With Jesus in Paradise?: Pentecostal Migrants in Contemporary Zanzibar

This article explores the quest among contemporary pentecostal migrants from mainland Tanzania in Zanzibar to become “saved” Christians. The analysis of a set of techniques and processes applied in developing and keeping faith reveals high levels of suspicion and doubt connected to the perceived pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pneuma
Main Author: Olsson, Hans (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2015
In: Pneuma
RelBib Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
BJ Islam
CB Christian life; spirituality
CC Christianity and Non-Christian religion; Inter-religious relations
KBN Sub-Saharan Africa
KDG Free church
NBH Angelology; demonology
Further subjects:B Pentecostalism
B Islam
B Migration
B Religious Practice
B East Africa
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Description
Summary:This article explores the quest among contemporary pentecostal migrants from mainland Tanzania in Zanzibar to become “saved” Christians. The analysis of a set of techniques and processes applied in developing and keeping faith reveals high levels of suspicion and doubt connected to the perceived presence of evil in the Zanzibari environment, which, in turn, is linked to a fear of losing salvation. With Christian minorities recently having their premises attacked in connection with sociopolitical hostilities in the predominantly Muslim setting of Zanzibar, the case in this article highlights how the context of violence is negotiated in pentecostal modes of suspicion toward the other while, at the same time, it bolsters spiritual growth. This illustrates how a pentecostal ethos intermingles with and provides migrants with ways of interpreting the contemporary setting in which religious belonging is at the fore in present-day calls for Zanzibari political sovereignty and inclusive Union politics.
ISSN:1570-0747
Contains:Enthalten in: Pneuma
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700747-03701025