1. Sociology of Croatian society: Religion
Siniša Zrinščak
May 2, 2017

2. What is religion?
Substantive definitions – what religion is, common content of all religions?
“belief in spiritual beings” “in divine beings”, “supra empirical… P. Berger: human production of a sacred cosmos - concept of “sacred”
...– what about practice, Eastern religions, new ways of spirituality...?
Need for broader definitions, problems of operationalization in different social and cultural contexts

3. Functional definitions – what religion does
M. Yinger: “a system of beliefs and practices by means of which a group of people struggles with the ultimate problems of human life” – functions: creating meaning, empowerment, courage, integration...
Not ethnocentric! But: how to differentiate from other phenomenon with same / similar consequences...?

4. Durkheim: “a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices which unite into one singles moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them”
“sacred” + “integration”
Definition – just and academic issue? Definition and Church-state relations – which religion should have access to public / state / schools, hospitals…

5. Confessional belongings, Censuses %
1953
1991
2001
2011
Catholics
73.9
76.5
87.97
86.28
Orthodox
11.26
11.1
4.42
4.44
Muslims
0.18
1.2
1.28
1.47
Protestants
0.5
0.4
0.19
0.34
Others (+ not known in 1991)
0.47
6.9
0.43
Not religious, undecided, agnostics, not known
13.59
3.9
5.79
7.03

6. Communist period
Very hostile attitudes – particularly in late 1940s and 1950s (a story of cardinal Stepinac…)
Second period – partial normalization from mid 1960s
Public vs. private level – strong religious presence in private life+ secularization in late 1960s, 1970s + crisis of the communist system and revitalization in late 1980s
Social circumstances: multi-national + multi-religious Yugoslavia / ethnic-religious links

7. Religiosity of youth, 1985/86, % (Vrcan)
Nations
Confessional belongings
Religious belongings
Serbs
61.7
18.2
Croats
82.5
55.0
Slovenians
64.4
40.8
Macedonians
85.8
30.8
Montenegrins
65.2
12.8
Albanians
87.3
48.4
Muslims
79.0
32.2
Yugoslavs
35.9
16.6

8. Post-communist period
Entering of religion to public space
War, state- and nation-building – not religious war but religious involvement; changes of the ethnic structure – Croats, Serbs…
Church-state relations in new circumstances
Constitution – religious rights; separation of Church and state; equality of religions against law; public, social, educational activities of Churches with the protection and help of the state

9. = cooperationist model based on hierarchy of different religions – how to compromise equality with empirical difference?
Religion in public schools as an optional subject, but confessional nature, 1991
4 agreements with the Holy See, 1996 and 1998
Other religions – Law only in 2002 – two important differences:

10. (1) simple registration for old / existing + stricter for new: a) 5 years existence as NGO; b) at least 500 believers
(2) Religious communities with and without agreement with the state
Different treatment – exception or rule from the European perspective?
ECHR – lawsuit against Croatia – the Protestant Reformed Christian Church, the Full Gospel Church, the Word of Life Church

11. The ruling in favor of these communities in December 2010 – the Government has the right to set the criteria but they have to be clear, reasonable, well-argued – and applied equally to all!
Implementation of ruling only in August 2014 – no public debates, concerns about this issue

12. Religion in empirical research
Dimensions:
- belief
- experience (“subjective religiosity”)
- practice, confessional identification (+ public role)
- knowledge
-consequential dimension
.... What to study and how?

13. Practice – at least once a month
EVS- VWS data
Country
Belonging
Religious persons
Practice – at least once a month
Change 2008.
Austria
88,1
-5,3
75,0
-14,3
42,5
-14,4
Croatia
88,7
-4,5
79,9
-0,9
52,5
-9,9
Czech R.
33,7
-5,8
40,4
-9,1
11,7
+1,1
Finland
-12,4
61,6
-12,6
14,0
-4,0
France
57,5
-6,5
44,4
-1,8
11,9
+0,6
Greece
96,0
+0,9
74,8
+11,9
33,5
+9,9
Germany
60.4
-6.7
24.3
-8.5
35.1
- 10.9
Hungary
57,1
-3,8
57,6
-5,2
17,6
-3,0
Italy
82,2
83,2
-1,7
53,7
-6,1
Poland
95,7
-1,5
91,8
-8,2
78,2
-8,4
Portugal
89,0
-2,1
85,4
-3,9
51,2
-3,7
Rusian F.
50,5
+12,5
60,1
+11.1
9,1
+5,3
Slovakia
76,8
+3,0
76,7
+0,3
49,8
Slovenia
70,0
+1,0
64,6
30,7
-4,8

14. EVS - Croatia, 2008

15. 1999 and 2008

16. Religion, politics, social expectations :
Ančić, B., Zrinščak, S. (2012) Religion in Central European Societies: Its Social Roles and People's Expectations. Religion and Society in Central and Eastern Europe 5(1):21-38

17. Ranking of the countries according to religiosity
RELIGIOUS SELF-IDENTIFICATION
(mean)
CHURCH PRACTICE (mean)
PRAYER (mean)
BELIEVING IN GOD
Romania
Poland
Croatia
Moldova
Serbia
Slovakia
Ukraine
Lithuania
Bulgaria
Belarus
Slovenia
Hungary
Czech Republic
Most religious
Religious
Less religious
Secular

18. Believing that Catholic Church can respond to the… yes, %
Croatia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Moral problems and needs of individuals
56.3
47.9
45.6
40.5
Problems of family life
55.1
52.5
42.1
34.5
Questions about meaning of life
64.5
66.8
53.4
50.3
Actual social problems in our country
37.2
35.4 31
26.5

19. Appropriateness of big Christian Churches to deal with… yes, %
Croatia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Unemployment 58
56.4
36.4
47.2
Abortion
48.8
51.6
31.5
30.3
Extramarital relations
50.7
57.5
32.7
36.2
Same-sex relations
52.1 53
32.2
30.7
Growing social differences
70.3
63.8 49
52.9
Politics of the government
30.1 36
19.5 33

20. neither disagree nor agree
For strengthening democracy it is important to assure that churches would have a role to play
For strengthening democracy it is important to assure that churches would have a role to play
(fully) disagree
neither disagree nor agree
(fully) agree
Croatia
38.1
26.1
35.8
Slovakia
33.3
31.3
35.4
Slovenia
58.6
24.3
17.0
Czech Republic
52.7
26.2
21.1

21. Influence of religious leaders on people’s voice and government (only answers (strongly) agree) %
Croatia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Czech Republic
Religious leaders should not influence people’s vote
84.6
74.3
82.7
73.7
Religious leaders should not influence government
80.5
70.2
82.5
69.4

22. There is a place for the public role of religion+ engagement in various social issues + opposition
Approval do not match perfectly the general level of religiosity
Strong opposition to political involvement (CRO + SLO!)
CZ – place for church-owned institutions