Humanitarianism is sometimes conceived as a ‘secular’ transnational moral project with limited connections to religion. This neglects the many actors who are enmeshed in religious communities and ethical commitments. Moreover, as they travel, even avowedly non-religious humanitarian workers encounter religions in new and different ways. This project investigates the transnational religious encounters of humanitarian workers through the genre of autobiography.

My interest in humanitarian autobiographies emerges out of my ongoing research into the intersections between religion and development in Asia. I view autobiographies as sociological metonyms; by analysing the life narratives of particular individuals I seek to illuminate a broader array of social and political dynamics shaping the entanglements between humanitarians and religion. While at CSEAS my project will focus on the autobiographies that include discussion of travel to Southeast Asia.