Migraciones y la continuidad o ruptura de las vivencias religiosas

This chapter explores how migration influences religious experiences, analyzing the tension between continuity and transformation in migrants’ spiritual lives. Through interviews with Peruvian migrants in Montevideo and Córdoba, it examines how religious practices, beliefs, and institutional affiliations adapt to new social and cultural contexts.

The study highlights the role of religious institutions in providing a sense of belonging and stability for migrants, while also illustrating how daily life constraints—such as work schedules and legal status—affect participation in communal religious activities. It discusses the emergence of migrant-oriented churches and the personal strategies migrants develop to maintain faith through domestic rituals. Additionally, the chapter considers processes of religious conversion and deconversion, showing how social networks and support systems can facilitate shifts in religious identity.

Findings suggest that the host society’s religious culture and migrants’ material conditions significantly shape religious adaptation. While some migrants maintain strong ties to their faith, others modify their religious engagement or seek alternative spiritual paths. This study underscores the fluidity of religious identity in migration contexts and highlights the dynamic interplay between individual agency, social structures, and religious belonging.