Historia sekularyzacji w ujęciu H.U. Altermatta

From among the multitude of works by various authors preoccupied with analysing the processes of secularisation taking place in modern times, the study of the issue by the Swiss historian Urs Altermatt, presented in Catholicism and the Modern World (Cracow, 1995), deserves special consideration. The analysis undertaken by the author unveils the complexity of the process encompassing distinct waves of secularisation brought about by diverse factors as well as the return of the sacred. Altermatt’s special contribution which stands to his credit lies in an interdisciplinary approach he employed in his study to explore the origin of secularisation processes in the context of history, sociology, political science and theology. Altermatt reveals in a fascinating way the transformations occurring in the world dominated by religious mind. He points out to the radical changes brought about by industralism and urbanization which affected the tranquil life of local communities. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, secularization was perceived by Catholics as a threat, which made them adopt a defensive attitude in order to safeguard their own identity. Although secularization in the Western societies has been progressing systematically since ca 1800, it has never been a unidimentional and unidirectional phenomenon. It would assume the form of cyclical tides of religious crisis and renewal, resulting in the following relationship becoming evident: the more prominent position the industrial working class occupies in a society, the more the role of the Church declines. It is no wonder, therefore, that the processes of secularisation have always alarmed those responsible for the formulation of pastoral care programmes and stimulated evangelization efforts.