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Jadranka Brnčić
Episode · #498

EKUMENA I ETIKA U POSLOVANJU Jadranka Brnčić

Guest Jadranka BrnčićHosted by Augustin BašićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

In societies grappling with the separation of church and state, the lines between secularism and secularization often blur, creating complex challenges for public ethics and business. Jadranka Brnčić, a lecturer of biblical hermeneutics, offers a precise lens on this dynamic, particularly within the Croatian context. She argues that what often appears as a decline in religious adherence might instead be a nuanced form of dissent against institutional practices, rather than a rejection of faith itself. Brnčić critically examines how religious institutions, particularly the Catholic Church, navigate their role in a secular state, from the financial implications of state agreements to the impact of demographic shifts on traditional values. Her analysis cuts through statistical assumptions, revealing how a focus on political influence can overshadow a spiritual mission, reshaping the very fabric of public discourse and ethical leadership. This conversation will prompt you to reconsider the true meaning of secular society, the unstated power dynamics between faith and state, and what it truly takes for institutions—religious or otherwise—to foster genuine ethical frameworks in a complex world.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Professor Brnčić opens the conversation by clarifying that secularism—the principle of state-religion separation—is distinct from secularization, which describes a society's detachment from religious values. Before debating societal trends, first define the terms accurately.
02
Looking at census data showing a rise in non-believers, Brnčić points out that statistics only capture numerical changes, not qualitative ones. A shift in declared affiliation doesn't necessarily reveal deeper shifts in belief or practice.
03
The apparent rise in atheism might actually reflect a different trend: Christians becoming 'braver in not declaratively stating their affiliation because they disagree with what a certain institution stands for.' Declining affiliation can signal dissent from institutional positions, not just a loss of personal faith.
04
Zagreb's slower secularization trend, Brnčić suggests, is partly due to young people moving from rural areas 'where traditional values are still strongly preserved.' Demographic shifts can introduce 'retraditionalization' into urban centers, even as the wider society secularizes.
05
On the Vatican agreements, Brnčić highlights that 'the state allocates an enormous amount of money to the Church... but at the same time, it makes priests privileged people in society. That is not healthy.' Financial ties between state and religious institutions can create unhealthy privileges and distort societal equity.
06
Sociologist Željko Marišić, Brnčić recalls, argued that post-socialist Croatia saw 'only formal' changes in the Church, not an 'internal conversion,' because it 'did not allow healthy secularization.' When a religious institution prioritizes political power over spiritual transformation, it impedes healthy societal development.
07
Today, Brnčić observes, 'in the Church, you will hear only politicization and moralizing. Almost nothing about spirituality.' When a religious institution neglects its core spiritual mission for political discourse, it creates a void and risks alienating its followers.
08
The Church, as an institution, has become 'a kind of closed club of like-minded people who speak their own language and are exclusive towards everyone else.' An institution that becomes insular and exclusive, speaking only to its own, loses its broader societal relevance and ethical influence.
09
Addressing the question of ethics in business amidst corruption, Brnčić argues it connects to 'the role and function of Christians or believers in public discourse, in the public space.' The ethical fabric of society depends on how individuals, including those of faith, embody their values in public life.
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