Krzysztof Paweł Kądzielski
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Kądzielski K.P., Migracje a religia. Studia z „Mondi Migranti”, Andrea Torre, Andrea Zanini, Agostino Massa, Cezary Smuniewski, Konrad Majka (eds.), Wydawnictwo Instytutu o Polityce, Warszawa 2023, pp. 228, ISBN 978-83-963786-7-5, “Polish Journal of Political Science”, 2023, Vol. 9, Issue 3, pp. 60–65, DOI: 10.58183/pjps.03062023.
Book review
The issue common to matters related to both migrations and religions is becoming increasingly apparent in the consciousness of researchers engaged in the study of both fields. The book “Migracje a religia. Studia z «Mondi Migranti»” [Eng. “Migrations and Religion. Studies from «Mondi Migranti»”] exemplifies the efforts of scholars aimed at enhancing the recognition and dissemination of this subject matter as one of the significant contemporary phenomena of a global nature.
The scientific editors of the monograph are researchers and practitioners from Italy and Poland: Andrea Torre, Andrea Zanini, Agostino Massa, Cezary Smuniewski, Konrad Majka. Leading this team is Andrea Tomaso Torre, director of Centro Studi Medì. Migrazioni nel Mediterraneo in Genoa (Italy) and also co-director of “Mondi Migranti” Journal of Studies and Research on International Migration (publ. Franco Angeli). It is noteworthy that he is a distinguished expert in the field of migration, which he has been involved in for over 20 years. He collaborates with the renowned Italian expert in the sociology of migration, Maurizio Ambrosini, with whom he co-authored “Primo rapporto sull’Immigrazione in Liguria” [Eng. First Report on Immigration in Liguria].[1] Andrea Zanini is a researcher at the University of Genoa working on the economic history and economic history of tourism.[2] Another co-editor of the monograph, Agostino Massa, is associated with the same Italian university. This scientist deals with, among other things, the problems of organization and activity of local social services and social work with foreign and multi-ethnic service users, local consequences of globalization processes, migration, and political transnationalism.[3] The Polish researcher who is a co-editor of the reviewed monograph is Cezary Smuniewski from the University of Warsaw. This researcher is mainly involved in research in the field of security and religion.[4] One of the areas of his analysis is the issue of migration.[5] The co-editor of the book is also a young scientist from the Warsaw milieu, Konrad Majka, whose research focuses on issues related to the philosophy of security, patriotism, nationalism, and religion.[6] It is worth mentioning that the result of the cooperation between Cezary Smuniewski, Agostino Massa, and Andrea Zanini is a monograph on security studies published in Poland.[7]
In the presented monograph, numerous authentic cases of migrants arriving in Europe are showcased, as they strive to find their footing in new, often previously unknown social, political, cultural, and religious realities. The articles included in the collection, originating from the Italian journal “Mondi Migranti”, address a range of intriguing, albeit often painful, issues related to migration and its contexts. It is important to highlight that some articles focus on individuals who choose to migrate voluntarily, encountering experiences markedly different from those forced to leave their homeland. For many migrants, religion can become a significant point of reference in establishing new interpersonal relationships with those whose worldviews have been shaped in a different cultural-civilizational space.
