The Religious Field in Poland under the Pressure of Ukrainian Migration

An analysis of the transformation of the religious field in Poland between 2014 and 2024 in light of Ukrainian wartime migration. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the religious field as its conceptual framework, the study explores the redistribution of symbolic capital, the evolution of religious habitus, and the emergence of new actors within the field. Particular attention is given to the Roman Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and evangelical communities. The study reveals a weakening of the RCC’s monopoly and an expansion of symbolic legitimacy among previously peripheral or new players. Ukrainian migration has not only reshaped interfaith relations but also stimulated new forms of ecumenical cooperation. These changes suggest a shift from a monolithic model of religion to a more polycentric and dynamic field, where symbolic struggle coexists with intercultural solidarity.