Velikonja, Mitja (2003) Slovenian and Polish Religio-National Mythologies: A Comparative Analysis. Religion, State & Society, 31 (3). pp. 233-260. ISSN 1456-3974
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Nation-building processes in Central and Eastern Europe differed considerably from those in the West: cultural, linguistic and religious elements were of vital importance. This text is intended to analyse, in a comparative manner, Slovenian and Polish religio-national mythologies, and the role of institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church-'Rimsko-katolis ˘ka cerkev' or 'Ko´sciólKo´sciól / Rzymsko-Katolicki'-in their creation, development and transformation. I shall begin with a comparison of the similarities and notable differences between the historical backgrounds of the two nations, important for this topic, and continue with a comparison of Slovenian and Polish religio-national mythologies. The methodology I have applied was developed by American sociologist of religion Michael Sells in his analyses of the 'Christoslavic' religio-national mythology of the South Slavs involved in the recent Balkan wars (particularly the Serbs). Sells considers this a dominant form of their religio-national mythological self-construction and self-perception. It is my opinion that this approach can also be successfully applied to analyses of the religio-national mythologies of other Slav nations which, historically, were heavily influenced, indeed dominated, by Christianity and different Christian churches. 1 Each of these nations is familiar with a specific form of religio-national mythology, whose two basic beliefs are: (1) that Slavs are Christians by nature (Catholic, Orthodox or other Christian denomination: that is, that being Slav means being Christian, 2 Slavs are racially Christian, Christianity-as the faith of their grandfathers-is the only true religion for them; (2) that any conversion from Christianity is a betrayal of the Slavic race: that is, that those who are so converted are not true Slavs, there is something wrong with them and their national identity, they have betrayed their ancestors; and that something has to be done to overcome this 'problem' (Sells, 1996, pp. 36, 47, 51). Religio-nationalistic apologists often follow biblical examples in nation-building processes, because, to quote Hastings, the Bible, moreover, presented in Israel itself a developed model of what it means to be a nation-a unity of people, language, religion, territory and faith.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Virgin Mary, linguistic manipulation, dehumanization, religio-national messianism, postsocialist era |
| Subjects: | B Mission theology/theory > Identity issues G Christian traditions/Denominations > Roman Catholic |
| Divisions: | Central Europe > Poland Balkan countries > Slovenia |
| Depositing User: | Katharina Penner |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Sep 2024 06:33 |
| Last Modified: | 06 Sep 2024 06:33 |
| URI: | https://ceeamsprints.osims.org/id/eprint/3024 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
