Betwixt Identity and Security: African New Religious Movements and the Politics of Religious Networking in Europe

Abstract

African New Religious Movements (ANRMs) are creating local-global religious networks to further their self-insertion (self-assertion) in the European religious landscape. Intrareligious engagement of ANRM members derives not so much from doctrinal affinities or leadership preferences, but from the quest for spiritual satisfaction, religious identity, and a place to feel at home. The complexity of the motives for participating in networks is due to religious, socio-cultural, and economic considerations. While religious communities identify this networking as a vital strategy for global mission and evangelism ("mission reversed"), such networks serve also as conduits for maintaining identity and ensuring security, as well as facilitating status improvement and legitimacy in Europe.