Violent Conversion

There has been an extraordinary growth in Pentecostalism in Africa, with Brazilian Pentecostals establishing new transnational Christian connections, initiating widespread changes not only in religious practice but in society. This book describes its rise in Maputo, capital of Mozambique, where large numbers of urban women are taking advantage of the opportunities Pentecostalism offers to overcome restrictions at home, pioneer new life spaces and change their lives. Yet, while its discourses and practices are persuading followers to take control of their lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, conversion also means a violent rupturing with the past, with family and with social networks. In this book, the author examines the, sometimes dramatic, impact of Pentecostalism on women's lives. As the pastors encourage them to make a break with the past, including ancestral spirits, these women come to see their kin and husbands as imbued with evil powers, and many leave their families. Conquering spheres that used to be forbidden to them, they often live alone as unmarried women, sometimes earning more than men of a similar age.
They are also expected to donate huge sums to the churches, often money that they can ill afford, bringing new hardships. Linda van de Kamp is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.BR>