RELIGIOUS CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION: THE MIGRATION DIMENSION

Abstract

The article examines religious consciousness as a dynamic phenomenon within the context of globalization and migration crises, with a particular focus on the European space. The relevance of the topic stems from the changing nature of the interaction between religion and the public sphere in the post-secular era, when religion re-emerges not as an institution but as a symbolic language of ethical choice, personal reflection, and cultural mobilization. The article aims to examine the mechanisms of transformation of religious consciousness within environments of transcultural displacement and to determine its role in new modes of public visibility. The study analyzes key theoretical approaches to the study of religious consciousness, particularly the concepts of post-secularity (J. Habermas), transnationalism (S. Vertovec), the symbolic power of religion (T. Asad), and the deprivatization of faith (J. Casanova). Based on empirical examples from France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden, it is shown that the religious consciousness of migrants and refugees manifests in new forms: flexible, non-institutional, and often formally invisible, yet deeply rooted in everyday practices. The article examines examples of youth initiatives, practices of religious resistance, informal education, and forms of spiritual reflection among Ukrainian displaced persons after 2022. Special attention is given to the gap between religious identity and actual denominational affiliation, which indicates a transformation in belief structures under conditions of global mobility. It is argued that religious consciousness in the contemporary migration context does not disappear under the pressure of secular norms, but rather adapts and acquires the form of a communicative resource, an ethical marker, and a symbolic self-assertion. Conditions of global mobility and cultural fragmentation contribute to the emergence of new types of belief that call for a revision of classical notions of religion as a stable, dogmatic, or exclusively institutional structure. Religion emerges as a field of reflexive action, maintaining the capacity for symbolic renewal in times of crisis. In this context, religious consciousness becomes significant not only as a personal category but also as a cultural-political one, influencing the formation of new forms of civic engagement and social coexistence.