The role of a transnational religious network in development in a weak state: the international links of the Episcopal Church of Sudan

Overview

A growing number of international networks, like those linking religious institutions, engage in development-related activities across the world. Improvements in technology and increased travel opportunities for international volunteers have given these networks new influence, with unknown implications for the trajectory of development, especially where states are weak. This paper examines the role of a transnational religious network in a newly formed nation: the Republic of South Sudan, where the dominant Episcopal Church has links with dioceses elsewhere in the Anglican Communion. Through field observations, interviews and a survey of US Episcopal Church links in other countries, preliminary evidence is presented about the real and potential impact of this emergent form of globalised solidarity.