FEATURES OF ROMA RELIGIOSITY: Is it only mimicry?

We often hear that Romanies are not religious or that, if they appear to be religious, it is only a mask. The academic view on Roma religiosity has held that: "No Gypsy has an idea of submission to any fixed profession of faith... They are Greeks with Greeks, Catholics with Catholics" (Grellmann 1807:58-59). We also have a phrase for this, at least in Hungary: mimicry religiosity. Recent studies have indicated that Romanies, as far back as the 1500's, latched on to life in various Christian churches, and that their religiosity was not only mimicry but was often intrinsic. Additionally, a growing Roma Evangelical Movement also shows an intrinsic religiosity among Romanies. In this study, we would like to present some previously unknown sources about early Romany religiosity, which make it clear that the former academic viewpoint on Roma non-religiosity is not tenable. Next, we would like to present data from our representative sociological research in Hungary, demonstrating that the expansive Romany Evangelical Movement produces radical changes in Roma lifestyle and thinking, rooted in intrinsic religiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]