Kowalczyk, Mirosław (Wydawnictwo Towarzystwa Naukowego Katolickiego Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego, 2008)
John Paul II understands culture as the perfecting of the human nature and of the whole of nature, as the perfecting of the will, emotions, acting and work as well as of all human actions referring to God. For John Paul II culture and religion are autonomous, but they permeate each other. The personalistic dimension of culture is important here, as ultimately culture refers to and serves the man as an individual and social person. Culture is the foundation of social, political and historical thought. It is the basis of human mundane life, and at the same time it is the tool for perfecting the religious life. John Paul II perceives the highest value in Christian culture. In the modern situation Europe should accept such an understanding of culture, which is connected with accepting anew Christian values, on which it first grew. Its proper development depends on this acceptance.