In selecting texts for translation into Polish and presentation to Polish readers, the editors of the book initially set a series of questions to guide their choice. They opted for articles from the “Mondi Migranti” journal, rightly regarded as a periodical with high research standards. The selected works shed light on unique and little-known topics to the broader audience. Here are the questions that intrigued the scientists compiling the monograph: How will the existing religious beliefs of migrants, supported by specific practices, prove helpful in their new phase of life? Which elements of these practices will survive the clash with the consumerist lifestyle of many Europeans, seemingly irreconcilable with a greed-free approach to possession and liberal visions of society? What, apart from material aid, can the inhabitants of the Old Continent offer to newcomers from various corners of the world? And finally, what will the process of mental and spiritual assimilation of migrants in a new environment look like – who will they become after several or a dozen years, what kind of people will they be, and what values will prove most important to them?[8]
Let us now look at the content of this monograph. It consists of nine articles: Annalisa Frisina (University of Padua) [Eng. Public Self-Representations of Young Muslim Women: The Quest for Legitimacy by a New Generation of Italian Women]; Maria Rossi (University of Naples “L’Orientale”) [Eng. Religion and Community: The Case of Peruvians in Naples]; Jocelyne Césari (École pratique des hautes études – EPHE / School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Harvard University) [Eng. Religious Identities and Muslim Youth in Europe]; Monika Müller (University of Fribourg) [Eng. The Perspectives on Islam of Young Men: Constantly Balancing Between Identification and Exclusion]; Cinzia Novara (University of Palermo) and Maria Concetta Verso (University of Palermo) [Eng. From Community to Family: Bicultural Couples Between Perceptions of Diversity, Place Identity, and Educational Styles]; Roberto Mazzola (University of Eastern Piedmont “Amedeo Avogadro”) [Eng. Citizens and Believers: The Problem of Dual Loyalty. An Ever-Present Issue]; Ivana Acocella (University of Florence) and Katia Cigliuti (University of Florence) [Eng. Gender Identity and Religious Identity of Young “Italian” Muslim Women: Between Inheritance and Reinterpretation]; Giorgia Bulli (University of Florence) [Eng. Anti-Islamism and beyond: PEGIDA]; Alberta Giorgi (University of Bergamo) and Maria Chiara Giorda (Roma Tre University) [Eng. Faith-Based Schools in Italy: The Case of Muslim Schools]. Although the individual articles were previously published in Italian, with one of the texts in English, their compilation into a single monograph lends the publication a unique and distinctive character. As a result, it becomes a one-of-a-kind scholarly collection dedicated to the study of migration and religion. It can be anticipated that the subject matter of migration and religion will require thorough research and elaboration in the coming years, as these issues are increasingly becoming the focus of discussion and necessitate deeper contemplation across various fields of knowledge.
The monograph “Migration and Religion” prompts questions about the reasons for conducting future research in this thematic area. Why should we conduct scientific research on the relationships between migrations and religions, and which methods would be most effective in this regard? Furthermore, from which sources should we begin our search for knowledge on this subject in order to effectively build a common and safe future for diverse, yet coexisting, communities? The answer to the first question will likely guide future scholarly reflection by seeking to understand how migrations bring about changes in the religious structure of societies. Studying these relationships will help us comprehend how migrations impact the cultural and social transformations in both host and emigrant communities. It is also significant that such migrations will necessitate reflection on the content and ways of realising the ideas of inclusion and tolerance. It should be assumed that an increase in awareness and understanding of religious differences can contribute to better integration of migrants (hospitality and adaptation) and promote tolerance and respect for diversity. Similarly, it must be unequivocally assumed that the policies of integration being developed will need to take into account the religious aspects of migrating groups. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the theological premises and practices associated with the missionary nature of religions carried by migrants is needed. These contents determine the contemplation over the research methods that should be applied in the future, let us add, in the near future into which we are now entering. These should be interdisciplinary studies concerning individual and collective identities, referring to both historical and current experiences, but also utilising data from qualitative methods (e.g., interviews, case studies which can provide in-depth and detailed information about the personal experiences of migrants and their religiosity and religious expectations), quantitative methods (e.g., statistical analyses and survey research which can help identify patterns and trends on a macro scale), and comparative studies (e.g., comparing different migrant groups and religious communities, which can reveal how various religious traditions and practices influence the integration process).
In response to the second question – From which sources should we begin our search for knowledge on this subject, in order to effectively build a common and safe future for diverse, yet coexisting, communities? – it seems that four areas may be promising for obtaining interesting information. The first should be academic publications related to the subject matter. The second source should be documents and reports from organisations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, or various government agencies dealing with migration and religious matters. The third area should be information from non-governmental organisations, social groups, churches, and other religious communities directly cooperating with migrants. The fourth area of research should be the theology of mission in various religions, including the recognition of moral guidelines formulated by religious leaders at various levels on the subject of “carrying religion”, tolerance, hospitality, and respect for diversity.
To summarise this review, it is to be hoped that the monograph “Migration and Religion”, which is offered to Polish readers, will prove to be a support for future research and thus contribute to building a culture of common life based on mutual respect, hospitality, tolerance, and religious freedom.
