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    Published: 2026-07-18
    Vol. 58 (2026)

    Can the Proclamation of Christ Be a Form of Intolerance? Reflections on Contemporary Western Christophobia

    Jan Perszon
    Gdańsk Studies
    Section: Artykuły
    DOI https://doi.org/10.26142/stgd-2026-002

    Abstract

    In recent decades, Western societies have undergone a dynamic transformation in their religious, legal, mental, and cultural aspects. In the vast majority of Western countries, including Poland, there is a noticeable weakening of churches and Christian communities, particularly among younger generations who frequently abandon religious practice. These changes correlate with increasing pressure—enforced through legal regulations concerning, for example, the definition of marriage, the rights of the unborn, minority rights, and so-called hate speech—towards what is termed “tolerance.” This “tolerance” is regarded as the paramount civic virtue within mainstream institutions, such as media corporations, universities, NGOs, political parties and financial lobbies. Following a historical analysis of Church–state relations, this article reflects on the distinction between classical tolerance and “liberating” tolerance (the latter, according to some thinkers—including popes—might be associated with “soft totalitarianism”), the ideological roots of (in)tolerance (cultural Marxism), and the conflict between the Church’s mission understood as a public proclamation of Christ and the claims of advocates of a secular public sphere. Drawing on the constitutional analysis of Joseph Weiler, the article argues that the presence and mission of Christianity in a pluralistic society are not only permissible but essential for democratic order. “Militant tolerance” poses a real threat to civil rights—freedom of speech and freedom of religion—and is ultimately destructive for Europe and its identity.

    Keywords:

    tolerance, Christianity, relativism, Cultural Marxism

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    Perszon, J. (2026). Can the Proclamation of Christ Be a Form of Intolerance? Reflections on Contemporary Western Christophobia. Gdańsk Studies, 58, 19–37. https://doi.org/10.26142/stgd-2026-002

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