Conceptualizing Temporary Economic Migration to Kuwait
An Analysis of Migrant Churches Based on Migrant Social Location
In: Mission StudiesSearch for other papers by Stanley John in
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Migrant religious communities dot the landscape of every major city on the globe. Migrant churches formed by temporary economic migrants from India, the Philippines, Egypt and Nigeria are found in each of the six Arabian Gulf countries. How do we begin to understand the migrant churches in this region? This article posits that migrant churches must be studied in light of their specific geographical contexts, the migratory system at work in their contexts, and with attention to the complexity embodied by the various types of migrants. We will employ this model to analyze the case of Kerala Pentecostal churches in Kuwait.
We begin with a demographic analysis of the context of Kuwait, which will capture the ethnic and religious composition of the country. In the next section, we deal specifically with conceptualizing the phenomenon of temporary economic migration. After demonstrating that migrant experience differs significantly based on migrant social location, the article identifies seven key determinants of migrant social location: skill level, length of tenure, employer, type of visa, migration network, family reunification, and ethnicity and religion. The article employs this model to analyze the practice of faith among the Kerala Pentecostal churches along three foci of worship, community and service.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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| Abstract Views | 353 | 81 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 181 | 1 | 0 |
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Conceptualizing Temporary Economic Migration to Kuwait
An Analysis of Migrant Churches Based on Migrant Social Location
In: Mission StudiesSearch for other papers by Stanley John in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Migrant religious communities dot the landscape of every major city on the globe. Migrant churches formed by temporary economic migrants from India, the Philippines, Egypt and Nigeria are found in each of the six Arabian Gulf countries. How do we begin to understand the migrant churches in this region? This article posits that migrant churches must be studied in light of their specific geographical contexts, the migratory system at work in their contexts, and with attention to the complexity embodied by the various types of migrants. We will employ this model to analyze the case of Kerala Pentecostal churches in Kuwait.
We begin with a demographic analysis of the context of Kuwait, which will capture the ethnic and religious composition of the country. In the next section, we deal specifically with conceptualizing the phenomenon of temporary economic migration. After demonstrating that migrant experience differs significantly based on migrant social location, the article identifies seven key determinants of migrant social location: skill level, length of tenure, employer, type of visa, migration network, family reunification, and ethnicity and religion. The article employs this model to analyze the practice of faith among the Kerala Pentecostal churches along three foci of worship, community and service.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 353 | 81 | 8 |
| Full Text Views | 181 | 1 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 45 | 4 | 0 |
