Portable Potency: Christianity, Mobility and Spiritual Landscapes among the Kelabit

Abstract

In this paper I explore religious conversion and Christian identity among the Kelabit, an indigenous group from the interior of Borneo. The main thesis of the paper is that Christianity facilitates wider geographic mobility and urban migration and, over time, has led to a re-inscription of spiritual meanings in the local landscapes of rural homelands in the Kelabit Highland region. Beginning with a brief sketch of contemporary Kelabit life, presented through the lens of two individuals, I offer a history of Kelabit conversion and the ways that pre- and post- conversion beliefs are linked to issues of mobility and place. To illustrate how conversion has led to re-inscription of new spiritual meanings in the local landscape, the paper highlights the emergence of Christian revival movements in and around the Kelabit Highlands, including worship on nearby Mount Murud, which has become a highly significant site of spiritual practice.