and stereotypes to abound. This paper takes a broadly conceptual and sociological approach to the development potential of the Evangelical Pentecostal Charismatic Movement (EPCM). Taking their cue from Weber, three questions are addressed, and three corresponding suggestions are made that are important to understanding this potential. Using the notion of ‘calling’ as an example, the first suggestion is that the cognitive, behavioural and social characteristics of the EPCM that are significant for development relate closely to personal and corporate purpose. Secondly, in contrast to what Weberian and secular perspectives tend to assume, the EPCM and its associated virtues will not necessarily decline as economies grow. Thirdly, while alternatives (such as Confucianism) are possible, the EPCM demonstrates considerable potential in terms of practical development impact. None of this challenges existing evidence that the movement is influenced by the ‘prosperity gospel’; by world-denying pietism and supernaturalism; and by socio-economic factors often described as ‘neo-liberal’—influences that have received much scholarly attention. It does indicate, however, that a more nuanced understanding of the movement and of its causal relationships is needed, given the complexity of the religion–business–development nexus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective)
20 pages, 744 KiB  
Article
What’s Love Got to Do with It? Religion and the Multiple Logic Tensions of Social Enterprise
by Bruce R. Borquist
Religions 2021, 12(8), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12080655 - 18 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3377
Abstract
This paper develops a model that advances our understanding of how social enterprises respond to the complexity of a constellation of multiple, often competing goals, referred to here as institutional logics. Introducing a religious logic to the recognised social welfare and commercial logics [...] Read more.
This paper develops a model that advances our understanding of how social enterprises respond to the complexity of a constellation of multiple, often competing goals, referred to here as institutional logics. Introducing a religious logic to the recognised social welfare and commercial logics of social enterprise, this model builds on a religious worldview foundation and incorporates religion-inspired altruistic love and non-transactional giving as its scaffolding. A comparative case study of faith-based, faith-inspired and secular organisations located in Southeast Asia demonstrates the origin and applicability of the model. Findings highlight that religion serves as an overarching logic, or “metalogic”, and frame of reference. Faith-based social enterprises use this religious logic to redefine perceived paradoxical tensions between the social welfare and commercial objectives they embody. Study results advance knowledge on organisational responses to multiple logic prescriptions, underscores the influence of religion, altruistic love and giving on organisational behaviour and contributes to the scarce literature on faith-based social enterprises. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective)
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30 pages, 1264 KiB  
Article
What and How Hybrid Forms of Christian Social Enterprises Are Created and Sustained in Cambodia? A Critical Realist Institutional Logics Perspective
by Rikio Kimura
Religions 2021, 12(8), 604; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12080604 - 4 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3850
Abstract
On top of the well-known dilemma of social enterprises as hybrid organizations, the form in which they struggle to balance business viability and the fulfillment of social missions, faith-based social enterprises have an added dimension: their spirituality manifested as organizational culture and practices [...] Read more.
On top of the well-known dilemma of social enterprises as hybrid organizations, the form in which they struggle to balance business viability and the fulfillment of social missions, faith-based social enterprises have an added dimension: their spirituality manifested as organizational culture and practices based on their spiritual values and mission to spread their faith. By employing critical realist institutional logics and an identity-based and biographical approach to social entrepreneurship, this study identifies a typology of different hybrid forms of Christian social enterprises in Cambodia and the tensions associated with them. Moreover, this study explores how and why their social entrepreneurs have created and sustained such forms. I analyzed the qualitative data of 12 Christian social enterprises mainly from interviews with their entrepreneurs. Broadly speaking, the analysis revealed that the hybrid forms of these enterprises depend on the entrepreneurs’ agency, which is influenced by their biographies and contexts. Particularly, in addition to the entrepreneurs’ possession and enactment of multiple identities, boards of directors (as part of the context) and their accountability pressures are crucial for Christian social enterprises to achieve the triple bottom line of business viability, social missions, and spiritual outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective)
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13 pages, 547 KiB  
Article
Thy Kingdom Come in BAM as It Is in Heaven: Implications on Defining the Kingdom of God in BAM Businesses
by Ben Ward
Religions 2021, 12(8), 557; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12080557 - 21 Jul 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3495
Abstract
Business as Mission (BAM) is a subcategory of Social Entrepreneurship as it seeks cultural innovation from a Christian perspective focusing specifically on economic uplift and religious direction. Most BAM authors describe the kingdom of God as the reign of God. In a theological [...] Read more.
Business as Mission (BAM) is a subcategory of Social Entrepreneurship as it seeks cultural innovation from a Christian perspective focusing specifically on economic uplift and religious direction. Most BAM authors describe the kingdom of God as the reign of God. In a theological review, I will show that defining kingdom simply as God’s rule is not a complete view of the kingdom. Rather, a more robust definition of the kingdom is preferred in biblical and theological studies that focuses on God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule. Therefore, the BAM community can adopt a refined definition that helps them move forward in the core vision of holistic ministry. This research provides a biblical and theological understanding for business practitioners to pursue a spiritual bottom line alongside local churches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective)
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17 pages, 557 KiB  
Article
Enriching Social Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Catholic Social Teaching
by John F. McVea and Michael J. Naughton
Religions 2021, 12(3), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12030173 - 9 Mar 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3935
Abstract
In this paper, we propose that unreflective use of the term social entrepreneurship may perpetuate the idea that “entrepreneurship” is largely a financial and private reality and that this view of entrepreneurship will eventually trivialize or perhaps undermine the important benefits and the [...] Read more.
In this paper, we propose that unreflective use of the term social entrepreneurship may perpetuate the idea that “entrepreneurship” is largely a financial and private reality and that this view of entrepreneurship will eventually trivialize or perhaps undermine the important benefits and the real intentions behind the social entrepreneurship movement. We believe that Catholic Social Teaching can shed important light on this dilemma by emphasizing three specific strategies inherent to entrepreneurship when assessing the moral contribution of the firm. As a result, we argue for the principles of good goods, good work and good wealth as an alternative framework for all good entrepreneurial venture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship from a Christian Perspective)
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