Orthodoxy, Social Mobility, and Economic Prosperity in Socialist and Post-Socialist Poland

Drawing on the analysis of the life trajectories of second and third generation Orthodox Belarusian farmers born in Poland (aged 50–70), this article discusses the interconnections between religion and economy by looking at the dynamic of the relationship between the socialist modernizing project and a religious identity considered as subaltern. It is argued that by downplaying the significance of religion in the public sphere, socialism made possible social mobility in this group and opened avenues to economic prosperity. The biographies of these farmers indicate a strong correlation between Orthodox identity and aspirations to leave their peasant roots behind and attain a high social status, which has often led to them prospering economically in the post-socialist period.