ABSTRACT
Eila Helander conducted a study of the group IVCF (Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship) at St Augustine Campus in Trinidad. This Caribbean island is part of the state of Trinidad and Tobago and is just north of Venezuela. In the town of St Augustine there was at the time and remains one of the three main campuses of the University of the west Indies where it was possible to study a broad range of subjects including sciences, social sciences and the humanities. The other two campuses are in Jamaica and Barbados. The Christian group itself was affiliated to IFES. In historical terms the period of her research was from 1962 to 1983 because she conducted studies both of former students and of current students in the group. However, in terms of participant observation she spent two periods in the Caribbean firstly from 1977 to 1979 and then again from 1981 to 1983. As such she was able to produce a highly detailed and meticulous thesis which is, therefore, of particular use as a primary source in attempting to apply the level theory of liminality to a further evangelical student group and university. Though the thesis was indeed very detailed in terms of data it was not primarily concentrating on the issue of liminality – though this issue was discussed – and I was therefore able to supplement the information provided in the thesis by conducting a telephone interview with Eila Helander.
