Glenn Dynner
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195175226
- eISBN:
- 9780199785148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195175226.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The familial ties between zaddikim and the elite helps define the social profile of Hasidic leadership and discover the root of dynastic tendencies outside of Central Poland. The chapter begins with ...
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The familial ties between zaddikim and the elite helps define the social profile of Hasidic leadership and discover the root of dynastic tendencies outside of Central Poland. The chapter begins with a discussion ofyihus— familial and ancestral prestige based especially on scholarly attainment — in pre-Hasidic society. Hasidic homiletic sources are then mined for attitudes aboutyihus, revealing a palpable divide between the older, more meritocratic understanding of the concept among Polish zaddikim and the emergence of a more strictly hereditary understanding among certain other zaddikim. Yet a survey of genealogies and marriage strategies among fifty zaddikim demonstrates that, however moderate or radical their beliefs aboutyihus, most zaddikim still derived from the elite themselves and sustained their social status by marrying their children to otheryihuspossessors.Less
The familial ties between zaddikim and the elite helps define the social profile of Hasidic leadership and discover the root of dynastic tendencies outside of Central Poland. The chapter begins with a discussion ofyihus— familial and ancestral prestige based especially on scholarly attainment — in pre-Hasidic society. Hasidic homiletic sources are then mined for attitudes aboutyihus, revealing a palpable divide between the older, more meritocratic understanding of the concept among Polish zaddikim and the emergence of a more strictly hereditary understanding among certain other zaddikim. Yet a survey of genealogies and marriage strategies among fifty zaddikim demonstrates that, however moderate or radical their beliefs aboutyihus, most zaddikim still derived from the elite themselves and sustained their social status by marrying their children to otheryihuspossessors.
Lavinia Stan and Lucian Turcescu
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195337105
- eISBN:
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195337105.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of church-state relations in the countries in the original European Union (EU). It then sets out the purpose of the book, which is to investigate ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of church-state relations in the countries in the original European Union (EU). It then sets out the purpose of the book, which is to investigate church-state relations in the enlarged EU resulting from the acceptance of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Slovenia in 2004, and of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. The chapter addresses important questions such as: What are the broad patterns of church-state relations in these countries? How did these models grow historically, how were they reshaped by communist policies, and how have they evolved in the pre-accession stage? How significantly different are these models from church-state relations in established Western democracies? Will the new EU members' ability to consolidate democracy be hampered by their church-state relations? The religious make-up of these post-communist EU member states is also described.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of church-state relations in the countries in the original European Union (EU). It then sets out the purpose of the book, which is to investigate church-state relations in the enlarged EU resulting from the acceptance of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Slovenia in 2004, and of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. The chapter addresses important questions such as: What are the broad patterns of church-state relations in these countries? How did these models grow historically, how were they reshaped by communist policies, and how have they evolved in the pre-accession stage? How significantly different are these models from church-state relations in established Western democracies? Will the new EU members' ability to consolidate democracy be hampered by their church-state relations? The religious make-up of these post-communist EU member states is also described.
Glenn Dynner
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195175226
- eISBN:
- 9780199785148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195175226.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter highlights the regional distinctiveness of Polish Hasidism and attempts to quantify its regional expansion. Polish Hasidism shared the broader theological and experiential features of ...
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This chapter highlights the regional distinctiveness of Polish Hasidism and attempts to quantify its regional expansion. Polish Hasidism shared the broader theological and experiential features of Hasidism in other regions. But the impact of the unique Central Polish context is reflected in its more urban, cosmopolitan, and economically adept leaders and adherents, as well as in its meritocratic tendencies during leadership succession. In estimating the size of the Hasidic community in Central Poland by the early 19th century, we must account for the considerable proportion of women and adolescent men whose participation seldom registered in official estimates. The chapter concludes with a mapping of Hasidism's geographical spread in the region during this period.Less
This chapter highlights the regional distinctiveness of Polish Hasidism and attempts to quantify its regional expansion. Polish Hasidism shared the broader theological and experiential features of Hasidism in other regions. But the impact of the unique Central Polish context is reflected in its more urban, cosmopolitan, and economically adept leaders and adherents, as well as in its meritocratic tendencies during leadership succession. In estimating the size of the Hasidic community in Central Poland by the early 19th century, we must account for the considerable proportion of women and adolescent men whose participation seldom registered in official estimates. The chapter concludes with a mapping of Hasidism's geographical spread in the region during this period.
