Religijność młodzieży naszego czasu i środowiska

Abstract

The author considers the religiousness of Polish youth on two planes: that of the nation („the faith of the people”) and th at of everyday life („the religion of daily life”). He discusses and verifies in the light of sociological research the following three hypotheses: (a) despite the changes in its socio-cultural and political context, the religiousness of youth maintains a kind of continuity ‒ but only on the plane of the faith of the poople; (b) the religiousness of everdary life is undergoing visible changes in various directions and with varying intensity; the most pronounced tendency is towards loosening of the ties between religion and morality; (c) the distinct religious revival is caused by social rather than ecclesial (pastoral) facts. The general stability of religious belief and practice bears witness to the vitality of „the faith of the people”. The increase in positive attitudes towards religion at the turn of the decade varied with social group. Some research suggests that the changes in favour of the religious world view were stronger among young people from the lower socialcultural strata (working-class and peasant youth). The author puts forward the hypothesis that the rising tide of religiousness was due to social and psychological factors rather than pastoral ones and that if the latter are not strengthened in the next few years while the effect of the former wanes, an ebbmay come as rapidly as did the present surge.