Social Capital And Immigrant Religion

Abstract

This article focuses on the emerging religious diversity in the West represented by new immigrant populations. It surveys some of the growing amount of research on immigrant religions within the sociology of religion, and argues that much of this research lacks concern for systematic theory. On this basis, it explores and discusses the concept of «social capital» as a possible approach in the study of immigrant religions. By looking at religion as a source social capital, it elaborates on three themes: 1) The nature and limits of religion as a source of social capital, 2) contextual factors under which social capital is generated, and 3) negative social capital. In spite of the critique of social capital theory, this approach offers some promises in studies of immigrant religious communities and their role in society.