Questa tesi di dottorato desidera contribuire ad un’emergente campo di ricerca che indaga le intersezioni tra la religione e la migrazione. Se l’Islam ha fin ora assorbito la maggior parte degli studi, questo lavoro si concentra invece sulle chiese etniche erette da migranti cattolici, sia nella città di Milano che di Londra. Negli ultimi decenni, i flussi migratori hanno infatti contribuito a modellare nuove forme di pluralismo religioso, anche all'interno delle denominazioni cristiane storiche, come nel caso della Chiesa cattolica. In particolare, questa tesi esamina come la religione diventa una componente significativa dell'esperienza della migrazione e analizza in che modo contribuisce ai processi di integrazione. Combinando differenti dati qualitativi, questo lavoro spiega inizialmente come le chiese etniche siano diventate importanti snodi urbani in entrambe le città, trasformando di fatto il panorama locale in un'arena transnazionale. Quindi, indaga le attività spirituali promosse internamente, ed esamina in che modo le chiese fungono da piattaforme di welfare. Infine, si discutono le sfide legate a questo nuovo cattolicesimo etnico. Pertanto, dettagliando le varie funzioni sociali svolte dalle chiese etniche, questa tesi di dottorato mostra come la religione rappresenti una forza alternativa e mediatrice in grado di supportare i processi di integrazione dei migranti, un ruolo che è ancora sottostimato nella letteratura europea. / This PhD thesis wishes to contribute to an emergent body of research that inquires into the intersections between religion and migration. Beyond the common target on Islam, this work focuses instead on ethnic churches established by catholic migrants both in the city of Milan and London. Over the last decades, migration flows have indeed contributed to shape new forms of religious pluralism, even inside the Historical Christian denominations, as in the case of Roman Catholic Church. In particular, this thesis examines how religion becomes a significant component of the experience of migration, and analyses in which ways it contributes to integration processes. By combining qualitative data, initially this work explains how ethnic churches have become significant urban hubs in both cities, de facto transforming local panorama in a transnational arena. Then, it investigates the types of spiritual activities promoted internally, and examines in which ways churches serve as welfare platforms. Finally, this work discusses the challenges related to such new ethnic Catholicism. Thus, by detailing the various social functions of ethnic churches, this PhD thesis shows how religion represents an alternative and mediating force able to support migrants’ integration processes, a role which is still understudied into European literature.

Text in German, summaries in German and English / Die Arbeit beschreibt und reflektiert aus missionswissenschaftlicher Perspektive das häufig mit „reverse mission“ bezeichnete Phänomen afrikanischer Mission in Europa. Dafür beschreibt und vergleicht sie drei relevante Perspektiven afrikanischen Ursprungs, um das noch wenig untersuchte Phänomen wissenschaftlich zu fassen. Anschließend wer-den die Ergebnisse missionswissenschaftlich gedeutet und die Rezeption des Phänomens in der deutschsprachigen Theologie und in der deutschen kirchlichen Landschaft unter-sucht. So wird identifiziert, welche Aspekte des internationalen Diskurses in Deutschland besondere Beachtung finden und welche missionstheologischen Positionen dazu vertre-ten werden. Davon ausgehend werden Perspektiven und Desiderate auf dem Weg zu einer multikulturellen Missionsbewegung benannt. / The study describes and reflects a phenomenon of African Missions to Europe, which is often called “reverse mission”, from a missiological perspective. For this purpose it describes and compares three relevant Africanrooted perspectives in order to catch this not jet well researched phenomenon. The results are interpreted missiological and the reception of the phenomenon in German speaking theology and in German churches is researched in order to identify, which aspects of the international discourse are attracting special interest in Germany and which missiological views are advanced. On that basis perspectives and desiderata for the future discourse on the way to a multicultural mission movement are named. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)