Spiritual Integration of Migrants

A Lisbon Case Study Within the Common Home Agenda and Polyhedron of Intelligibility Framework

Bibliographic Data

ID3316744
AuthorsLinda Koncz (0000-0003-2385-7296, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, corresponding author), Alex Villas Boas (0000-0003-2779-1108, Universidade Católica Portuguesa), Cesar Candiotto (0000-0002-7172-4618, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná)
Year2025
Volume16
Issue6
Pages711
Publication date2025-05-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16060711
OpenAlexW4410951290
LanguageEN
References cited22

Migration is a multidimensional process that reshapes identities and communities. This article adopts a polyhedral framework inspired by Pope Francis's Laudato si' and Michel Foucault's concepts of "subjectivation" and the "polyhedron of intelligibility". Both emphasize spirituality as a transformative force in individuals' lives and a concept that connects philosophy and theology to support resilience among migrant populations. Using Portugal as a case study, the research examines migration's historical and contextual landscape and its discursive framework. Through a Lisbon-based research project of interviews with migrants, the study explores the concept of spiritual integration by presenting how spirituality functions to preserve cultural identity while facilitating integration without full assimilation into the host community. Spirituality includes many rules and choices regarding ways of life; therefore, the interview projects' migrants interpret the concept of spiritual integration in a subjective and polyhedron manner. Creating strong ties to their homes, traditions, cultures, spirituality, sports, and culinary practices, as well as practicing, sharing, and teaching these practices, protects them from total subjection, while learning the host society's customs and rituals helps them to fit in. The findings show that spirituality serves as an integrational tool, a coping mechanism, and a form of resistance, providing a space for migrants to address and overcome challenges. The article emphasizes the importance of integration policies to create a "safe place" of inclusivity within host communities

Combinatorics · Epistemology · Immigration · Linguistics · Political science · Polyhedron · Sociology · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Law · Mathematics · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Philosophy

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