Rola rytuału w religijności kościelnej i rodzinnej

Abstract

The paper discusses the role of ritual in religious culture. Religion expresses and manifests itself through ritual behaviour which constitutes a means by which values and norms are conveyed, social order is established and sanctified, and a contact with transcendent reality is made possible. Any aberration in the system of symbols and rituals may lead to instability both in the religious and social spheres. Profound civilizational and cultural transformations that are well under way in Poland and Europe, especially the universal access to electronic media, have considerably contributed to a weakening of inter-generational cultural tradition. This is evident also in relation to religious traditions which have additionally been reformed after Vatican Council II. The crisis of some elements of church and familiar religiousness is manifested through a growing desacralization of everyday life, a weakening of the existential relevancy of liturgical symbolism, neglect of many traditional customs and rites of Christian character. The situation calls for an effort to work out a new – adequate to the changed social conditions – model of Christian culture.