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‘I cover myself in the blood of Jesus’: Born Again heritage making in Sierra Leone
Author(s) -
ZetterströmSharp Johanna
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of the royal anthropological institute
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1467-9655
pISSN - 1359-0987
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9655.12647
Subject(s) - sierra leone , realm , narrative , sociology , history , ethnology , gender studies , archaeology , art , literature
This article concerns the risky terrain of heritage management in Sierra Leone and its navigation by devout Born Again Pentecostal Christians. It engages with the ever‐expanding Born Again movement and its narrative of rupture, on the one hand, and the increasingly visible heritage sector and its focus on cultural continuity, on the other. These positions appear irreconcilable: one experiences the past as a dangerous satanic realm, the other as a valuable resource. However, as this article explores, they frequently meet in the workplace as many heritage professionals are also Born Again believers. I am interested in this meeting‐point as demonic channels and godly practices converge. I argue that Freetown's Born Again heritage professionals do not succeed in their roles despite their religion, but because of it.