Glenn Dynner
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195175226
- eISBN:
- 9780199785148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195175226.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The successful Hasidic ascendancy of the prior chapter is, in great part, attributable to Polish Hasidism's vast patronage network among the region's Jewish mercantile elite. The chapter commences ...
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The successful Hasidic ascendancy of the prior chapter is, in great part, attributable to Polish Hasidism's vast patronage network among the region's Jewish mercantile elite. The chapter commences with an account of the rise of the Jewish mercantile elite in Warsaw. This is followed by a reconstruction of the penetration of this elite group by Hasidic leaders, with a focus on the preeminent mercantile family, the Bergsons. This includes an in-depth look at the legendary patroness of Polish Hasidism, Temerel Sonenberg-Bergson. A fresh analysis of the 1824 anti-Hasidic investigation is presented, based on new archival sources, highlighting the pivotal role of the Jewish plutocracy. The chapter concludes with an explanation of the appeal that Hasidism held for these entrepreneurs.Less
The successful Hasidic ascendancy of the prior chapter is, in great part, attributable to Polish Hasidism's vast patronage network among the region's Jewish mercantile elite. The chapter commences with an account of the rise of the Jewish mercantile elite in Warsaw. This is followed by a reconstruction of the penetration of this elite group by Hasidic leaders, with a focus on the preeminent mercantile family, the Bergsons. This includes an in-depth look at the legendary patroness of Polish Hasidism, Temerel Sonenberg-Bergson. A fresh analysis of the 1824 anti-Hasidic investigation is presented, based on new archival sources, highlighting the pivotal role of the Jewish plutocracy. The chapter concludes with an explanation of the appeal that Hasidism held for these entrepreneurs.
Glenn Dynner
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195175226
- eISBN:
- 9780199785148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195175226.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter evaluates the movement's grassroots appeal through its miracle working enterprises, arguing that Polish zaddikim were neither charlatans, nor were they, technically speaking, “popular” ...
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This chapter evaluates the movement's grassroots appeal through its miracle working enterprises, arguing that Polish zaddikim were neither charlatans, nor were they, technically speaking, “popular” leaders. In their embrace of folk religion, they were apparently sincere and differed little from traditional mystical practitioners,ba'alei shem, but differed markedly in their social status and concomitant influence among the Jewish masses and Polish officialdom. Women and youth obtained unprecedented access to zaddikim; yet followers from the Jewish elite granted special or lengthier audiences and were groomed for leadership succession. The chapter concludes with a look at the most ambivalent zaddik with respect to miracle working, R. Simha Bunem of Przysucha.Less
This chapter evaluates the movement's grassroots appeal through its miracle working enterprises, arguing that Polish zaddikim were neither charlatans, nor were they, technically speaking, “popular” leaders. In their embrace of folk religion, they were apparently sincere and differed little from traditional mystical practitioners,ba'alei shem, but differed markedly in their social status and concomitant influence among the Jewish masses and Polish officialdom. Women and youth obtained unprecedented access to zaddikim; yet followers from the Jewish elite granted special or lengthier audiences and were groomed for leadership succession. The chapter concludes with a look at the most ambivalent zaddik with respect to miracle working, R. Simha Bunem of Przysucha.
Glenn Dynner
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195175226
- eISBN:
- 9780199785148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195175226.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Hasidic marketing campaigns employed everything from printed sermons and tales to oral tales, songs, and dances. This chapter argues that that these methods were earmarked for specific social groups. ...
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Hasidic marketing campaigns employed everything from printed sermons and tales to oral tales, songs, and dances. This chapter argues that that these methods were earmarked for specific social groups. The importance of Hasidic printing as a vehicle for reaching the male intellectual elite has been underestimated, as demonstrated through a survey of the impressive number of printed works and an analysis of their endorsements (haskamot). Tale collections formed something of a bridge between literate, semi-literate, and illiterate populations. Oral tales were designed specifically for the latter two groups, which helps explain their propensity for fantasies about social inversion. Oral tales, in addition to songs and dances, borrowed heavily from non-Jewish culture.Less
Hasidic marketing campaigns employed everything from printed sermons and tales to oral tales, songs, and dances. This chapter argues that that these methods were earmarked for specific social groups. The importance of Hasidic printing as a vehicle for reaching the male intellectual elite has been underestimated, as demonstrated through a survey of the impressive number of printed works and an analysis of their endorsements (haskamot). Tale collections formed something of a bridge between literate, semi-literate, and illiterate populations. Oral tales were designed specifically for the latter two groups, which helps explain their propensity for fantasies about social inversion. Oral tales, in addition to songs and dances, borrowed heavily from non-Jewish culture.
