Catholic Church in Poland

Annotated Bibliography

  1. Kłoczowski, Jerzy, A History of Polish Christianity, trans. Małgorzata Sady et al, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
    This is the only general history of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland available in the English language. Though somewhat dry, it provides a reliable overview of the millennium of Christianity in Poland, including some coverage of Protestant and Orthodox denominations.
  2. Kubik, Jan,The Power of Symbols against the Symbols of Power, University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1994.
    Kubik compares the way the state authorities and the Roman Catholic Church employed symbolism in their attempt to win support during the late communist era. He includes valuable descriptions of Catholic public ceremonies, including the first papal visit in 1979.
  3. Michel, Patrick, Politics and Religion in Eastern Europe: Catholicism in Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia, trans. Alan Braley, London: Polity Press, 1991.
    This book provides a valuable comparison of the Catholic Church in three communist counties, covering not only Church-state relations, but internal developments in theology and religious practice.
  4. Szajkowski, Bogdan, Next to God. . . Poland: Politics and Religion in Contemporary Poland, London: Frances Pinter, 1983.
    Though written from the perspective of a devout Catholic and ardent Polish patriot, this book provides a good history of the struggle between the Church and the state during the communist era.