Religious Change in Contemporary Poland : Secularization and Politics

Secularization was one of the most sensitive issues in a communist totalitarian state, yet when this book was originally published in 1982, it had been little explored. This study presents a critical appraisal of the documentary evidence for and against the process of secularization in Polish society.

Secularization was one of the most sensitive issues in a communist totalitarian state, yet when this book was originally published in 1982, it had been little explored. This study presents a critical appraisal of the documentary evidence for and against the process of secularization in Polish society. The book examines all the relevant Polish material – academic contributions, official communist party-directed pronouncements and studies, independent observations – bringing much hitherto unknown work to the attention of the reader. The book shows how the positivistic, scientistic and Marxist traditions of thought in early Polish sociology contributed to the creation of a model of modern secular man. In analysing religious and associated change in twentieth century Poland, the author finds that the evidence does not confirm any general theory of increased secularization within Polish society. Rather, he concludes that the evidence points to increased de-secularization, and towards a religious change and revitalization.