A complex, open-eyed book that grapples with some of South Africa’s most urgent social problems as they are refracted through one appalling, frustrating, inspiring place – the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg.How did a place of worship turn into a shelter for thousands of refugees? Where did they come from? Why are they still there? Kuljian fluently combines interviews with members of the refugee community and key figures like Bishop Paul Verryn with an understanding of urban dynamics, migrancy, and national and regional politics.