The analysis of the refugee process requires accounting for the differentiated role that religious factors play in cultural adaptation. This makes it possible to move beyond generalized conceptions of religion as merely a supportive resource. Religion participates in the dynamics of forced migration at multiple levels: it may influence the causes of departure from the country of origin, shape the interpretation of the experience of forced migration, inform everyday coping strategies, affect relations with the host society, and contribute to the process of rebuilding life in a new environment. Its significance will be discussed with reference to five stages of the refugee process: the pre-flight situation, the decision to leave the country, the experience of transit and temporariness, adaptation within the host society, and settlement in a safe third country and/or repatriation. The aim of the session is to conceptualize religion as a multidimensional and ambivalent factor that may both support adaptation and psychological resilience and constitute a source of exclusion, violence, and conflict.
How Religion Shapes the Refugee Experience Across Stages of the Refugehood: Cultural Determinants