Immigrant Faith

Immigrant Faith examines trends and patterns relating to religion in the lives ofimmigrants. The volume moves beyond specific studies of particular faiths inparticular immigrant destinations to present the religious lives of immigrantsin the United States, Canada, and Europe on a broad scale. Religion is not merely one aspect among many in immigrant lives. Immigrant faith affects daily interactions, shapes the future of immigrants intheir destination society, and influences society beyond the immigrantsthemselves. In other words, to understand immigrants, one must understand theirfaith. Drawing on census data and other surveys, including data sources from several countries andstatistical data from thousands of immigrant interviews, the volume provides aconcise overview of immigrant religion. It sheds light on whether religionshapes the choice of destination for migrants, if immigrants are more or lessreligious after migrating, if religious immigrants have an easier adjustment,or if religious migrants tend to fare better or worse economically thannon-religious migrants.Immigrant Faith covers demographic trends from initial migration tosettlement to the transmission of faith to the second generation. It offers theperfect introduction to big picture patterns of immigrant religion for scholarsand students, as well as religious leaders and policy makers.

With Immigrant Faith, Phillip Connor establishes himself as a leading scholar of immigrant religion, bringing together a vast amount of data, expertly analyzing it, and providing a succinct summary of the important patterns. I am especially impressed with the book's scope and clarity., Presents a unique portrait of the connections between religion and immigration in the Western world. Immigrant Faith is the first study of immigrant religion based on quantitative analyses, and it is also the first to examine religion and immigration across varied national contexts and diverse religious traditions. Connor examine how religion influences the transition to the destination country, and how migration affects religiosity. This is a must-read book for anyone trying to understand the importance of religion for immigrants in the U.S., Canada, and Europe., The book is an illuminating contribution to scholars embarking on studies of immigrant integration because it makes a strong case for why we should consider the role of religion when studying migration., Synthesizing the scholarship on migrant studies, Philip Connors timely and accessible book enables a deeper understanding of the intersections among religion, immigration, and the environment., A convincing attempt to identify general trends in the ways in which migration and religion influence each other.

Phillip Connor is a research associate at the Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project.