ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes to capture the subtle effects of democratization those that are associated with identity formation and self-perception through the choice of confession and the actual level of religiosity. Religiosity, actual and conscious choice of self-identification, is a strong and active form of identity that is formed after certain freedom was already given to the society; in other words, it is the outcome of democratization. The role of religion in post-Communist Europe posed a few puzzles to the academic discussion on the interaction between transition and the role of religion in society. While in consolidated Western democracies, religiosity has declined and society in this respect is passive, the post-Communist transition was associated with active recuperation of religious traditions and their regular practices. It took more time for post-Communist society to develop identification with historically present religions, such as Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Paganism and to a lesser degree Buddhism.
