Whose side are they on? Patterns of religious resource mobilization in British industrial mission

Not unlike the sociologist who seeks to study problems that have relevance to the world we live in, when members of religious movement organizations enter the secular world of work they may be confronted by competing perspectives held by different groups. They may also be viewed sceptically concerning the underlying purpose of their engagement, leading some to question whose side they are really on. This article analyses the historical and contemporary practice of British industrial mission (1944-2004) using the resource-mobilization theory of social movements and considers the resources that this religious movement organization possesses that enable its constitution as an actor in an industrial relations setting. The analysis highlights the ambiguous position of industrial mission by drawing attention to their reliance on power interests in the very organizations that they seek to transform for the provision of resources that are essential to this religious movement organization's survival.