The Iranian Christian Diaspora

Rezensionen / Stimmen

The Iranian religious landscape, both within the boundaries of the Islamic Republic and beyond, has seen dramatic changes. This meticulously researched, theoretically informed and clearly argued book provides insight into discursive claims for Iranianness among Persian-speaking Christians in exile, and their hopes for a future Christian transformation of Iran. * Michael Stausberg, Professor, University of Bergen, Norway * The conversion of many Iranians of Muslim background to Christianity is one of the most salient unanticipated consequences of the Iranian revolution of 1979, as disenchantment with the Islam propagated by the Islamic Republic has been a greater catalyst for conversion than the activities of generations of pre-revolutionary Christian missionaries. Free to practice their religion in the diaspora, these Persian-speaking Christians and their descendants have formed stable communities outside Iran and have drawn on aspects of Iranian culture such as Nowruz and Persian poetry to forge what they believe to be an Iranian Christianity rooted both in Iranian history and the Bible. Roemer's meticulously researched study draws on a wide variety of primary sources to reconstruct the history of this community, including its relations with Armenian and Assyrian Christians in Iran, and provides a sober analysis of its attempts to create an authentically Iranian religious community. This book is set to become a classic in the growing field of Iranian diaspora studies. * Houchang E. Chehabi , Professor Emeritus, Boston University, USA * Roemer has given us a unique insight into how religion, nationhood, and diaspora intersect to produce an Iranian Christian national identity. In addition to analyzing Persian-language magazines, he examines Iranian Christian YouTube videos and satellite TV channels, a timely contribution to the significance of the virtual world in producing national religious subjects. * Navid Fozi, Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University, USA * With this fascinating study of protestant, pentecostal and evangelical Christianity in Iran and among Iranians in the worldwide diaspora, Benedikt Roemer moves beyond missionary perspectives and the narrow concept of religious minorities to arrive at a new understanding of hybrid ethno-religious identities. How to reconcile Iranianness with a new Christian identity is one of the principal questions raised, but crucial historical perspectives are never absent. This is a wonderful contribution to the role of religion in Iran from a different angle, a methodological highlight in the field of comparative religious studies, and a gem for contemporary diasporic Iranian Studies. * Christoph U. Werner, Professor, University of Bamberg, Germany *