Development as Freedom-Sen and Christian Freedom

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90 Holder Rich

even as a child, that people who are not free economically cannot be free i

other ways, is shown and explicated throughout this compelling work

I was drawn to this book as a Christian scholar, as freedom is a crucial concep

for Christian theology, and also from my work in a developing country, wher'unfreedom' is the norm for most people Sen describes himselfasa-rehgious an

steers clear in the mam of references to faith-based institutions and their possib

impact or role in his writing, he and I share abelief,however, in the power an

potential of freedom

Sen opens his argument by defining freedom as involving "both the processe

that allow freedom of actions and decisions, and the actual opportunities that peop

have"2

Throughout the rest of the book, he expands upon this base He argues for

priority of 'human' or 'social' development that occurs concurrently with econom

development,amodel that has been tried in justafew areas of the developing worl

stating

The qualityof lifecan bevastlyraised,despite lowincomes, throughan adequateprogofsocialservices The fact that education and health care are also productive in raisineconomic growth adds to the argument for putting major emphasis on these sociarrangements in pooreconomies without havingtowait for 'getting neh' first

3

Although this model does not fit with World Bank and IMF debt-repaymen

arrangements m many countries, Sen makes much use of examples where this mod

has worked and is working, most especially the Indian state of Kerala He refut

what he sees as a belief that " human development is really a luxury that on

richer countries can afford",4 and emphasizes the need to make human developme

a standard by which economic growth is measured Sen departs from man

development writers in his emphasis on 'capabilities' (which he defines as th

"substantive freedoms to choose a life one has reason to value",5which raisthe issue of freedom of choice) and their growth, rather than 'commodities' an

their growth, stating that the focus has to be "on the freedoms generated b

commodities, rather than on the commodities seen on their own "6Put anoth

way, Sen advocates "an alternative to focusing on means of good livingtoconcentra

on the actual living that people manage to achieve (or going beyond that, on th

freedom to achieve actual livings that one can have reason to value) "7

Sen discusses the primacy of justice, the role of markets, and the importance o

2 Sen Development as freedom 17


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Development as freedom or freedom as development? 91

democracy, naming the latter as the leading and most effective preventative for

famine8He states that democracy should be seen as "creating a set of opportunities",

9

and cites the encouragement of public discussion and a free press as some of themost positive of democracy's gifts in the campaign to increase personal

capabilities 10

The book spends much time on the position of women in societies, particularly

as agents for social change Sen notes studies that show the particularly strong role

educated women (including women who participate m low levels of education, such

as basic literacy training) can play in lowering child mortality rates and fertility

rates,increasing quality of child care arrangements, and promoting general social

well-being for all members of society n

He discusses the positive role empoweredwomen can play in family-decision-making, to the good of all concerned, and affirms

thepower of women's economic participation in changing family life for the better,

stating that

the result of women's participation is not merely to generate income for women, butalso to provide the social benefits that come from women's enhanced status andindependence [the point is] not merely to raise the 'deal' women get, but also -through the greater agency of women - to bring about other major changes in society12

In the final chapters, Sen discusses the role played by societal norms and values,

and how difficult and long a process it can be to develop these, echoing issues he

raised in the discussion on markets, he notes the "role of certain behavioural rules

(such as basic business ethics) in developed capitalist economies But when

these values are not yet developed, their general presence or absence can make a

crucial difference "13 Sen notes the rising involvement of organized crime in

developing countries, noting a "general connection between the limited emergence

of business norms and the hold of organized crime in [developing] economies "14

He highlights the role social and personal responsibility play in the development

of freedoms and the capabilities they produce, emphasizing that "the use of socially

responsible reasoning and of ideas of justice relates closely to the centrahty of

individual freedom"15

and, indeed, that "Responsibility requires freedom "16

The

8 Sen Developmentasfreedom 180 see also 169

9 SenDevelopment as freedom 155 156

10 SenDevelopmentas freedom 158 180

11 Sen Development as freedom 191 201


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92 Holder-Rich

book closes by highlighting the need for a social commitment to freedom for a

and for individuals within the society, and draws an outline as to what that kind o

commitment would produce in terms of societal change.

Sen's work raises many issues for the Christian church, the largest of which is

central question: What role does the church have in the promotion of freedom i

society (or even in the church itself)? In one of Sen's few references to religion, h

refers to it as a "traditional source of authority and legitimacy;"17

could, or should

the church become a source of freedom and development? My response will b

significantly shadedbymy workinMadagascar, a heavily-indebted developing countr

by IMF and World Bank standards, and a society struggling with surging increases i

economic development for a few, massive corruption at all levels of society, anabject poverty for the majority.