Glenn Dynner
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195175226
- eISBN:
- 9780199785148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195175226.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter concerns the mechanics of Polish Hasidism's political ascendancy by reconstructing conquests of local institutions at various levels. In the nine case studies, the stages of Hasidic ...
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This chapter concerns the mechanics of Polish Hasidism's political ascendancy by reconstructing conquests of local institutions at various levels. In the nine case studies, the stages of Hasidic conquest range from the establishment of separate prayer houses, to domination of the communal study house (bet midrash) and/or synagogue, to control of rabbinical and other communal appointments. The chapter concludes with an assessment of governmental policy towards Hasidim that reveals, through a comparison with official treatment of Christian pilgrims and miracle sites, a surprising lack of overt discrimination against Hasidism on the part of Polish officialdom.Less
This chapter concerns the mechanics of Polish Hasidism's political ascendancy by reconstructing conquests of local institutions at various levels. In the nine case studies, the stages of Hasidic conquest range from the establishment of separate prayer houses, to domination of the communal study house (bet midrash) and/or synagogue, to control of rabbinical and other communal appointments. The chapter concludes with an assessment of governmental policy towards Hasidim that reveals, through a comparison with official treatment of Christian pilgrims and miracle sites, a surprising lack of overt discrimination against Hasidism on the part of Polish officialdom.
Lucian N. Leustean
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199827732
- eISBN:
- 9780199950553
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199827732.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter reveals the complex and subtle relationship between Orthodox religion and communist regimes that sought either to destroy the church or to use it for their own purposes. The eventual ...
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This chapter reveals the complex and subtle relationship between Orthodox religion and communist regimes that sought either to destroy the church or to use it for their own purposes. The eventual failure of these regimes was due, at least in part, to their underestimation of the contributions made by Orthodoxy to the human security of its people. This chapter argues that religious communities form just one of the primary actors in securing the welfare, rights, and social desires of their constituents. It provides a broad background of the relationship of religion to the communist regimes, the ways in which the churches responded to these regimes, and a detailed account of how the Romanian church survived amid communist political powers. Indeed, the church's involvement in both domestic and foreign politics continues to create a primary source of human security in contemporary Eastern Europe more generally.Less
This chapter reveals the complex and subtle relationship between Orthodox religion and communist regimes that sought either to destroy the church or to use it for their own purposes. The eventual failure of these regimes was due, at least in part, to their underestimation of the contributions made by Orthodoxy to the human security of its people. This chapter argues that religious communities form just one of the primary actors in securing the welfare, rights, and social desires of their constituents. It provides a broad background of the relationship of religion to the communist regimes, the ways in which the churches responded to these regimes, and a detailed account of how the Romanian church survived amid communist political powers. Indeed, the church's involvement in both domestic and foreign politics continues to create a primary source of human security in contemporary Eastern Europe more generally.
Jonathan Luxmoore
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199930890
- eISBN:
- 9780199980581
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199930890.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter examines the issues and challenges still facing churches and religious associations in Eastern and Central Europe more than two decades after the overthrow of communist rule, and it ...
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This chapter examines the issues and challenges still facing churches and religious associations in Eastern and Central Europe more than two decades after the overthrow of communist rule, and it looks at the lessons learned in the intervening period for the protection of religious freedom in emerging democracies. While some problems were inherited from the communist era and are common throughout the region, others have emerged under the impact of post-communist democratisation and pluralisation, and are specific to particular countries. The creation of stable institutions, backed by the rule of law and freedom of speech, gave a great boost to religious rights in this era. But the quest remains for an appropriate and dependable balance between the sacred and secular spheres, and between the often competing interests of state and individual, as illustrated by the chapter's comparative case studies in areas from church property rights and fiscal privileges to education and abortion.Less
This chapter examines the issues and challenges still facing churches and religious associations in Eastern and Central Europe more than two decades after the overthrow of communist rule, and it looks at the lessons learned in the intervening period for the protection of religious freedom in emerging democracies. While some problems were inherited from the communist era and are common throughout the region, others have emerged under the impact of post-communist democratisation and pluralisation, and are specific to particular countries. The creation of stable institutions, backed by the rule of law and freedom of speech, gave a great boost to religious rights in this era. But the quest remains for an appropriate and dependable balance between the sacred and secular spheres, and between the often competing interests of state and individual, as illustrated by the chapter's comparative case studies in areas from church property rights and fiscal privileges to education and abortion.
