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With Jesus in Paradise? Pentecostal Migrants in Contemporary Zanzibar

Olsson, Hans LU (2015) In Pneuma 37(1). p.21-40
Abstract
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... (More)
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. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
religious practice, Islam, Pentecostalism, migration, East Africa
in
Pneuma
volume
37
issue
1
pages
21 - 40
publisher
Brill
external identifiers
  • scopus:84930859576
  • wos:000356719700003
ISSN
0272-0965
DOI
10.1163/15700747-03701025
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Missiology and Ecumenics (015017074)
id
33c64756-a084-46f3-a116-2f19549ad56b (old id 7852566)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:48:34
date last changed
2022-03-11 23:18:01
@article{33c64756-a084-46f3-a116-2f19549ad56b,
  abstract     = {{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<br/><br>
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.}},
  author       = {{Olsson, Hans}},
  issn         = {{0272-0965}},
  keywords     = {{religious practice; Islam; Pentecostalism; migration; East Africa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{21--40}},
  publisher    = {{Brill}},
  series       = {{Pneuma}},
  title        = {{With Jesus in Paradise? Pentecostal Migrants in Contemporary Zanzibar}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15700747-03701025}},
  doi          = {{10.1163/15700747-03701025}},
  volume       = {{37}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}