Within Madagascar, the Christian churches together comprise the single large

voluntary association, counting by most estimates nearly half the population a

members, while enjoying precipitous growth. In many small villages and rural area

the local church(es) is/are the only organization in town outside the family; outsid

the large cities, the pastor is almost always the most educated person in whateve

region he or she serves. The church is therefore in a unique position to make

serious positive impact in the lives of the Malagasy people.Sen starts with 'development'; Iturn his equation around and start with 'freedom

as freedom is, I believe, the central issue of the Christian faith. Among the man

ideas Sen elucidates in his work that have special meaning for Christians, I hav

chosen three to address here: 1) the church as an agent of freedom; 2) the church a

an advocate of freedom; and 3) the church as an empowerer (as an agent o

empowerment) ofallpeople for freedom, especially those on the margins of societ

The church - agent of freedom

Sen talks much about 'agency' and 'agents', defining an agentas"someone who ac

and brings about change."18

In Malagasy history, the agency of the church has

times been crucial. During the19thand early20thcenturies missionaries built hospita

and schools and wrote and translated books, while often helping the coloni

government retain power. Under the Second Republic (1972-91) church leade

stood strong and spoke out against a corrupt and violently oppressive governmenoften at great risk to themselves. Today, under the Third Republic (a 'democrati


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Development a s freedom orfreedom asdevelopment? 93

corruption in the church. Passivity has always been a central aspect of Malagasy

culture (so strong that polite conversation most often uses the grammatically passive

voice);living under first a monarchy, then a colonial government, has done little to

encourage the activist stance required by those who would be agents of change.Neitherhas the mission movement been (in the main) of much help, and the churches

of Madagascar born in the (19th century) period of missionary fervour continue

oday, in large part, to look for financial and personnel support and guidance from

raditional mission-sending churches abroad. Indeed, the Malagasy churches see

hemselves as recipients and not as donors able to give; and the nature of recipients

sthat they do not have the freedom to choose what they receive.19

But in the documents of the Christian church, we have resources for agency -

for action. Sen talks a lot about the necessary processes that lead to the development

of communal norms, be they behavioural, ethical, or action. One of my students

wrote his master's thesis about the need to train Malagasy Christians for leadership

ntheir own church, noting that they had not received sufficient or helpful training

forthiswork from their society, from the Christian missions, or from current church

eadership. Indeed, Pastor Gabriel noted that church leaders today cannot be blamed

for taking a controlling, authoritarian tack in church governance, as they are just

following the model set forth by the royal family, the colonial government and theearly missionaries, who were in charge of the church until the Second Republic

began.20Inthis context, how do we enliven the documents that are part of the Christian

heritage, both biblical and theological, to help people become agents of freedom?

The answer lies at least in part in education, both for pastors and for laypersons.

While missionaries can help with this, because of some of the painful legacy of

misguided mission work there isaneed for strong and visionary Malagasy Christians

totake the lead in educating (or perhaps re-educating) people about what the Bible

actually says and what the rights and responsibilities of the Christian life actuallyare.Work that leads toward freedom - for people within the church, for families,

for communities and for societies - is part of the call of Christians.

The church - advocate of freedom

"IwishIknew how it would feel to be free" goes the African-American spiritual. To

beabletoadvocate freedom, Malagasy Christians have to learn what freedom looks

and feelslike.Sen quotes an often repeated question about prioritizing various kinds

of freedoms saying: "What should come first - removing poverty and misery or


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guaranteeing political liberty and civil rights, for which poor people have little u

anyway?"21Itisfairtosay that most Malagasy people believe that neithertheremov

of their poverty and misery nor the guarantee of their political and civil liberti

will ever become a reality, but for many there is at least a vision, through Weste

media, of what the former looks like. For the latter, however, there are currently

categories in the common Malagasy psyche. This does not exist andhasnever exis

in Madagascar for the Malagasy people.

So we come again to the need for education; but educating a people that th

have freedom can be a risky endeavour. Madagascar's constitution was pattern

after the French, and as such, leaders or citizens have had little ownership of

investment in it. Laws are rarely enforced in Madagascar, and the people know thto call in the police, no matter how dire the event, is to invite harassment, thieve

and requests forbribes.Many innocent people are imprisoned in Madagascar becau

someone in some position of power and authority needed them either to be out

the way ortolearn nottoresist authority. This fact raises fear for Malagasy Christia

even those who understand the firm call to resist evil and stand for freedom.

