Piotr Stepnowski
Preface
Care for human psychological and spiritual well-being is of central importance for the development of society and the relationships within it. Political and social changes of which we are participants and witnesses – the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the economic crisis – have brought about a rise in depression-related illnesses and waves of suicide. The natural response of societies is to look in religion and spirituality for answers, objectivity, and even possibilities of escape.
This need was acutely felt by the Polish Nobel prize-winner Wisława Szymborska, who wrote: “The person who has not tasted their own tears – is no real person.” Tears are an expression of emotion. Emotions are the companions of each of us and the stuff of our life from its very beginning. Not only do they link us in a multitude of ways with other people and with social groups, but they also mark out our spiritual and religious paths.
The individual – willy-nilly, consciously or less consciously – is subject to the generality of persons, and every minority, be it religious or national, is still a group. A central feature of society and of humanity is the perception of a human being as an individual entity, although one that operates in symbiosis with or opposition to others. This is a task, so important for society and the nation, that you, the members of the Polskie Towarzystwo Psychologii Religii i Duchowości (Polish Society for the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality), have undertaken for a decade. Scrutiny of the naturally delicate border between spirituality and religious feeling demands great knowledge and experience drawn from various disciplines. Members of the PTPRiD not only manifest these, but are able to use them in scholarly/scientific work in order to be able to look closely at these sensitive areas of our life.
I am proud that you chose the University of Gdańsk as the place to call PTPRiD into being. I am also proud of the fact that it is here within the walls of our University that you have chosen to celebrate the 10th anniversary of that founding. I wish you joy in exploring the areas of your research, and may future years bring growth and development!