Reflexive Governance Dynamics Operative Within Round One of World Religious Leaders’ Dialogue With the G8 (2005-2013)

This case study of the World Religious Leaders’ Summits illustratesreflexive governance dynamics operative within the religious summitry process from 2005to 2013. Past research explored reflexivity within the cultural capital produced byreligious leaders and delivered to G8 political leaders. Data are drawn from qualitativeinterviews, questionnaires, and summit presentations to further explore how reflexivityvariously opens up and closes down throughout the 9-year cycle. Rather than choosingbetween keeping up action capacity or opening problem handling for furthercontextualization, reflexive governance is best understood as that which both interplaysand combines variously. A coevolutionary approach to the reflexive governance ofreligious summitry is discussed in light of the changing dynamics associated with theupcoming transition from Millennium Development Goals to the proposed SustainableDevelopment Goals