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Francesca Monteverdi, University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsAbstract
This paper explores how an Evangelical Church’s "radical" theological framework constructs a religious definition of peace rooted in spiritual standardization. Utilising several months of participant observation and interviews at Sabaoth Church in Brescia, this research investigates the Church’s dual perception of immigration, which distinguishes between the "integrated" Christian immigrant and the "threatening" religious other. Central to this analysis is the church's internal drive for public intercession and spiritual conquest, which frames evangelisation as a vital civic and missionary duty to "save" the city and foreign nations like Morocco and Syria from "spiritual darkness". The study explores how the church uses theology, conservative politics, and narratives of systemic oppression to justify spiritual warfare as a necessary tool for achieving a Christian-centric peace. A primary intermediary finding identifies the Bible as a “standardization device” or “leveler” that allows a multi-ethnic congregation of first and second generation immigrants to adopt a shared Christian identity that supersedes original national heritage. This "religious citizenship" allows diverse members to participate in a community that frequently utilizes nationalistic and anti-immigrant rhetoric. By analysing these dynamics, the paper argues that the Church’s pursuit of "peace" through missionary conquest complicates secular notions of social justice and global citizenship within a polarised European landscape.
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