Religions and Society: Between Navigating Secularism and Lived Religion

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Health/Psychology/Social Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 March 2026 | Viewed by 530

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Science of Education, University of Roma Tre, 00185 Roma, Italy
Interests: religion and modernity; contemporary spirituality; seculoarism and religion belonging; interreligious dialogue; youth and religions; women and religions

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Guest Editor
Institute of Political Science and Public Administration, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: new technologies and their societal impact; artificial intelligence and digital ethics; algorithmic mediation of spirituality; technological imaginaries and sacred narratives; spirituality in virtual

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite scholars to submit articles for a Special Issue entitled “Religions and Society: Between Navigating Secularism and Lived Religion”, which aims to explore the evolving relationship between religion and society in the context of global socio-cultural, ideological, and technological transformations.

The processes of secularization and post-secularization have significantly influenced how believers relate to their faith and how non-believers search for meaning in life. Traditional religious institutions are undergoing major changes and are developing new strategies to adapt to contemporary contexts. At the same time, non-institutional forms of spirituality and expressions of lived religion—both individual and communal—are increasingly emerging.

In today’s multicultural societies, religion and religiosity, secularism and fundamentalism, digital media, and algorithmic technologies are playing an increasingly vital role—not only reshaping how religion is communicated but also how it is practiced and experienced.

This Special Issue seeks to analyze the complex nature of contemporary religiosity by examining the tensions between the sacred and the secular, institutions and personal experiences, offline and online life, and humanity and technology. We aim to explore how these dynamics are transforming believers’ lifestyles, shaping social imaginaries, and influencing how faith communities and religious institutions respond to the challenge of renewing the experience and expression of faith today.

We welcome original research articles and reviews. Suggested research areas include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Transformations of religiosity in secularized and pluralistic societies;
  • Lived religion in everyday life—at home, at work, and on social media;
  • Digital spirituality—apps, platforms, online rituals;
  • Algorithms and the personalization of spiritual content—how digital platforms influence religious choices;
  • Critique and transformation of religious institutions—between adaptation and a crisis of credibility;
  • Religious belonging among youth and/or women;
  • Emerging values in dialogue or conflict with religious traditions;
  • Spirituality in the context of transhumanism, bioethics, and artificial intelligence.

We invite empirical and theoretical contributions based on qualitative, quantitative, comparative, or conceptual research. Manuscripts should be accessible to an interdisciplinary readership, including scholars in sociology, anthropology, religious studies, media studies, theology, philosophy, cultural studies, and communication studies.

The overarching goal of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for deep reflection on how religiosity is evolving within complex and pluralistic societies. We particularly encourage submissions that offer fresh perspectives and demonstrate how the pursuit of the sacred or the transcendent—despite changing forms—continues to play a vital role in the lives of individuals and communities.

Before submitting a manuscript, we kindly ask interested authors to first provide a proposed title and an abstract 200–300 words in length summarizing the intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editor Andrea Casavecchia (andrea.casavecchia@uniroma3.it) or co-Guest Editor Urszula Soler (urszula.soler@kul.pl), and cc the Assistant Editor (clare.chai@mdpi.com) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor and co-Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Andrea Casavecchia
Prof. Dr. Urszula Soler
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spirituality
  • religions institutions and community
  • belief and technology
  • religions and IA
  • secularism and religion belonging

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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