Religijność żołnierzy w wymiarze wspólnotowym

Abstract

The paper deals with the communitarian religious life of the soldiers conscripted to elitist military units. It is determined, among other things, by a conception of the Church in subjects’ awareness, their identification with a religious group and their relationship to the clergy. More than half of the respondents identify themselves the Church with a fellowship of the People of God; one third of them see in it only an institution or a worldwide organization. In the subjective identification with a religious group they most often list their parish and the universal Church, and less their diocese or the Church in Poland. One third of them feel strongly bound with their military parish. Generally speaking, their attitude to their religious leaders is positive. Almost 75% of the subjects see the need for a priest in the today world; half of them reduce his function only to religious matters. The most desirable priest are those who are good and kind; most often they accuse him of materialism and greed. Social origin and place of residence make soldiers’ viewpoints more varies than their time and character of military service. This means that their religious attitude, as it was formed in their families, remains stable under specific military conditions.