Contemporary Western culture is increasingly defined by a “therapeutic” paradigm, where individuals are viewed as subjects requiring constant emotional care and self-development. This trend increasingly penetrates traditional religious practices, leading to the emergence of what can be termed “religious coaching.” This paper analyzes the phenomenon of Father Adam Szustak OP, a Dominican friar and one of Poland’s most influential media preachers, as a primary representative of this shift. Utilizing a sociological and cultural studies perspective, the research examines how religious discourse is adapted to the logic of emotional well-being and authenticity. The study employs a qualitative case study method, analyzing content from Szustak’s YouTube channel, “Langusta na Palmie” (over 940,000 subscribers), with a focus on high-engagement videos addressing relationship dynamics and emotional crises. Results indicate a significant linguistic and conceptual transformation: traditional theological categories like sin and salvation are frequently augmented by psychological concepts such as “emotional needs,” “active listening,” and “trauma healing.” Quantitative data reveals that approximately 37% of the channel’s most popular content falls within the therapeutic realm, prioritizing personal psychological health. The discussion highlights that Fr. Szustak’s activity reflects a broader process of religious mediatization, where faith is reinterpreted as a tool for achieving psychological resilience. While this approach effectively addresses existential emptiness, it prompts critical reflection on whether such “therapeutic Catholicism” constitutes a necessary pastoral adaptation or a “modern excess” that potentially dilutes theological depth in favor of individual emotional satisfaction.
The Gospel of Well-being: Adam Szustak OP and the Rise of Therapeutic Catholicism in Poland