John Pollard
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- December 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199208562
- eISBN:
- 9780191785580
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199208562.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies, Church History
This chapter is primarily concerned with the evolution of Vatican policies in response to the systematic persecution of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe, China, and parts of South-East Asia, ...
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This chapter is primarily concerned with the evolution of Vatican policies in response to the systematic persecution of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe, China, and parts of South-East Asia, culminating in the excommunication of Communists in 1949, against the background of the development of the Cold War between East and West after 1945. It also examines the papacy’s relationships in this period with the countries of Western Europe, especially the reviving democracies in France, Germany, and Italy, but also the Iberian dictatorships, and explores the attitude of Pius XII towards the Atlantic Alliance and the emerging processes of European integration. It focuses attention upon the Americas, North and South, and upon the Vatican’s response to the processes of decolonization, especially in Palestine. It concludes with an examination of claims that the later years of Pius XII’s pontificate constituted a sort of preparation for the Ostpolitik of his successors.Less
This chapter is primarily concerned with the evolution of Vatican policies in response to the systematic persecution of the Catholic Church in Eastern Europe, China, and parts of South-East Asia, culminating in the excommunication of Communists in 1949, against the background of the development of the Cold War between East and West after 1945. It also examines the papacy’s relationships in this period with the countries of Western Europe, especially the reviving democracies in France, Germany, and Italy, but also the Iberian dictatorships, and explores the attitude of Pius XII towards the Atlantic Alliance and the emerging processes of European integration. It focuses attention upon the Americas, North and South, and upon the Vatican’s response to the processes of decolonization, especially in Palestine. It concludes with an examination of claims that the later years of Pius XII’s pontificate constituted a sort of preparation for the Ostpolitik of his successors.
Bruce Zuckerman
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195058963
- eISBN:
- 9780199853342
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195058963.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
The chapter reveals that the view of “Bontsye Shvayg” presented in the previous chapters is not the popular view of the story after all. A big factor in the popular misreading of Bontsye Shvayg is ...
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The chapter reveals that the view of “Bontsye Shvayg” presented in the previous chapters is not the popular view of the story after all. A big factor in the popular misreading of Bontsye Shvayg is the “Ozymandias effect” from the well-known sonnet, “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley. The sonnet portrays a king in a manner that surpasses reality, showing the king’s features in colossal, superhuman terms similar to what Perets did in portraying Bontsye as Super-Job. The “Ozymandias effect” aids in the transformation of a story in an exemplary tale of piety akin to what the original legend of Job was. The chapter also explains how the historical circumstance of Perets’ time and the 19th century until the early 20th century in Eastern Europe have lead Perets’ audience to misread willfully the intent of the author. By filtering reality through the super-reality of Bontsye, Jews see themselves as people singled out to suffer silently and piously in the model of Abraham. A couple of absurdities in the interpretation of Bontsye are also presented in this chapter. It points out that one should not endure punishment without protest, one should not greedily seize the smallest favor offered by an authority but rather insist on the essential rights of all humanity.Less
The chapter reveals that the view of “Bontsye Shvayg” presented in the previous chapters is not the popular view of the story after all. A big factor in the popular misreading of Bontsye Shvayg is the “Ozymandias effect” from the well-known sonnet, “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley. The sonnet portrays a king in a manner that surpasses reality, showing the king’s features in colossal, superhuman terms similar to what Perets did in portraying Bontsye as Super-Job. The “Ozymandias effect” aids in the transformation of a story in an exemplary tale of piety akin to what the original legend of Job was. The chapter also explains how the historical circumstance of Perets’ time and the 19th century until the early 20th century in Eastern Europe have lead Perets’ audience to misread willfully the intent of the author. By filtering reality through the super-reality of Bontsye, Jews see themselves as people singled out to suffer silently and piously in the model of Abraham. A couple of absurdities in the interpretation of Bontsye are also presented in this chapter. It points out that one should not endure punishment without protest, one should not greedily seize the smallest favor offered by an authority but rather insist on the essential rights of all humanity.
Lavinia Stan and Lucian Turcescu
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195337105
- eISBN:
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195337105.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book studies the relationship between religion and politics in ten former communist Eastern European countries. Challenging widespread theories of increasing secularization, this book argues ...
