Nicole Toulis - Believing Identity: Pentecostalism and the Mediation of Jamaican Ethnicity and Gender in England

A University College London Series

Series Editors: Barbara Bender, John Gledhill and Bruce Kapferer

First published 1997 by Berg Publishers

Published 2020 by Routledge

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Nicole Rodriguez Toulis 1997

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Toulis, Nicole Rodriguez.

Believing identity: Pentecostalism and the mediation of Jamaican

ethnicity and gender in England / Nicole Rodriguez Toulis.

p. cm. --(Explorations in anthropology)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 1-85973-104-X (alk. paper). --ISBN 1-85973-109-0 (pbk.: alk.

paper)

1. Pentecostalism--Great Britain--Case studies. 2. Jamaicans--

Great Britain--Ethnic identity--Case studies. 3. Jamaicans--Great

Britain--Religion--Case studies. 4. Women, Black--Great Britain--

Ethnic identity--Case studies. 5. Women, Black--Great Britain--

Religious life--Case studies. 6. Blacks--Great Britain--Ethnic

identity--Case studies. 7. Blacks--Great Britain--Religion--Case

studies. 8. Great Britain--Religious life and customs--Case

studies. I. Title. II. Series.

BR1644.5.G7T68 1997

305.4889697292042--dc21

96-45031
CIP

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Typeset by JS Typesetting, Wellingborough, Northants.

ISBN 13: 978-1-859-73104-8 (hbk)

The study on which this book is based was made possible by the emotional and financial support of numerous people. I would like to thank MA, AA, LJ, OP and the members and Pastor of the King Street New Testament Church of God for welcoming me into their fellowship and homes, enduring hours of questioning and for providing constant spiritual support. To my family, Vasilios, Gladys and Tad, who sacrificed for me and supported and encouraged me, thank you. My appreciation also goes to my friends for their endless solace and forbearance.

The research, thoughts and arguments presented in this study took shape through cumulative interactions with many Fellows and fellows. I am indebted to Sue Benson for her unfailing enthusiasm, support and patience during research. I am especially grateful to Esther Goody and Malcolm Ruel for their advice and for helping me to organize my initial thoughts after the original period of fieldwork. I also thank Keith Hart, Sandra Wallman, Tomoko Hamada, Virginia Kerns, Connie Sutton, Greg Johnson, Daniel Bates, Phil Kilbride, Gerald Creed and my fellows Kristi Norget, Simon Coleman, Andre Czlegdy-Nagy, Louise de la Gorgendiere, David Sneath, Vinay Srivastava, and Arlene Davila for taking an interest, teaching me, listening and inspiring me to think that little bit harder. Immeasurable gratitude also goes to Professor Alan Macfarlane for all of the above, for sage counsel and for imparting optimism.

The background study and research presented in this book was made possible by an Overseas Research Student award from the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom, the Amy Mary Preston Read Fund of the University of Cambridge, the Audrey Richards Fund of the Department of Social Anthropology, an External Studentship and a Hardship loan from Emmanuel College, and a dissertation preparation grant from the Radcliffe-Brown Memorial Fund of the Royal Anthropological Association of Great Britain.

NRT

This book contains many passages of direct quotation and reported speech. The source of each quote is given in parentheses following the quote, e. g. (Sermon) or (Sister). Verbatim quotes are indicated with single quotation marks, paraphrased quotes taken from fieldnotes with double quotation marks. Since much of the recorded speech is a combination of patois and standard British English I have not altered the grammatical construction of sentences, verb tenses or prepositions; [sic] is used sparingly for variant spellings and to retain clarity in ambiguous constructions.

Following current usage I use the terms Black or African-Caribbean for persons of Caribbean origin in Britain. The term migrant is preferred to immigrant out of deference to the feelings of the people. While the original name of the denomination is used with permission, all names of persons and local congregations have been replaced by pseudonyms. The term member is used interchangeably with saint throughout. A list of commonly used abbreviations is provided.

NRT

Racism is a bitter, ugly, vicious spirit. But it is in the world. A person that is not a Christian will use the same thing to combat it resentfulness, bitter anger. These attitudes are still part of the world, not of Christ. The Christian who supposed to be having and practicing the spirit of Christ its not that he accept it, but he is instructed from the word of God that he should not offer back revenge should leave this to God. Hence, though he dont accept it, but he dont fight back with the same spirit. In other words that [racism] is the spirit of the devil, this world. As a Christian you would say to yourself Im living on a higher plane than that. Hence, you are able to treat that person with love, with understanding. Not that you accept it, but you dont retaliate. Now we have this to live with in Britain, because personally we detest racism know its wrong, but you cant use another wrong trait or attitude to combat it. So we using our God . Theyre in a polite, enlightened Britain people would come talking with you they kind of feel well you know, because youre not a White person youre not equal. And theyll try to put over you, hoodwink you, that you kind of feel they are so with you. You know in your heart they are looking out some good thing for themself to see if they can get across, take disadvantage . Its a wicked, vicious spirit that want to strip some people from their dignity. (An African-Caribbean Pentecostal Pastor in Britain)