Serbian anthropologist to speak Oct. 10
Dr. Aleksandra Djurić Milovanović
The Amish & Plain Anabaptist Studies Association announced Dr. Aleksandra Djurić Milovanović, Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Balkan Studies of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, will present findings from her latest book, “The Untold Journey of the Nazarene Emigration from Yugoslavia to North America.” The lecture will be held at the University of Akron Wayne College, 1901 Smucker Road, Orrville, SLB Room 107, on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
Milovanović's talk will explore the narrative of religious persecution and migration experienced by members of the Apostolic Christian Church Nazarene in post-World War II Yugoslavia. Her research offers particular insight into the establishment of ACCN churches across Northeast Ohio, many of which resulted from the influx of ACCN migrants from Eastern Europe during the communist period.
The Apostolic Christian Church Nazarene, which shares historical roots with other Swiss-originated Anabaptist groups including Mennonites and Amish, is known for strict nonviolence and refusal to bear arms. These beliefs led to intense pressure in Yugoslavia after World War II, prompting many to choose exile rather than compromise their convictions.
Milovanović's work traces their journey from clandestine border crossings to life in refugee camps and finally to settlement in North America, with a focus on Ohio.
Drawing from extensive field research conducted in Ohio including oral histories and archival documents, Milovanović sheds light on a little-known chapter of Cold War religious history. Her research illustrates the clash between totalitarian power and religious conviction while also exploring themes of cultural adaptation and the preservation of faith traditions in a new context.
Milovanović, a social anthropologist, has conducted extensive research on religious minorities and migration. She has been a visiting professor at University College Cork, Ireland and has given guest lectures at numerous institutions including the University of Cambridge, Cornell University and Ramon Llull University in Barcelona.
This event is free to attend.
For more information email Cory Anderson, APASA director, at contact@amishstudies.org or visit www.amishstudies.org.