Między integryzmem a integracją. Miejsce religii w konstrukcji wspólnej Europy
Between integrism and integration. The place of religion in the structure of common Europe

Summary/Abstract: Christianity has left an undeniable mark on the “soul of Europe”. Nevertheless, it was not the only inspiration that brought up Europe. The common memory of Europe also consists of movements that denied any religion. Besides, Christianity was divided into its own different confessions. Each one of them introduced its own specific way of understanding of the place of religion in the public life. These differences have endured to our days and it is why not all of Christians insist with an equal strength on the need to include the “Christian heritage” reference in the principal document of the EU. A new quality is being introduced to the question of religion in Europe by the growing presence of Muslim environment. At the same time the EU is searching its own “soul”, an identity, a fundamental idea. After years of indifference the political institutions of the EU invite more willingly the Churches to have an open dialog with them. The Churches from their side possess more and more institutionalized representations in the EU. It seems that the state-church relations have changed the logic from a convention of theocracy into a convention of negotiation. The dialogue as a method became even a new form of non-institutional presence of religion in the political life. In this new situation the memory of the “Christian heritage” should rather result from dialogue than from any constitutional declaration. The only fear that concerns all of Christians is about the condition of European democracy which chronically suffers from lack of interference with the Christian values.

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