Journal index

Vortrag, gehalten am 16. Oktober 2018 in Szováta, im jährlichen Konvent des Pfarrvereins der Siebenbürgisch-Reformierten Landeskirche. In der ersten Hälfte des Aufsatzes gibt der Verfasser je eine globale und eine lokale Lagebeschreibung. Der heutigen globalen Selbstgefährdung der Menschheit (einem Auswuchs des „westlichen“ Geistes) wird eine nicht minder sichtbare, aber jene zerstörerische Kraft weit übertreffende andere globale Macht entgegengestellt: die umfassende Macht des Geistes Gottes, repräsentiert durch die Gemeinschaft der Geheiligten, aber präsent nicht nur in der Kirche. Die lokale Lagebeschreibung präsentiert die siebenbürgische reformierte Kirche als Minderheitenkirche, als Kirche an der Grenze von Ost und West und als Volkskirche, mit den spezifischen Aufgaben, die aus diesen drei Charakteristika abzuleiten sind. In der zweiten Hälfte wird das Zukunftsbild der Siebenbürgisch-Reformierten Landeskirche nicht mehr so umfassend entworfen, wohl aber an einem wunden Punkt kritisch betrachtet. Dieser wunde Punkt ist die heutige Verfassungsform der Institution „Kirche“. Dazu benützt der Verfasser einerseits eine ironische literarische Gattung, die der „Uchronie“: auf die Frage, „Was wäre geschehen, wenn...?“ folgt die Beschreibung eines Zeitablaufs, der nicht geschehen ist, aber hätte geschehen können. Andererseits wird aus den „Siebenbürgischen 95 Thesen“, einer Thesenreihe, die junge Pastoren zum Reformationsjubiläum zusammengestellt haben, das Kapitel über die Erneuerung des Pfarrerstandes positiv gewertet. Am Ende des Aufsatzes folgen vier kurze Thesen über die Zukunft, wie sie aus christlich-reformierter Perspektive (Bibel und Katechismus) begründet wird.

N. T. Wright’s approach to the historical-Jesus-debate throws a new light on the resurrection quest. In his view, the ultimate question of the ’resurrection research’ should be: what happened on that first Easter that has ultimately led to the early Christianity and its faith? Early Christianity’s answer is that Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has risen. Nobody was there on that moment and still, we have two historically secure indications: the empty grave and Jesus’ appearances. These two are important and appropriate backgrounds for the belief that Jesus was really risen from the dead.

Doctor honoris causa címmel tüntették ki dr. Gánóczy Sándor emeritus professzort Kolozsváron.

Ist 1. Petrus 3,18–22 eine Taufrede, dann kann der Bibeltext nicht bloß als eine Lehre und Verpflichtung angesehen werden, sondern hier ist auch ein Gewissheit bietender Trost zu finden: Vielleicht leben, oder werden die Christen in Sintflut leben, aber die Arche, bzw., was die Arche als Vorbild zeigen will, die Taufe ist jene Möglichkeit, die Gott „den Gerechten und Untadligen“ angeboten hat. Diese Perikope sagt mit anderen Worten das Selbe, was in den Briefen an die Römer, Galater und Kolosser von der Taufe geschrieben ist, aber hier wurzelt die Lehre über die Taufe in einem weiteren geschichtlichen und heilgeschichtlichen Kontext. Zugleich gibt diese Bibelstelle sehr betont Weisungen und Hoffnung den Lesern hinsichtlich ihrer aktuellen gesellschaftlichen, menschlichen Situation.

Even though the ancient solar cult goes back to the early days of the Roman Republic, it had to wait for a long time to gain far-reaching acceptance. Emperors were fond of increasing the influence of Deus Sol in society on both political and religious grounds. Initially, they took great care to ensure that their personal prestige remained more important than that particular influence. However, during the late Principate-period, with the continuous growth of syncretistic and monotheistic tendencies, the cult of the Sol Invictus increased the people’s reverence towards the ‘creators’ of the cult. The purpose of this study is to examine this process in the light of religious policy and philosophical research.

Der Beitrag ist zum Anlass des 120jähriges Bestehens des Reformierten Theologischen Fakultät in Klausenburg, und 25jähriges Jubiläum des gemischten Chores des Protestantisch Theologischen Institutes in Klausenburg als Vortrag gehalten. Die Tradition eines Fakultätschores führt das alte Vorbild von den protestantischen Kollegien weiter, wo das Chorsingen sowie Musik- und Kirchengesangunterricht eine wichtige Rolle spielte. Diese Tradition wurde ab 19. Jahrhundert bis 1945 auch unter der Obhut des Gesang- und Musikvereins der Fakultät gepflegt. 1990 wurde vom Professor László Attila Kovács der gemischte Chor der Fakultät gegründet, der ab 2008 von Timea Benkő geleitet wird.

This article remembers Rev. Antal Mihály Nagy and presents his work as a theologian. For some generations to come he will surely be remembered as the „Israel-theologian” of the Hungarian Reformed Church. As a former student of his, I remember his conviction that Israel and the Church, sharing the same covenant, are inseparable. Secondly, I remember his strong belief that a history of Israel cannot be written apart from the credo of Israel. Finally, I remember his open attitude towards his students, his clear preaching and his humble way in presenting his life-long experiences and theological explanations. The article acknowledges his deep interest in theological education and spiritual formation of his students at the Reformed Theological Academy of Sárospatak.

