Safety and Sanctuary

Pentecostalism and Youth Gang Violence in Honduras

Bibliographic Data

ID4500965
AuthorsJon Wolseth (Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work at Luther College, corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume35
Issue4
Pages96-111
Publication date2008-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLatin American Perspectives (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0094-582X • E-ISSN: 1552-678X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0094582x08318981
OpenAlexW2015409852
LanguageEN
Citations received17
References cited26

Ethnographic research on Pentecostal youth in a Honduran colonia reveals the ways in which they maneuver through the violence in their community. They maintain an uneasy relationship with gang members in which they claim exemption from everyday violence because of their belief in being saved. Drawing on Pentecostalism's doctrine of separation from community life, they exclude themselves from violent retribution by appealing to their rights to the sanctuary of the church. A call to the sanctuary of Pentecostalism also allows many gang members to escape the violence of street life. Pentecostal conversion is thus one way for young men to present a reformed persona that the larger community affirms

Art · Criminology · Doctrine · Economic Justice · Ethnography · Everyday life · Humanities · Persona · Political science · Retributive justice · Sociology · Anthropology · Gender Studies · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Religion, Society, and Development · Sex work and related issues