At the Crossroads of Narratives

Abstract

Realities and narratives which shape the identity ofMaghrébinwomen living in ormigrating to France have been minimally explored for purposes of informing missiontheory and practice in this religiously plural yet secularized nation. This paper offers anexploration of lived realities and ideological narratives thatMaghrébinwomen maneuverin the contested nexus of secular French life and ethno-religious identity. The paperaccomplishes this by examining how gendered, migrant, ethno-religious, and racializedencounters shapeMaghrébinwomen. The paper then demonstrates how French nationalismandla laïcitéactively inform lived realities ofMaghrébinwomen. The paper thenpresents the French national education system as a case study indicating how Frenchnationalism is codified and perpetuated so thatMaghrébinwomen are excluded frompublic space. The paper then provides reflection on Christian mission theory in light ofMaghrébinwomen’s oft-contested identities in the hope of invoking more substantialreflection on Christian mission and witness in contemporary France and other centersof migration.