In 1944, the Nazis razed Warsaw's historic Cathedral of St. John
the Baptist. "They knew that the strength of the Polish nation was
rooted in the Cross, Christ's Passion, the spirit of the Gospels,
and the invincible Church," argued Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski in a
letter celebrating the building's subsequent reconstruction. "To
weaken and destroy the nation, they knew they must first deprive it
of its Christian spirit." Wyszynski insisted that Catholicism was
an integral component of Polish history, culture, and national
identity. The faithfulness of the Polish people fortified them
during times of trial and inspired much that was noble and good in
their endeavors. Filling a sizable gap in the literature, White
Eagle, Black Madonna is a systematic study of the Catholic Church
in Poland and among the Polish diaspora. Polish Catholicism has not
been particularly well understood outside of Poland, and certainly
not in the Anglophone world, until now. Demonstrating an
unparalleled mastery of the topic, Robert E. Alvis offers an
illuminating vantage point on the dynamic tension between
centralization and diversity that long has characterized the
Catholic Church's history. Written in clear, concise, accessible
language, the book sheds light on the relevance of the Polish
Catholic tradition for the global Catholic Church, a phenomenon
that has been greatly enhanced by Pope John Paul II, whose
theology, ecclesiology, and piety were shaped profoundly by his
experiences in Poland, and those experiences in turn shaped the
course of his long and influential pontificate. Offering a new
resource for understanding the historical development of Polish
Catholicism, White Eagle, Black Madonna emphasizes the people,
places, events, and ritual actions that have animated the tradition
and that still resonate among Polish Catholics today. From the
baptism of Duke Mieszko in 966 to the controversial burial of
President Lech Kaczynski in 2010, the Church has accompanied the
Polish people during their long and often tumultuous history. While
often controversial, Catholicism's influence over Poland's
political, social, and cultural life has been indisputably
profound.
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