Religijność - aktywność - obywatelskość. O społecznym potencjale organizacji religijnych w Polsce

The aim of the article is to attempt giving an answer to the question of what the social and civic potential of religious societies, movements and communities consists in. The point of departure is a general characterization of religious organizations and tasks ascribed to them by the Church. They are located in two mutually interpenetrating areas: inside the Church and in the lay reality. Taking into consideration these tasks as well as the perspective determined by understanding and by the tasks of the civil society, five dimensions have been distinguished and analyzed that are connected with the functioning of these organizations in the civil society: a religious character or/and religious inspiration, socially useful activity, a local character, commonness and values, social capital as well as social and civil competences. Analysis of the indicated dimensions reveals a multi-dimensional potential of religious organizations and its basis.