The second half of the twentieth century marks a profound transformation in the history of belief.
In this twelfth episode of The Mosaic Chat, we explore how globalisation, migration, and technological acceleration reshape the religious landscape across the world.
After 1945, the world is structured by ideological blocs.
In the Soviet sphere, religion is controlled, monitored, and pushed into private life. In the West, it gradually loses its central place, becoming a matter of personal choice within societies driven by economic growth, consumption, and technological progress.
At the same time, demographic growth and large-scale migrations blur the traditional map of religions. The idea of clearly defined religious regions begins to fade, replaced by plural and interconnected societies.
Belief does not disappear. It multiplies and recomposes itself.
New spiritual movements emerge, while older traditions expand beyond their historical territories. Evangelical Christianity grows rapidly in the Global South. Islam speaks to global audiences through new media.
Judaism diversifies across different interpretations and identities.
In this new context, religion becomes mobile. It is carried by diasporas, shaped by local environments, and constantly transformed through global exchanges. A place of worship in one country no longer reflects exactly the same practices as in another. Faith becomes less territorial and more network-based.
Digital technologies accelerate this transformation. Belief circulates through screens as much as through institutions. Authority becomes fragmented. Anyone can transmit, reinterpret, or challenge religious ideas in real time.
This creates new tensions and new questions. Religion is no longer confined to private or sacred spaces. It enters schools, workplaces, public debates.
It can connect communities, but also divide them.
In this globalised world, faith no longer holds a monopoly on meaning.
Yet it remains a powerful force. It adapts, competes, and continues to shape identities.
For the heirs of Abraham, this transformation changes the terms of dialogue. Any future alliance cannot be based on a single truth imposed from above, but must engage with a world where beliefs coexist, interact, and evolve constantly.
🎙 A conversation with Pauline Berthaud and Tomer Attias.
📖 Inspired by Abramundi: Manifesto for the Creation of an Abrahamic Alliance in the Middle East and North Africa
