In this study we examine whether, and if so how, the confluence of religion and party has impacted voting in the U.S Congress over the past half century. We address two primary questions: first, has
religion contributed to the growing political partisanship among members of Congress over this period, and second, if so, are these cleavages reflected in congressional voting patterns? We answer both questions in the affirmative.

The article deals with the contemporary study of religiosity. The author addresses two core questions of the sociology of religion: what methods are appropriate for the study of religiosity, and what factors affect religiosity? Regarding the first question, contemporary multidimensional studies are described. The author emphasises the limitations of the quantitative method of scales and analyses the criteria of religiosity used in those studies. Considering the factors that affect religiosity and based on Robert Bellah’s theory of religious evolution and Peter Berger’s biographical approach, the author suggests that the historical, cultural, sociopolitical and biographical context should be taken into account in order to better understand the phenomenon of religiosity. Considering the limitations of quantitative methods, it is suggested that they be combined with qualitative methods. Special attention is paid to the studies carried out in the former Soviet Union.

Philosophy of Religion as a Way to Scepticism

This article presents philosophy of religion as a specific branch of religious studies. The main philosophical problems of religion are the possibility of defi ning religion, the truthfulness of religion, the nature of God (as the main object of religious worship), the existence of God, and the rationality (or irrationality) of religious behaviour. In every problem you can be a sceptic, because we have no rational method guaranteeing the successful definition of religion (every definition is subjective and either too narrow or too large). Unfortunately, we are not able to defi ne God (or Holiness) as the object of religion; every defi nition is only partial or incoherent. Therefore, we do not have any proof of God’s existence or nonexistence, and because of this neither can we say that religious behaviour is rational or irrational (and especially which religious behaviour). This means that philosophy of religion, which tries to resolve the essential problem of religion, is the best way to religious scepticism.

Nimrod and the Dread of the Empire: Antipersona

This article aims to provide a hermeneutic reconstruction of the figure of the biblical Babel’s mysterious protagonist and a negative cultural protagonist, Nimrod. An interpretative discourse is undertaken on the basis of the rich source data: biblical, apocryphal and pseudoepigraphical texts, and rabbinic literature, extracted by M.J. Bin Gorion (Berdyczewski) and L. Ginzberg, to mention the two most important compilers of Jewish legends and Hebrew myths. The concept of dread of the empire, found in rabbinic literature and elucidated by José Faur, appears to be crucial for understanding the complex figure of Nimrod. The reconstruction is performed with the aid of Andrzej Wierciński’s Antipersona category.

This paper attempts to show the unknown life story of Robert Walter (1908–1981). Walter was one of the best-known Polish esotericist, and yet the most forgotten, as well as the leader of the Memphis-Misraim Order, who also used the pseudonym “Waltari”. His story remains unknown to this day, including the time of being imprisoned by the Offi ce of Public Security (UB). Based on the documentation kept in the archives of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), agential reports indicate he raised interest on two levels: the first was his connections in esoteric and academic circles, and the second – the more important – his acquaintance with Boris Smyslovsky during the years of the occupation.

The One-eyed and One-handed Mythologem according to Georges Dumézil

This article tackles the topic of comparative Indo-European studies, for which the starting point is the work of Georges Dumézil. In his book Mithra-Varuna – Essai sur deux Representations indoeuropéennes de la Souveraineté (1940, FAC), the French historian compared the eponymous Vedic dvandva to numerous structures present in the myths of other peoples – for example, the Scandinavian pair Tyr-Odin and Baldur-Hodur, the Roman pair Mucius Scaevola and Horatius Cocles, the Celtic pair Nuada and Lugh, and many others. A signifi cant detail is the attribution of the gods – the first is often lacking a hand (or both hands), and the other is one-eyed (or blind).

Respect, Veneration, Worship. The Bible and Protestants

This article discusses the Bible and its place in Protestants’ daily lives. The study was made within the anthropology of things or anthropology of objects, a type of refl ection focusing on analysis of the behaviours associated with objects. It is assumed that such a study reveals the non-discursive (occurring outside of verbal declarations) beliefs related to a given thing, in this case the Bible. For Protestants it is the Word of God, a material record of the voice of God Himself, directed to the faithful and setting rules to live by. Although, as Max Weber said, Protestantism in the history of European culture means the “disenchantment” of religious attitudes, the examples cited in the article demonstrate the lively presence the remnants of archaic religious attitudes retain in the popular mentality. A declarative respect for the book sometimes conceals belief in its sanctity

Recenzja książki: Piotr Czarnecki, Kataryzm włoski, Historia i doktryna, Kraków 2013, 418 stron

Recenzja książki: Janusz Dobieszewski, Absolut i historia. W kręgu myśli rosyjskiej, TAiWPN Universitas, Kraków 2012, 342 strony

Recenzja książki: Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe, Kaarina  Aitamurto, Scott Simpson (eds.), Durham 2013, 358 stron