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This book studies the relationship between religion and politics in ten former communist Eastern European countries. Challenging widespread theories of increasing secularization, this book argues that in most of these countries, the populations have shown themselves to remain religious even as they embrace modernization and democratization. Church-state relations in the new EU member states can be seen in political representation for church leaders, governmental subsidies, registration of religions by the state, religious views on sexuality, and religious instruction in public schools. The book outlines three major models: the Czech church-state separation model, in which religion is private and the government secular; the pluralist model of Hungary, Bulgaria, and Latvia, which views society as a group of complementary but autonomous spheres—for example, education, the family, and religion—each of which is worthy of recognition and support from the state; and the dominant religion model that exists in Poland, Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, in which the government maintains informal ties to the religious majority.Less
This book studies the relationship between religion and politics in ten former communist Eastern European countries. Challenging widespread theories of increasing secularization, this book argues that in most of these countries, the populations have shown themselves to remain religious even as they embrace modernization and democratization. Church-state relations in the new EU member states can be seen in political representation for church leaders, governmental subsidies, registration of religions by the state, religious views on sexuality, and religious instruction in public schools. The book outlines three major models: the Czech church-state separation model, in which religion is private and the government secular; the pluralist model of Hungary, Bulgaria, and Latvia, which views society as a group of complementary but autonomous spheres—for example, education, the family, and religion—each of which is worthy of recognition and support from the state; and the dominant religion model that exists in Poland, Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, in which the government maintains informal ties to the religious majority.
Andrew Louth
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195390261
- eISBN:
- 9780199932931
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195390261.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter traces the history of the influence of the Philokalia in Greece, Russia, Romania, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the western world.
This chapter traces the history of the influence of the Philokalia in Greece, Russia, Romania, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the western world.
Detlef Pollack and Gergely Rosta
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- December 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198801665
- eISBN:
- 9780191840302
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198801665.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The introductory chapter to Part III, which focuses on religious change in Eastern Europe, discusses general trends of religiosity in the region. Changes to the religious landscape in the ...
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The introductory chapter to Part III, which focuses on religious change in Eastern Europe, discusses general trends of religiosity in the region. Changes to the religious landscape in the post-communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe have been marked in recent years by processes not only of revival, but also of decline. The introduction identifies three different trajectories in Eastern and Central Europe that will be dealt with: religious renaissance, religious decline, and slight decline against the background of widespread stability. This explains the choice of the three case studies to be analysed in the following chapters: Russia, East Germany, and Poland.Less
The introductory chapter to Part III, which focuses on religious change in Eastern Europe, discusses general trends of religiosity in the region. Changes to the religious landscape in the post-communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe have been marked in recent years by processes not only of revival, but also of decline. The introduction identifies three different trajectories in Eastern and Central Europe that will be dealt with: religious renaissance, religious decline, and slight decline against the background of widespread stability. This explains the choice of the three case studies to be analysed in the following chapters: Russia, East Germany, and Poland.
Detlef Pollack and Gergely Rosta
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- December 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198801665
- eISBN:
- 9780191840302
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198801665.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The most important conclusions of this summarizing chapter are the following: The religious landscape of Eastern Europe is more diverse than that of Western Europe. The cases of Poland and the GDR ...
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The most important conclusions of this summarizing chapter are the following: The religious landscape of Eastern Europe is more diverse than that of Western Europe. The cases of Poland and the GDR confirm the hypothesis that there is a link between the diffusion of functions and the growth in the importance of religion. The strong processes of biographical individualization that occurred in the post-communist states did not necessarily intensify individual religiosity. The economic market model cannot be confirmed for Eastern Europe. There is in Eastern and Central Europe a demonstrable link between economic prosperity and the loosening of religious and church ties. What can act as a bulwark against the eroding effects of modernization is church activity on the one hand, and the everyday proximity, visibility, and concreteness of religious practices and rituals, symbols, images, and objects on the other.Less
The most important conclusions of this summarizing chapter are the following: The religious landscape of Eastern Europe is more diverse than that of Western Europe. The cases of Poland and the GDR confirm the hypothesis that there is a link between the diffusion of functions and the growth in the importance of religion. The strong processes of biographical individualization that occurred in the post-communist states did not necessarily intensify individual religiosity. The economic market model cannot be confirmed for Eastern Europe. There is in Eastern and Central Europe a demonstrable link between economic prosperity and the loosening of religious and church ties. What can act as a bulwark against the eroding effects of modernization is church activity on the one hand, and the everyday proximity, visibility, and concreteness of religious practices and rituals, symbols, images, and objects on the other.
Steve Bruce
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199654123
- eISBN:
- 9780191806605
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199654123.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book explores the secularisation paradigm and how it explains the displacement of religion from the centre of human life. It looks at the causal relationships between the social power of ...
