Projectification of Religion: An Analytical Framework

Abstract

The spread of project organizing to an ever-expanding array of industries and sectors has garnered considerable attention in recent decades – particularly in the fields of organization and management studies, but also in sociology and philosophy. Some have characterized this ‘projectification’ as a fulcrum for profound cultural shifts, with ramifications extending beyond the boundaries of management, work life, and organizations. Perspectives have been put forward on projects permeating even the very ways we live our daily lives. The study of religion, however, has remained notably inattentive to such perspectives. In this article, we advocate the importance of studying projectification in the realm of religion. Drawing on examples from the national Lutheran churches of Sweden and Norway, we outline a framework for studying projectification of religion along three analytical trajectories: organizational projectification of religion, projectification as a structuration of religious interaction and adherence, and projectification as a shift in religious discourse.