Religiousness of Finnish immigrants in Belgium

Abstrakti

The purpose of this article is to investigate religiousness among Finns in Belgium. Today approximately 4500 Finns live in Belgium. The study deals with two themes: 1) what is characteristic of the religiousness of Finnish emigrants in Belgium? 2) What linkages exist between respondents’ background and their religiousness? The research data is based on a survey. The questionnaire was sent to all members of the Finnish Association in Belgium. A total of 400 questionnaires were returned. The data is characterized by descriptive statistics and a few dimensions reduced by factor analysis. The differences between groups were investigated using Student’s t-test and one-way AN OVA. The fi ndings of the research show that new migrants appreciate Christian traditions. They do not interlink nationalism with religiousness although novice migrants stress national and ethical function of religion more than others. Gender
and age differences were minor. Religiousness before migration explains best religious attitudes during migration.