COREnet at the 38th ISSR Conference: Advancing the Debate on Religion, Migration, and Polarisation

From 30 June to 4 July 2025, the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, became the stage for a major international academic event — the conference “Religion, Migration and Conflicts in Polarized Societies.” Co-organised by the COST Action COREnet, the International Society for the Sociology of Religion (ISSR), and the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), this high-level forum brought together around 300 participants from Europe and beyond.

Researchers, practitioners, and policy experts from disciplines as diverse as sociology, migration studies, political theory, anthropology, and religious studies gathered to examine how religion and migration interact in increasingly divided societies — and to discuss paths toward greater social cohesion.

A Shared Commitment to Dialogue and Research

The conference reflected the shared commitment of the organisers — COREnet, ISSR, and VMU — to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and international scientific exchange. The programme featured more than 80 thematic sessions and more than 300 presentations, exploring issues such as nationalism, religious conservatism, migrant integration, and the role of religion in peacebuilding.

COREnet’s Active Contribution

More than fifty COREnet members actively participated in the conference, demonstrating the network’s central role in shaping contemporary debates. They presented their research across parallel sessions on intersections between religious diversity and migration in European contexts, convened Working Group meetings to advance ongoing Action activities, and engaged in strategic discussions about COREnet’s future.

This strong showing underscored COREnet’s mission: to connect academic insights with practical solutions, building bridges between research and society. The conference also strengthened the vibrant network of European scholars that COREnet has cultivated, offering invaluable opportunities for scientific exchange and collaboration.

Highlights of the Programme

The conference commenced on 30 June with a thought-provoking panel discussion, “Religion in the Region: The North-Eastern Coast of the Baltic Sea”, which convened leading scholars of religion from across the Baltic area. The panel featured Prof. Milda Ališauskienė (Vytautas Magnus University), Assoc. Prof. Dorota Hall (Polish Academy of Sciences), Prof. Titus Hjelm (University of Helsinki), Assoc. Prof. Atko Remmel (University of Tartu) and Prof. Rūta Žiliukaitė (Civil Society Institute). Together, they offered critical insights into ongoing religious transformations, emerging social tensions, and the reassertion of religion within the public sphere of the Baltic region. This opening session effectively situated the global conference theme within a distinct regional context, demonstrating how local dynamics both reflect and challenge broader theoretical and empirical paradigms.

The intellectual momentum of the conference was further sustained through three distinguished keynote lectures, each delivered by prominent sociologists of religion. Dr Véronique Altglas (Queen’s University Belfast) examined the contributions of the sociology of religion to understanding and addressing conflict, drawing on her in-depth research in Northern Ireland as an illustrative case. Prof. Kristina Stoeckl (LUISS University, Rome) offered a nuanced analysis of the interplay between religion and political polarisation, exploring the transnational influence of Christian alliances across Europe, Russia, and the United States. Finally, Prof. Tuomas Martikainen (University of Turku) interrogated the paradoxical coexistence of increasing religious diversification and simultaneous tendencies toward socio-cultural re-homogenisation, highlighting the complexity of contemporary religious landscapes.

Looking Ahead

This successful academic event offered a unique platform for scientific dialogue, networking, and advancing knowledge at the intersection of religion, migration, and polarisation. COREnet thanks its members and partners for their commitment and contributions to making the conference such a success.

We look forward to building on the insights and collaborations forged in Kaunas — continuing our mission to foster inclusive, evidence-based approaches to diversity across Europe and beyond.