Religiosity and political tolerance in Poland

Data from the 1993 Polish General Social Survey (N = 1, 649) give little su pport to a popular view that religious influences in postcommunist Poland a re essentially illiberal and associated with political intolerance. When th e influences of socioeconomic status, age, and social liberalism are contro lled, religious affiliation, commitment, and participation have only weak i ndirect effects on political tolerance. What Predicts intolerance directly is a political correlate of religiosity - support for the power of the chur ch in society. Thus, political intolerance is predicted by theocratic polit ical beliefs rather than religious affiliation, commitment, and participati on. However, the majority of Polish Catholics does not share such beliefs. In this case, Popular religiosity is an unlikely obstacle to democratic con solidation.