Religion and the Violence of Development: The Case of Flores, Indonesia

This article examines the complex and often contradictory role of the Catholic Church in Flores, Indonesia, in the context of the violence of development over recent decades. As state and corporate-led development projects—particularly in mining, tourism, and energy—displace local communities and degrade the environment, the Church emerges as both a moral advocate for local resistance and, at times, complicit in such unwelcome development. While it appeals to principles of social justice to defend the marginalized, it also engages in or remains silent about development agendas that result in dispossession and socio-environmental harm. With this backdrop, the article argues that the Church in Flores stands at a crossroads: enmeshed in a development model that reinforces its institutional relevance while simultaneously undermining its ethical commitments. By unpacking this tension, the article contributes to broader discussions on the ambivalent roles of faith-based actors in development and the challenges of aligning moral authority with inclusive, rights-based approaches in contested development landscapes.