KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Nepal, a former Hindu kingdom, is home to one of the world's fastest growing Christian populations. The exact number varies greatly, ranging from official statements at 683,000 to rumors of over 3 million.
Although Nepal is now a secular state, some Christians still suffer under a unique law banning any attempt at religious conversion. Foreign missionaries fear deportation, and local pastors and ministers risk jail time. Many converts risk alienation from their families and become ostracised from their local communities. Some fear the new religion, worrying that it's eroding away a shared cultural heritage that makes up Nepal's core national identity. Radical nationalist groups use Christians as a scapegoat for a perceived cultural decline. Yet the religion is undoubtedly spreading, and new churches keep appearing everywhere, from remote villages to busy inner-city slums.
There are several theories attempting to explain the rapid growth of Christianity. The prevailing explanation is one based in need - Nepal is and has been a country in need of financial and social support, something wealthy Christian organisations from the west have been able to and willing to provide. The religion has gained foothold through the construction of schools, hospitals and humanitarian aid, especially in poor, rural areas.
Hand in hand is the fact that Christianity offers an escape from the Hindu caste system. Although outlawed on paper, the caste system is very much in use as a social construct, sometimes with fatal consequences. So when those on the very bottom of this hierarchy is offered a world view where everyone is equal under a single God, many see it as a way to escape an oppressive social system.
Christianity's past in Nepal is a turbulent one, characterized by terror attacks and political upheaval. While still facing many challenges, most agree that it's slowly getting easier and more comfortable to be openly Christian. Regardless of the current situation, it is clear that the religion has come to stay.
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'Kingdom of Heaven' provides a photographical overview of the current state of Nepali Christianity. The project covers modest village churches, Bible translators, theological boarding schools, new converts of the slums, and much more. Parts of the project has been displayed in group exhibitions and published in Vårt Land and Premiere UK. It is currently being developed as a solo exhibition and a photobook.
