Christianization and forming of religious identity of tribal communities. Postulates within research on christianization of Barbaricum (studying sources for the history of west Slavs in 11th and 12 cen.)
The article concerns describing of Christianization of West Slavs in sources from the 11th and 12th cen. (e.g. Thietmar’s Chronicle, The Life of Otto of Bamberg). There not only individuals, but also whole groups of people (gentes) or countries (e.g. Pomerania) were included as Christian communities (Christianitas), and a permanent element in forming of these literary image was autonomous describing of both implications of conversion: individual and collective. The result of this phenomenon was crediting of the Christian identity to particular communities (e.g. Lutici) independently from the level of development of the conversion among the individuals. A theological idea of subordinating of whole peoples and countries to Christ, used by Christian monarchs and Church organization connected with them, played a crucial meaning for such interpretations.