Evangelical Christianity in Sri Lanka: The Politics of Growth

Abstract

This thesis develops a new understanding of evangelical Christian growth. Existing explanations of growth are well rehearsed within the social sciences, and draw clear distinctions between the characteristics of evangelical organisations, and the structural contexts in which they operate. Notwithstanding, a number of theoretical and empirical assumptions render such explanations applicable in some countries, but not others. Drawing on qualitative data collected in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka throughout 2010-11, I argue that closer examination of the recursive relationship between organisation (agency) and context (structure) will lead to recognition of the fact that growth is a spatially defined process, with evangelical organisations being tied to localities in complex and multifarious ways. More specifically, I examine the relational actions of evangelical groups, the spatial variability of evangelical praxis, the politics of evangelical Christian growth, and how Buddhist insecurity in the face of Christian globalism can translate into extreme forms of religious protectionism.