Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 88 No. 4, 2018.
Review article
The »Baptised nation« – The inalienability of christianity in the culture of the polish nation. Reflections Based on the Teaching of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński
Wiesław Łużyński
orcid.org/0000-0001-8855-3686
; Faculty of Theology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Tourń, Poland
Abstract
The nation is a cultural community and it is the culture that decides how the life of the community is shaped. Christianity constitutes an essential element of the Polish national culture. In his teaching Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, who was the head of the Church in Poland during the atheist system of communism, emphasised the presence of Christianity in the history of the Polish nation. He believed that the past imbued with the presence of the Church and Christianity should be presented to young people to give them the sense of continuity and an anchor which would make them aware of their past and capable of looking into the future. Cardinal Wyszyński frequently used the expression the »baptised nation«, underlying the significant role of the baptism in the history of the Polish nation. With its spiritual values religion permeated the efforts of people in the social, cultural, political, and economic sphere. In the difficult moments of Polish history the baptism and other sacraments as well as the Gospel of Christ constituted important elements of the continuity of the nation. During the period of partitions in Poland Church structures replaced the non‑existent state institutions. Nowadays the Church also inspires the life of community with the light of the Gospel serving mostly the protection and promotion of the dignity of the human person. Thus, Christianity constitutes an essential element of Polish culture.
Keywords
nation; baptism; Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński; culture; Christianity.
Hrčak ID:
212952
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2018.
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