Mobile bodies, (im)mobile beliefs? Religious accord and discord as migratory outcomes

• Main Authors: Kong, Lily, WOODS, Orlando
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2018
• Subjects: Islam; migration religious identity; religious structures; social fields; transnational religion; Religion; Sociology of Culture
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2503; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/3760/viewcontent/0037768618767963__1_.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This article advances a new understanding of the outcomes that arise from the movement and settlement of religion. These outcomes can range from religious accord to discord; or, from the full integration of migrant religions to inter-religious conflict. It identifies two axes that determine such outcomes. The first relates to the interplay between transnational religious agency and the strength of local religious structures. Harder structures are more likely to require migrant religious groups to make greater compromises to bring about situations of religious accord, while softer structures are less likely to do so. The second relates to the interplay between religion and other aspects of a migrant’s identity. Just as religion plays a more prominent role for some migrants, for others it is more subordinate. Combined, these two axes provide a framework to help understand the negotiations and compromises that arise as a result of religious pluralism in a globalised world.