„Religianctwo” : napięcie między ideologią a religią w świadomości członków i działaczy PZPR

Kosiński, Krzysztof (1974– )

doi:2450-8357

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Title: „Religianctwo” : napięcie między ideologią a religią w świadomości członków i działaczy PZPR

Abstract:

The article focuses on such issues as: the attitude of Marxism-Leninism towards religion, ideology and traditional culture, communism as political religion, relationship between the state and the Church, typology of attitudes of members and activists of the Polish United Workers’ Party (Polish acronym: PZPR), mentality of “people of power”. The starting point for the essay is to present communism as anti-religion, but also – in some respects – as para-religion (quasi-religion). It employs research proposals put forward by, among others, following authors: Eric Voegelin, Józef M. Bocheński, François Furet, Michael Burleigh, Marcin Kula, Jan Plamper. The text is structured chronologically, and its sub-chapters deal with successive periods of history of the Polish People’s Republic (Polish acronym: PRL) (until 1956, 1956–1970, 1971–1980, and 1981–1989). It presents the way in which, in consecutive stages of the PRL history, the Communist Party influenced local communities and what was the impact of those communities on the attitudes of “people of power”. The article also sheds light on the functioning of the apparatus for party control, keeping watch on the Party’s discipline; presents some data illustrating the scale of “clericalism” within the ranks of the PZPR. The essay puts forwards, i.a., the following theses: after 1956 there was, contrary to what was forecasted by Marxism-Leninism, re-Catholisation of the “working class”; there was crystallising within the ranks of the PZPR an eclectic mentality, combining elements of traditional culture (including religion) with dictates of the communist ideology; in the 1980s a great majority of members and activists of the PZPR defined themselves as “believers” (although not necessarily “practicing”). It could therefore be said that the secularisation imposed from above ended in failure, even in regard to the Communist Party itself. The article is based on a broad archival search query, which made it possible for the author to present unknown so far sources.