Vedaste Nzayabino

Religion, Culture and Identity: Integration of Congolese Migrants in Johannesburg Vedaste Nzayabino

The embeddedness of religious issues within contemporary global phenomena increases the role religion plays in migrant?s spiritual, social, and economic lives. This book describes how migrants? churches help situate foreigners within a transforming South African society. Concretely, using a qualitative research approach,the study sought to establish whether affiliation to a migrant?s church is a salient form of belonging that fosters migrants? transience and shapes their motivation to integrate into South African society. Overall, the study found that the desire to integrate into South African society remains the main option and ideal for many international migrants coming to South Africa. However, migrant?s integrative imaginaries are often obstructed by a growing xenophobia within South African society. The study revealed that Yahweh Shammah Assembly (YSA)was able to integrate Congolese migrants who could not otherwise integrate into host religious institutions. This book offers a significant theoretical contribution to the understanding of the place of religion within contemporary complex debates on identity and belonging within expanding diasporic communities.