Paper long abstract:

In this presentation, based on fieldwork in Tunis, I will describe how, in Tunis today, men and women who chose to exit their Muslim faith and convert to protestant evangelism have to negotiate their place in different spheres. I will address three of these. On the first hand, I will look into the many ways their relation to their families may be reconfigured over time, from rejection to acceptance or resignation. On the second hand, I will outline how these new Christians relate to the State with regard to religious practice and civil acts such as marriages and burials. The Tunisian constitution states that its religion is Islam, while it also guarantees religious freedom. Converts are well aware of this constitutional right and intend to defend it if necessary. Finally, as a newly constituted group, the question of transmission of practices, discourses and values to the next generation is crucial, and I will analyse how this group's identity is delineated and maintained.