Synopses & Reviews
In the Afro-Cuban Lukumi religious traditionandmdash;more commonly known in the United States as Santerandiacute;aandmdash;entrants into the priesthood undergo an extraordinary fifty-three-week initiation period. During this time, these novicesandmdash;called
iyawoandmdash;endure a host of prohibitions, including most notably wearing exclusively white clothing.and#160;Inand#160;
A Year in White, sociologist C. Lynn Carr, who underwent this initiation herself, opens a window on this remarkable year-long religious transformation.
and#160;
In her intimate investigation of the andldquo;year in white,andrdquo; Carr draws on fifty-two in-depth interviews with other participants, an online survey of nearly two hundred others, and almost a decade of her own ethnographic fieldwork, gathering stories that allow us to see how cultural newcomers and natives thought, felt, and acted with regard to their initiation. She documents how, during the iyawo year, the ritual slowly transforms the initiateandrsquo;s identity. For the first three months, for instance, the iyawo may not use a mirror, even to shave, and must eat all meals while seated on a mat on the floor using only a spoon and their own set of dishes. During the entire year, the iyawo loses their name and is simply addressed as andldquo;iyawoandrdquo; by family and friends.
and#160;
Carr also shows that this year-long religious ritualandmdash;which is carried out even as the iyawo goes about daily lifeandmdash;offers new insight into religion in general, suggesting that the sacred is not separable from the profane and indeed that religion shares an ongoing dynamic relationship with the realities of everyday life. Religious expression happens at home, on the streets, at work and school.
and#160;
Offering insight not only into Santerandiacute;a but also into religion more generally, A Year in White makes an important contribution to our understanding of complex, dynamic religious landscapes in multicultural, pluralist societies and how they inhabit our daily lives.
and#160;
Review
andquot;Thompsonandrsquo;s bookand#160;is an original and powerfully suggestive intervention in the scholarship on intermarriage. Her argument is fresh and sound. She is particularly persuasive presenting her compelling ethnographic material.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;Jewish on Their Own Termsand#160;challenges the prevailing intermarriage paradigm by examining the lived experience of intermarried couples and analyzing the meaning and impact of intermarriage discourse in the Jewish community.andquot;and#160;
Review
andquot;Thompson explores the ways in which individuals and couples directly involved in and affected by intermarriage define themselves, their perspectives on their own Jewishness, and their attempts at juggling the larger questions of individualism and communal responsibilities. Recommended.andquot;
Review
andquot;Insightful, beautifully written, and empirically sophisticated, this book will be cited by many others, as it establishes the core of what it means to turn to religious conversion, to become an Orisha and#39;priestand#39;andhellip; a joy to read.andquot;
Review
andquot;Sharon Kim has written a clear, well-organized, and accessible book on an important emerging phenomenon among second generation Korean American churches.andquot;
Review
andquot;The book offers a rich and sympathetic insight into the world of seco
Review
andquot;This interesting and accessible book picks up on an emergent phenomenaandmdash;the creation of hybrid third spaces of worship among second-generation Korean Americans. Kim's work is a significant contribution to the study of religion and the new second-generation.andquot;
Review
"Kibria's groundbreaking study provides valuable insight into the process of transnational and diasporic identity formation among contemporary populations."
Review
"Kibra's research is theoretically sophisticated and right on target. Her well-designed interviews give the reader a vivid sense of the experience of being a Bangladeshi Muslim immigrant."
Review
"
Muslims in Motion is a brilliant illustration of how global sociopolitical forces shape international migrants’ experiences and aspirations. In this timely piece, Kibria explains how Bangladeshi Muslim migrants and their families in starkly different destinations insert themselves into their host societies by organizing their community life and constructing their identity."
Review
"Linking migration and religious studies,
Muslims in Motion breaks new ground by taking seriously the ways in which international migrant flows shape Islamization in migrant communities around the world."
Review
andldquo;Carr has executed a methodologically innovative study of religious identification and self-creation in American Lukumi with integrity, intimacy and insight.and#160;Its focus on the and#39;everyday religionand#39; of devotees is especially welcome.andrdquo;
Synopsis
This book provides a complex, insightful portrait of intermarried couples and the new forms of American Judaism that they are constructing. It tells the stories of intermarried couples, the rabbis and other Jewish educators who work with them, and the conflicting public conversations about intermarriage among American Jews. Ethnography is used to describe the compelling concerns of all of these parties and places their anxieties firmly within the context of American religious culture and morality.
Synopsis
In Santerandiacute;a, entrants into the priesthood undergo an extraordinary fifty-three-week initiation period. Inand#160;
A Year in White, sociologist C. Lynn Carrandmdash;who underwent this initiation herselfandmdash;offers a wealth of insight into this remarkable year-long religious transformation. Carr draws on in-depth interviews, many online surveys, and nearly a decade of her own ethnographic fieldwork, shedding light not only on Santerandiacute;a, but on religion in general.
Synopsis
Second-generation Korean Americans, demonstrating an unparalleled entrepreneurial fervor, are establishing new churches with a goal of shaping the future of American Christianity. A Faith of Our Own investigates the development and growth of these houses of worship, a recent and rapidly increasing phenomenon in major cities throughout the United States. Including data gathered over ten years at twenty-two churches, it is the most comprehensive study of this topic that addresses generational, identity, political, racial, and empowerment issues
Synopsis
In Muslims in Motion, Nazli Kibria provides a comparative look at Bangladeshi Muslims in different global contexts--including Britain, the U.S., the Middle East, and Malaysia. Kibria examines international migrant flows from Bangladesh, and considers how such migrations continue to shape Islamization in these areas. Having conducted more than 200 in-depth interviews, she explores how, in societies as different as these, migrant Muslims, in their everyday lives, strive to achieve economic gains, sustain community and family life, and realize a sense of dignity and honor.
Synopsis
In Muslims in Motion, Nazli Kibria provides a comparative look at Bangladeshi Muslims in different global contexts--including Britain, the U.S., the Middle East, and Malaysia. Kibria examines international migrant flows from Bangladesh, and considers how such migrations continue to shape Islamization in these areas. Having conducted more than 200 in-depth interviews, she explores how, in societies as different as these, migrant Muslims, in their everyday lives, strive to achieve economic gains, sustain community and family life, and realize a sense of dignity and honor.
Muslims in Motion offers fresh insights into the prominence of Islam in these communities, especially an Islam defined by fundamentalist movements and ideologies. Kibria also focuses on the complex significance of nationality--with rich analyses of the diaspora, the role of gender and class, and the multiple identities of the migrants, she shows how nationality can be both a critical source of support and also of difficulty for many in their efforts to attain lives of dignity. By bringing to life a vast range of experiences, this book challenges prevailing stereotypes of Muslims.
About the Author
NAZLI KIBRIA teaches sociology at Boston University. Her books include Family Tightrope: The Changing Lives of Vietnamese Americans and Becoming Asian American: Second-Generation Chinese and Korean Americans.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Defining Judaism by Debating Intermarriage
2 American Contradictions: Conversations about Self and Community
3 andldquo;What You Areandrdquo; and andldquo;Whatandrsquo;s in Your Heartandrdquo;
4 Translating Jewish Experience
5 Sovereign Selves in a Fractured Community
6 Moving Forward, Inconclusively: The Crisis of Jewish Identity
Afterword
Notes
References
Index