But Malagasy people imprisoned for resisting authority are in good compan

From Jesushimself,to Paul, to leaders of every Christian movement that advocat

freedom in the course of human history, in every instance many people have beimprisoned for speaking out. A revolution is needed in Biblical study a

interpretation, in preaching and Christian education, and again, the leaders of t

revolution need to be Malagasy and not expatriates. This education could take ma

forms: From simply defining what freedom is and how it works, to working to bri

pressure to bear on authorities that have responsibility for alleviating t

aforementioned poverty and misery,22 to information-sharing with those on t

margins of society about their rights, to advocacy with the legal and law enforcem

community about their responsibilities to ensure justice.23The topics that couldcovered in such an education campaign are legion. A few outstanding examp

might be literacy training; advocating the use of family planning, in ordertoincre

the quality of life for all in Madagascar, a country that currently has an average

5.9 live births per woman; advocating changes in IMF and World Bank de

restructuring arrangements (both organizations have offices in the capital, and

can be approached) in order to not emphasize deficit- and debt-reduction to t

21 Sen,Developmentasfreedom,147

22 S D l f d 151 "G l h ff i f l


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Development asfreedom orfreedom asdevelopment? 95

point that social health and welfare are harmed;24

publishing information and

encouraging public discussion about epidemics, health and sanitation procedures,

and famine risk, in order to provide the early-warning system Sen applauds.25

The church - empowering people for freedom

"Democracy has to be seen as creating opportunities,"26

states Sen. The question

for the church is: Does the church create opportunities? Does the church offer

people a vision of freedom, and then help them achieve that which they see? If the

church is to be the church of Jesus Christ, then she has the task of empowering

people for freedom. "For freedom Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1), and we

are adjured to stand firm in the freedom which we have been given - and also to

extend that freedom to others.

Freedom can be, and, I believe, mustbe, the basis of development, if the church

is toengage in this work. Sen states that "the intensity of economic needs adds to...

the urgency of political freedoms."27

The church must take a leading role, working

tofree people economically and politically from the oppression that binds them. If

famines are, by nature, created by rulers who divide groups in a society from each

other,

28

the church is obligatedbothto work to alleviate hungerandto work againstthe tendency toward division; crucially, the church must not allow itself tosee its

place primarily as being with those unaffected by famines when they occur, no

matter what place Christians hold in society (cf. Matthew 25:40). Sen touts the

power ofanactive political opposition;29if the government is corrupt and unjust, as

it is in Madagascar, the church must be part of this opposition. The church must

affirm the full participation of women, both within itself through freedom to

participate fully (i.e. ordination and full enfranchisement for service in all levels

of church life) and within the society. This includes, among other things, the issueof reproductive rights. Sen notes the "battering" that occurs to "young women who

are reduced to being progeny-generating machines".30

Too often the church has

taught that women are obligated to produce children and that family planning is a

sin. Even in Madagascar, as child stunting and mortality rates mount, as the

environmentisunder dire stress from the need to produce more food, and as famines

occur every yearinthe south and southwest of the country, Madagascar's government

24 See Sen ,Development as freedom, 14025 Sen,Development as freedom, 158,180


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has a pro-birth policy, and the Protestant churches, while offering family planni

in their health care systems, preach against it from theirpulpits,their Sunday Scho

classes and pre-marital counselling sessions. The church, in order to empow

women, must find a way to change course on this issue. Sen cites the need fmoving beyond sympathy to commitment to work for freedom;

31 the church

already adept at this, requiring full commitment from members, and thus is in

good position for the work of empowerment. The book speaks of the injurio

perception that injustice and inequality cannot be conquered, as "there is

alternative".32

In Malagasy culture, the phrase/omagasy(the Malagasy way), off

the same perception. Thus, the church in Madagascar must offer to people thefom

Kristiana (Christian way) when Christ's way of empowerment and freedom dif

from thefomba gasy.Finally, in his introduction, Sen notes the role of 'constructive impatience'

33

the work of development as freedom. The Christian church needs to move fro

passivity, apathy and powerlessness to constructive impatience, in order to take

rightful and faithful role as a movement that lifts up freedom, and through this g

offers development.


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Development as Freedom-Sen and Christian Freedom