Introduction: Democracy in the Pre-War Era?

Abstract

The introductory chapter to the volume Threats to Democracy: Nationalism, Populism, Extremism and Christianity’s Response to Them, written by Maciej Ostrowski and Patryk Zając, seeks to diagnose the contemporary condition of democracy amid growing geopolitical, populist, and ideological tensions. The authors argue that we no longer live in a post-war era but in a pre-war one, as the global order established after World War II is disintegrating. Within this context, they analyze the rise of nationalism, populism, and extremism, particularly in relation to their entanglement with religion and the instrumentalization of Christianity for political purposes. The text outlines the goals and structure of the research project that underpins the volume and describes the book’s four-part composition: introductory, socio-political, philosophical, and theological. A key element is the so-called “Herdorf Method,” presented as an example of democratically practiced Christianity. The introduction highlights the Christian dimension of cultivating democratic habits grounded in openness to diversity and respect for human dignity. It emphasizes the universal character of the Christian message and its potential to foster unity in a pluralistic world.