Political science of religion in Poland – genesis and reception of a new subdiscipline

Abstract

The political science of religion is a relatively young subdiscipline of political science that examines the relationship between religion and politics. Its development was delayed by the dominant secularization narrative in the West, which marginalized the impact of religion on the functioning of states and societies for a long time. However, events such as the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979) and the collapse of communism in Central Europe underscored the necessity of incorporating religious aspects into political science analyses. A key figure in this subdiscipline was Miroljub Jevtić, who was among the first to systematically study the influence of religion on politics and founded the Politics and Religion Journal.

In Poland, the pioneer of the political science of religion was Bogumił Grott, who in the 1990s analyzed the relationship between religion and political ideologies. Initially, this subdiscipline was closely linked to historical research, as reflected in the research agenda proposed by Kazimierz Banek and in studies that covered broad historical contexts. Stefan Dudra and Ryszard Michalak also contributed to the development of this field by exploring the intersection of religion and politics in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. It was not until the 21st century that the political science of religion emerged as an independent field of study, significantly shaped by academic conferences organized by the Jagiellonian University, the University of Zielona Góra, and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University.
Today, the political science of religion is an interdisciplinary research domain that analyzes the relationship between religious institutions and secular authorities, the impact of religion on nationalism, political ideologies, and international relations. Its relevance continues to grow in the context of contemporary religiously motivated conflicts and dynamic socio-political transformations.