The text analyzes the relationship between religion and globalization. The author departs from the "universal" notion of religion, trying to understand how its meaning changes throughout history. With the globalization process, breaking the link between the Nation-State and modernity, religion is redefined as a social phenomenon. Its scope, due to its "universal aspect" and its connection to the new technological means, surpasses national borders, allowing a performance in a planetary scale. In this context, universal religions should compete not only with other religious credos, but also with other worldwide proposals of conduct orientation, such as the universe of consumption. The relationship between religion and politics has also been modified, in the sense that universal religions are considered to be privileged institutions for which ethical actions in the world could be defined. Rethinking the past, the religions can define a new field of action, distinct from the restrictive relationship that existed previously to the advent of modernity and the confinement of religions to the private sphere.
Religion; Globalization; Modernity; Ethics