Polarization but Not Pillarization Catholicism and Cultural Change in Post-Transformation Poland

Wojciech Sadlon

doi:10.3390/rel12070457

Abstract

The modern Polish cultural system emerges through the interplay between social structure and agency, which represent different properties and powers or, more precisely, ‘independent properties, capable of exerting autonomous influences.’ I argue that Polish Catholicism entered the transformation process to some extent as an agential force which shaped progressive social change and delivered ‘energy’ for the transformation of Polish society. However, the process of transformation has changed the public position of the Catholic Church as it is no longer an actor within a dominating social movement that thrived in the quest for freedom and human rights. Catholicism that has played a role in shaping social conflicts, still represents to some degree ‘a public good’. That is why, despite strong political polarization in Poland, there is no context for ‘pillarization’ within Polish society. The situation of Catholicism in the modern Polish social configuration should be described using the category of ‘polarization’ rather than ‘pillarization’. My study of Polish Catholicism confirms that social polarization in Poland is not a bottom-up process but rather, is driven from the top down as a cultural process.

Highlights

Sociology in Poland has developed a ‘dualistic’ model within studies of religion (Borowik 2002, pp. 85–86) encompassing two types of scholars, those who represented official Communist scholarly institutions and those who were affiliated with Catholic academia
Both groups of sociologists were affected by Marxist approaches to religion: those supported by the state—in a direct way, and the second group, those affiliated with Catholic academia—in an indirect way
Polish Catholicism entered the Polish political and social transformation process to some extent as an agential force which shaped progressive social change and delivered ‘energy’ for the transformation. This public role of Polish Catholicism was strongly embedded in popular religiosity and pastoral activities in local communities, as well as in patriotic attitudes

Summary

Introduction

Sociology in Poland has developed a ‘dualistic’ model within studies of religion (Borowik 2002, pp. 85–86) encompassing two types of scholars, those who represented official Communist scholarly institutions and those who were affiliated with Catholic academia. Both groups of sociologists were affected by Marxist approaches to religion: those supported by the state—in a direct way, and the second group, those affiliated with Catholic academia—in an indirect way This distinction, which profoundly influenced the sociology of religion in Poland, resulted from the differing ideological and normative perspectives of the scholars and their different attitudes towards the role of religion in Polish society (Borowik 2002). New religious movements in the 19th century tried to establish a fresh link between social engagement and individual spirituality by pointing out that social life should be transformed and developed by Christian values and norms (Rojek 2011) In this way ‘Polish messianism’, represented by the leading Polish romantic and national poets in the 19th century, tried to usher in God’s Kingdom on earth. My distinction between polarization and pillarization seems to fit the insights of Staf Hellemans (2020, p. 126), who argue that despite the fact that the category of pillarization still informs studies on religious configuration in the international perspective, in late modernity, societal segregation ‘is less absolute than terms like “pillar”, “world” or “sub-society” seem to suggest—the economy, science and technology were less affected and class divisions and types of occupation had a greater impact on daily life than the cultures of the blocs.’

Catholicism

Catholicism as a ‘Public Good’ and a Symbolic Reference

Findings

Catholicism in the Focus of Cultural Change

Conclusions