References
[1] Cf. M. Ambrosini, A.T. Torre, Primo rapporto sull’Immigrazione in Liguria, Il Nuovo Melangolo 2014.
[2] Cf. A. Zanini, Restoring the King’s Creditworthiness in Troubled Times: The Mission of a Polish Prince in Genoa (1776–1777), “Journal of Early Modern History”, 2023, Volume 27, Issue 5, pp. 444–461, DOI: 10.1163/15700658bja10002; A. Zanini, Between Hospitality and Diplomacy. Accommodating Foreign Delegations during the 1922 Genoa Conference, “Polish Journal of Political Science”, 2022, Volume 8, Issue 1, pp. 30–49, DOI: 10.58183/pjps.01082022; C. Smuniewski, I. Urych, A. Zanini, The Principles of Economic Transformation in Poland after 1989 According to President Lech Wałęsa: A Research in Economics and Security Studies, “European Research Studies Journal”, 2021, Volume XXIV, Issue 2, pp. 1227–1242, DOI: 10.35808/ersj/2185.
[3] Cf. A. Massa, Covid-19, servizi sociali e utenza di origine straniera, in: Società, economia, diritto e territorio. Ripartire durante e dopo il Covid-19 in Europa e in Italia, eds. S. Mangano, L. Raffini, Genova University Press 2022, pp. 99–118; A. Massa, Comparative Analysis of Capitalist Economies: a Focus on Europe and its Different Models, “Polish Journal of Political Science”, 2022, Volume 8, Issue 2, pp. 4–17, DOI: 10.58183/ pjps.02092022; A. Massa, Utenti stranieri dei servizi sociali territoriali: il caso di Genova, “Studi Zancan”, 2019, 2, pp. 36–42.
[4] Cf. M. Skladanowski, A. Szabaciuk, C. Smuniewski, A. Łukasik-Turecka, Marriage and Family in Putin’s Russia: State Ideology and the Discourse of the Russian Orthodox Church, “Religions”, 2023, 14 (10), pp. 1–19, DOI: 10.3390/ rel14101332; M. Składanowski, C. Smuniewski, The Secularism of Putin’s Russia and Patriarch Kirill’s Church: The Russian Model of State-Church Relations and Its Social Reception, “Religions”, 2023, 14 (1), pp. 1–12, DOI: 10.3390/rel14010119.
[5] Cf. J. Płachecki, C. Smuniewski, K. Kochańczyk-Bonińska, Polish Organizations in Ireland. A Stimulus for Research on the National Security of the Republic of Poland, “Studia i Analizy Nauk o Polityce”, 2023, No. 1, pp. 121–141, DOI: 10.31743/sanp.14754; B. Łaciak, C. Smuniewski, M. Boguszewski, The 2021 Migration Crisis in the Eyes of the Polish Priests from the Polish-Belarusian Borderland, “Studia i Analizy Nauk o Polityce”, 2022, No. 2, pp. 43–61, DOI: 10.31743/sanp.14531; C. Smuniewski, National identity of the Poles and migrations, in: Migrants and the Challenge of the Faith. Identity and Adaptation, eds. M. Spotorno, D. Tarantino, PM edizioni 2021, pp. 119–132.
[6] Cf. C. Smuniewski, K. Kochańczyk Bonińska, K. Majka, The Project: “Implementation of the educational program »Politics – Religion – Security. Conflicts and attempts to resolve them« basing on international cooperation.” Presentation of the Content of the Training Module – Teaching Materials, “Polish Journal of Political Science”, 2022, Volume 8, Issue 2, pp. 52–67, DOI: 10.58183/ pjps.02122022.
[7] Cf. Person, Nation, State. Interdisciplinary Research in Security Studies, eds. C. Smuniewski, A. Massa, A. Zanini, Akademia Sztuki Wojennej 2021.
[8] Cf. A. Torre, A. Zanini, A. Massa, C. Smuniewski, K. Majka, Wstęp, in: Migracje a religia. Studia z „Mondi Migranti”, eds. A. Torre, A. Zanini, A. Massa, C. Smuniewski, K. Majka, Wydawnictwo Instytutu o Polityce 2023, pp. 7–9.