On Elective Affinities: Pentecostalism and Immigration. The case of Pentecostal African churches in Catalonia

Abstract

Protestantism is the most widespread minority religion in Catalonia. There are more than 430 Protestant churches in the country, more than a half of which belong to the Pentecostal vein. The growing importance of immigration is a key to understanding both the rise in Protestantism and the predominance of Pentecostalism. The worshippers at the new Protestant churches in Catalonia are mainly from Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe, regions where Pentecostalism is growing considerably. This article seeks to explore the emergence and success of the so-called “ethnic churches” based on an analysis of African Pentecostal churches in Catalonia. It is based on the fieldwork carried out by the project El mapa religiós de Catalunya (ISOR) (“The Religious Map of Catalonia”) and on the ethnographic work performed at African churches in Catalonia.Key words: sociology of religion, Pentecostalism, immigration, ethnic churchesOriginal source: Revista Catalana de Sociologia, 23: 59-77 (2008)