Forms of Religiosity in Contemporary Georgia

Political, economic and social changes in Georgia in recent decades have impacted the everyday life and practices. Analyzing the transformation of forms of religiosity, it can be concluded that forms of religiosity are contextual and conditioned by factors influencing the development process of a particular society. Which, in turn, determines the degree and forms of secularism. After the declaration of independence, the processes in Georgia developed in two directions: on the one hand, there was a sharp and permanent growth of religiosity, on the other hand, there was a formal recognition of secularism by the state structures and part of the society. In this process, new forms of religiosity have been shared and established in everyday practice, which in some cases contradicts normative approaches or traditional forms of religiosity. The 2020 pandemic factor must be also taken into account. The spread of the virus, previously unknown to the world, the policy of lockdown, quarantine and „social distancing“ strategies had a great impact not only on the modes of behavior, but also in re-evaluation or reconsideration of the values. This relatively new process is gradually changing aspects of life; it is affecting religiosity and its forms. Thus the study of religiosity is related to the study of the constant dynamics of changing systems of culture, and perhaps by 2020 the new reality will make it more flexible and diverse than other characteristics of society