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Lost Boys, Found Church: Dinka Refugees and Religious Change in Sudan's Second Civil War

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Repository DOI


Type

Article

Change log

Authors

ZINK, JESSE 

Abstract

jats:pThe experience of young male Dinka refugees during Sudan's second civil war (1983–2005) illustrates the connections between religious change, violence and displacement. Many of the ‘unaccompanied minors’ who fled to camps in Ethiopia and then Kenya moved decisively towards Christianity in the years during which they were displaced. Key variables were the connection between education and Christianity, the need for new structures of community, and the way in which the Church offered a way to make sense of the destruction of civil war. As the war ended, many former refugees returned to their home regions as Christian evangelists, leading to further religious change. Their case parallels other mass conversion movements in African Christian history but takes place in a post-colonial context of civil war.</jats:p>

Description

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Cambridge University Press via https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046916000683

Keywords

5005 Theology, 4303 Historical Studies, 50 Philosophy and Religious Studies, 43 History, Heritage and Archaeology, 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Journal Title

The Journal of Ecclesiastical History

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0022-0469
1469-7637

Volume Title

68

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)