Growing up Christian and Nepali: negotiating belonging through music inside and outside the Church in Nepal

Recent research on Christians in Nepal challenges instrumentalist readings of conversion by focusing on the conversion narratives of Christian Nepalis. Yet some Christian Nepalis identify as second- or third-generation Christians – born and raised in Christian households – whose experiences with their faith and relation to Nepal’s religious landscape significantly differs from those of first-generation Christians. These second-generation Christian Nepalis increasingly fill leadership positions within their churches, including musical ones. This article shows how musical practices link generations of Christian Nepalis and allow young people to claim cultural belonging both inside and outside the Church through choices in musical style. Through ethnographic detail, I demonstrate how Christian youths are catalysts for changes to church music practices and publicly link Christianity to Nepal’s various subcultures through musical sound. Christian Nepali youths’ musical activities both negotiate cultural changes within Nepal’s Christian community and demonstrate belonging to Nepal’s wider society.