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This book explores the secularisation paradigm and how it explains the displacement of religion from the centre of human life. It looks at the causal relationships between the social power of religion, the number of people who take it seriously, and how seriously anyone takes it. More specifically, it shows that the declining power of religion causes a decline in the number of religious people and the extent to which people are religious. It also considers the use of the secularisation paradigm to provide an overarching sociological explanation of the history of religion since the Middle Ages, focusing on Europe, the United States, and the developing world. By way of introduction, this chapter discusses the decline of Christianity, first in Western Europe and then in Eastern Europe, as well as types of religiosity and the link between modernisation and secularisation.Less
This book explores the secularisation paradigm and how it explains the displacement of religion from the centre of human life. It looks at the causal relationships between the social power of religion, the number of people who take it seriously, and how seriously anyone takes it. More specifically, it shows that the declining power of religion causes a decline in the number of religious people and the extent to which people are religious. It also considers the use of the secularisation paradigm to provide an overarching sociological explanation of the history of religion since the Middle Ages, focusing on Europe, the United States, and the developing world. By way of introduction, this chapter discusses the decline of Christianity, first in Western Europe and then in Eastern Europe, as well as types of religiosity and the link between modernisation and secularisation.
Joshua M. Zeitz
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807830956
- eISBN:
- 9781469602691
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807872802_zeitz.9
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
In 1949, the small town of Peekskill in New York drew national attention when a predominantly Catholic mob twice ambushed a benefit concert intended to raise money for members of the Communist Party ...
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In 1949, the small town of Peekskill in New York drew national attention when a predominantly Catholic mob twice ambushed a benefit concert intended to raise money for members of the Communist Party who were awaiting trial on charges of violating the Smith Act. The concert featured Paul Robeson, a renowned left-wing political activist and virtuoso. Due to the chaos, the event was canceled but finally went off without a hitch a week later. This chapter examines the fallout from the Peekskill riot, which pitted New York City's Jews against Catholics. Although both groups opposed communism, they differed in levels of intensity. Many local Jews, including committed anticommunists, viewed the riots as a threat to free thought and expression, but leading Catholics strongly disagreed. The chapter discusses four general phenomena feeding Catholic anticommunism in the 1940s and 1950s: Catholic social theology, international conflicts, antiestablishment resentment, and the repression of Christianity in Eastern Europe.Less
In 1949, the small town of Peekskill in New York drew national attention when a predominantly Catholic mob twice ambushed a benefit concert intended to raise money for members of the Communist Party who were awaiting trial on charges of violating the Smith Act. The concert featured Paul Robeson, a renowned left-wing political activist and virtuoso. Due to the chaos, the event was canceled but finally went off without a hitch a week later. This chapter examines the fallout from the Peekskill riot, which pitted New York City's Jews against Catholics. Although both groups opposed communism, they differed in levels of intensity. Many local Jews, including committed anticommunists, viewed the riots as a threat to free thought and expression, but leading Catholics strongly disagreed. The chapter discusses four general phenomena feeding Catholic anticommunism in the 1940s and 1950s: Catholic social theology, international conflicts, antiestablishment resentment, and the repression of Christianity in Eastern Europe.
Mordechai Nadav
Mark Mirsky and Moshe Rosman (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804741590
- eISBN:
- 9780804783088
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804741590.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This is the first part of a major scholarly project about a small city in Eastern Europe where Jews were the majority of the population from the end of the eighteenth century. Pinsk boasted both ...
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This is the first part of a major scholarly project about a small city in Eastern Europe where Jews were the majority of the population from the end of the eighteenth century. Pinsk boasted both traditional rabbinic scholars and famous Hasidic figures, and over time became an international trade emporium, a center of the Jewish Enlightenment, a cradle of Zionism and the Jewish Labor movement, and a place where Orthodoxy struggled vigorously with modernity. The two volumes of Pinsk history were originally part of a literature created by Jews who survived the Holocaust and who were determined to keep in memory a vital world that flourished for half a millennium.Less
This is the first part of a major scholarly project about a small city in Eastern Europe where Jews were the majority of the population from the end of the eighteenth century. Pinsk boasted both traditional rabbinic scholars and famous Hasidic figures, and over time became an international trade emporium, a center of the Jewish Enlightenment, a cradle of Zionism and the Jewish Labor movement, and a place where Orthodoxy struggled vigorously with modernity. The two volumes of Pinsk history were originally part of a literature created by Jews who survived the Holocaust and who were determined to keep in memory a vital world that flourished for half a millennium.
