Philanthropy and Religious Identity in Colonial and Postcolonial Contexts

Philanthropy in colonial settings often operated as an instrument of both moral reform and political consolidation, with missionary societies, trading companies and indigenous elites deploying charitable giving to promote particular religious identities. In many territories, educational endowments, hospital foundations and relief societies carried an explicit denominational character, reinforcing sectarian boundaries while also building local legitimacy. Following independence, former colonies witnessed a reconfiguration of these networks: state actors, diasporic communities and faith-based organisations repurposed philanthropic models to address development gaps, negotiate national identities and cultivate soft influence. Postcolonial philanthropic initiatives frequently blend humanitarian aid with identity-affirming rituals, drawing on religious symbolism to mobilise support and sustain communal solidarity. Across South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, scholars have traced how philanthropic capital became entangled with struggles over secularism, national belonging and the legacies of empire. Today’s debates over charitable regulation, faith-inspired development and transnational giving reflect this layered history. Practical applications range from faith-based healthcare partnerships to interdenominational relief coalitions, each shaped by inherited concepts of moral obligation and communal affiliation.

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Philanthropy and Religious Identity in Colonial and Postcolonial Contexts publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in philanthropy and religious identity in colonial and postcolonial contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Philanthro-capitalism: A model of charitable giving in which private donors apply market-based strategies to social investments, often blending profit motives with humanitarian aims.

Liberal humanitarianism: A form of charity emphasising universal rights, secular ethics and individual autonomy, distinct from kinship or sectarian obligations.

Postcolonial state: A political entity emerging after the end of formal colonial rule, negotiating inherited institutions and identities in pursuit of sovereignty and development.

Communal identity: A collective sense of belonging grounded in shared religion, ethnicity or locality, often mobilised in philanthropic networks to reinforce solidarity.

References

1. Kin, friends, philanthronationalists: “Relations” as a modality of colonial and post-colonial charity in Sri Lanka. Ethnography (2022).
2. Emerging infrastructures: the politics of radium and the validation of radiotherapy in India’s first tertiary cancer hospital. BioSocieties (2021).