THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RELIGIOUS VALUES IN FORMING SUSTAINABLE LIFE AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS

Abstract

Research exploring the relationship between religious values and sustainable development presents a complex and evolving picture, with findings that vary significantly across cultural, economic, and institutional contexts. While modernization and secularization theories once predicted a diminishing role for religion in public life, contemporary evidence suggests that religion remains a potent force in shaping individual behavior, collective identity, and societal values—especially in the Global South. Religion continues to provide ethical frameworks, inspire community cohesion, and influence how societies conceptualize justice, prosperity, and well-being. As economic development and globalization reshape traditional societies, it becomes increasingly important to explore how religious beliefs interact with emerging sustainability challenges such as poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and cultural erosion. Understanding religion not merely as doctrine but as lived experience—expressed through rituals, education, economic behavior, and community engagement—is critical to bridging gaps between spiritual worldviews and development practice. This capstone study specifically investigates the role of religious values in promoting or hindering sustainable development within the context of Bangladesh—a country marked by high religiosity, rapid socio-economic transformation, and persistent development disparities. It aims to identify how religion influences values such as social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and economic justice, and whether it can be harnessed as a constructive tool in addressing social disorders, supporting inclusive economic growth, and enhancing collective well-being. The findings illustrate those religious institutions and beliefs, when aligned with inclusive and ethical development goals, can contribute meaningfully to long-term sustainability. Conversely, when used to reinforce social hierarchies or discourage reform, religion may impede progress. Ultimately, this study contributes to a nuanced understanding of religion’s dual capacity as both a stabilizing moral compass and a dynamic agent of socio-economic change in the pursuit of a sustainable and equitable future.