Churches and Religious Organizations in Shaping Local Social Resilience: Evidence from Poland

This article analyses the role of churches and religious organizations in shaping social resilience to threats from a local perspective. The aim of the study was to identify the scope and forms of cooperation between municipal authorities and churches as well as other religious organizations in the context of preventing and responding to crisis situations. The study was conducted through surveys of representatives of municipal authorities and churches and other religious organizations in the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, using the CATI/CAWI method. The findings indicate that cooperation is primarily focused on social support and assistance to vulnerable groups, while the potential of religious organizations in preparedness, risk communication, volunteer mobilization, and post-crisis recovery remains underutilized. The results also reveal differences in the perceptions of cooperation between local authorities and religious organizations, highlighting organisational and communication barriers. The findings suggest that more systematic institutional cooperation with faith-based organizations may provide opportunities to better utilize their perceived potential in local resilience building.