Halina Grzymała-Moszczyńska
Does religion really help refugees?
Number of refugees exceeds 100 million worldwide (UNHCR, 2022). It consists of internally displaced people and those who are forced to leave their home countries, Many refugees face significant challenges after they arrive in their destination countries and try to start their life anew. ADAPT model (Silove, 2013) elaborates on specific factors (pillars) which are particularly instrumental for rebuilding life after trauma. One of them pertains to the necessity to regain the meaning of life. This could be particularly impacted by the role of religion for an individual. However, the results of field research point to diverse and competing roles of religion in coping with refugee trauma. The presentation, based on 25 years of the author’s fieldwork will overview conditions under which religion could offer strength and contribute to recovery, but also conditions under which religion plays a negative role and contributes to refugee trauma.