Abstract
Abstract Many Orthodox Christians and Sufi Muslims in Ethiopia put Salafis and Pentecostals in the same category. Because both denounce the intercessory powers of otherworldly figures, like saints and awaliyya, some claim Salafis are “like Pentes.” Some refer to the similar mediation practices of Sufis and Orthodox Christians to paint Pentecostals/Salafis as other, as foreign. This article explores how these discursive parallels play out in practical interactions in Gondar, Ethiopia, a historical center of Ethiopian Orthodoxy with a sizable Muslim minority. In some ways, Orthodox-Pentecostal relations mirror Sufi-Salafi relations because of similarities in Orthodox and Sufi mediation practices. However, the Sufi–Salafi boundary is relatively porous due to the detachability of Sufi practices of intercession from more encompassing practices like salat and Ramadan. Pentecostal–Orthodox boundaries are more robust in part because the intercession of Saints infuses all levels of Orthodox practice. This boundary becomes particularly sharp in the context of funerals.
Published Version
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