
Contents
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Dutiful Ministry: Faith as a Mandate for Social Action Dutiful Ministry: Faith as a Mandate for Social Action
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Empowered Ministry: Faith as an Agent of Social Change Empowered Ministry: Faith as an Agent of Social Change
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Devotional Ministry: Social Action and the Spiritual Life of the Self Devotional Ministry: Social Action and the Spiritual Life of the Self
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Evangelistic Ministry: Social Action and the Spiritual Life of Others Evangelistic Ministry: Social Action and the Spiritual Life of Others
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Parallels between Social Ministry and Evangelism Parallels between Social Ministry and Evangelism
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Relationships between the Modes of Meaning Relationships between the Modes of Meaning
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Conclusion: Secular Actions, Sacred Meanings? Conclusion: Secular Actions, Sacred Meanings?
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4 Perceptions of Spiritual Meaning in Faith-Based Social Action
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Published:September 2005
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Abstract
Acts of compassion are not unique to people of faith, but faith makes these actions uniquely meaningful. Even ostensibly secular good works may be saturated with personal religious significance. The ascription of spiritual meaning to social action is part of the larger religious enterprise that Peter Berger refers to as “world-building”. Among Protestant Christians, these meanings fall into four domains: religion mandates social action; divine agency empowers social change; social activism reflects or enhances one's inner spiritual state; and social ministry is intended to enhance the spiritual life of others. It is the selection and combination of these four modalities—dutiful, empowered, devotional, and evangelistic—that gives a faith-based social service program its distinctive character.
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