Church Providers and Governance Logics in the Pluralizing Welfare State

Hungarian and Bavarian Perspectives

Abstract

Religious welfare providers are not merely service deliverers but normative communities that embody a distinct governance culture grounded in the principles of subsidiarity, responsibility and the common good. This study examines the governance logics of faith-based social service providers as a form of social self-organization and ethical governance. By comparing Hungarian and Bavarian cases, the analysis shows how religious organisations relate to state-operated welfare systems and what moral and professional principles shape the governance of services. In Bavaria, religious providers operate with a high degree of autonomy in partnership with the state, whereas in Hungary their activities are more closely aligned with state structures, characterised by different degrees and forms of autonomy. The study interprets governance in a broad sense, as a system of ethical norms and social cooperation in which religious organisations hold a distinct role within welfare provision.