Jesus refers to the Law when the Scribes and Pharisees accuse a woman of adultery: “the hands of the witnesses shall be the first raised against the person to execute the death penalty” (Deut 17,7). According to Károly Balázs, the word avnama,rthtoj ‘without sin’ used in the Gospel is etymologically related to ma,rturoj ‘witness’. If he is right, this might shed a new light on our interpretation of this pericope, as well as our view of sin in general. On the other hand, if there is no such relationship, the reference to the law raises the possibility of false witnessing. None of the accusers dared to raise his hand against the accused woman.

The consolidation of the entire law system of Hungary during the 19th century (e. g. laws of 38/1868, 34/1874, 43/1895, and 33/1896) created a brand-new alliance between Austria (ruled by the Habsburg-house) and Hungary, which paved the way for the practical fulfillment of the Kiegyezés (Compromise / Ausgleich) in 1867. This special legal situation influenced not only the everyday life but also the higher educated levels of the so-called “Reformed Church of Hungary”. In this sparkling intellectual sphere, several essays, books, and cyclopedia were published related to the history of the Reformation and the life of John Calvin. Among the pieces of this irretrievable literary heritage, the collection of Calvin-biographies (1864−1906) written in Hungarian bears a distinctive role. In spite of the rich history of Hungarian Calvin-research, the several portraits of Calvin illuminated by these biographies have not been examined until now. Among the prominent representatives of the Hungarian Calvin researchers, Imre Révész did the first substantial contribution to the opening of the closed world of Calvin’s collective memories in Hungary. One of his best-known books was the Life of Calvin (1864). It was the first biography of Calvin published in Hungarian. However, Révész’s evaluation of Calvin’s personality and his role for example in Servetus’ death caused a long-standing debate in the published and the unpublished works of Calvin-researchers as well. Namely, Révész and his famous follower, Ferenc Balogh (1864), believed the reformer was “quite innocent” in the death penalty of Servetus, but their literary “opponents”, for instance Ferenc Szilágyi (1864), Pál Schneider (1877), Károly Szász (1878), Lajos Warga (1887), Ferenc Kanyaró (1891), and Jenő Zoványi (1908), depicted Calvin as a bloodthirsty tyrant, dictator of Geneva who persecuted intellectual freedom entirely.

Biblical dreams are obviously very important for those who deal with the history or psychology of dreams. The question is whether they are indeed relevant also for the catechesis? This study argues that biblical stories in which dreams play a great importance could and should be presented through the lenses of these dreams. By means of the dreams of Joseph and the vision of Peter we aim to sketch the catechetical potential of the biblical stories.

On one occasion Jung asked the awkward question: how can a theologian, who really believes in God, affirm that God does not speak trough dreams? Indeed, may one seriously assert that God corrects, rebukes and encourages us through dreams in these days too? Can dreams help us in tomes of crisis, for instance, in the mourning process? In this paper, we attempt to answer those questions based on the experts of the subject, and taking into consideration the authority of the Bible.

In Calvin’s eschatological reflection the intermediate state of the believer is of primary importance. After death the soul leaves body, the body (and only the body) falls into sleep, the soul, however, rests by God. The perfect happiness of the soul is not diminished by the fact that in this intermediate state one still has to wait for the resurrection. Although Calvin uses platonic terminology in order to clarify his ideas, the scriptural content usually overwrites this platonic terminology. The prudence, ingenuity, critical acumen, erudition, and biblical thinking of Calvin make his eschatological cogitations worthy of (re)considering for his 21st century readers, too.

László Musnai, pastor and theology professor. His work and activity can not be listed into one specific theological area. Considering his basic qualification, he is a New Testament scholar, on which field he has written his phd thesis. But if we look at his other books and publications we can say, that he is as good in Bible-translating or in church history, as in biblical studies. As far as his social and educational activity is concerned, he was a prominent church leader and appreciated teacher as well. So, he did not isolate himself into the ivory tower of science, but took an active part of the everyday life wherever his calling brought him to. With a vast life and scientific experience he was wholeheartedly committed to the Hungarian Reformed Church in Transylvania in general, and to the Gábor Bethlen middle school in particular. His example should be a guiding star for each of us.

Art historians argue that a painting of Anthony van Dyck from around 1620, kept in the National Gallery of Arts in Budapest, depicts John, the evangelist. However, nothing on the painting confirms this interpretation. In his short study, minister and painter Áron Bak, brings art historical and biblical arguments that the painting does not represent the evangelist John but Jesus Christ accepting the cup of suffering.

This lecture endeavours to answer the following questions: In what sense was the 500th anniversary of the Reformation different from any previous celebrations? What is the relationship between modernity and the Reformation? Does the Reformation have a formative role in the contemporary society? This study breaks with the traditional and linear interpretation of modernity and offers reverse methodology. Starting from the vantage point of the modern society, it examines the religious and theological impulses, and those interfaith dynamics that can have a role in shaping/modelling a peaceful coexistence of cultures and religions. These impulses are: the necessary interaction between various branches of science and religion in the academic setting; the value of the spiritual/theological interpretation of reality in our society; the freedom of conscience and religious thought in the secular state and in the church; and the preservation of self-identity in the age of mass manipulation. Pondering over these issues can and will make our celebration more relevant in the contemporary setting.

Diese Arbeit ist die redaktierte Wiedergabe jenes Vortrags, der im Herbst 2016 im christlichkulturellen Zentrum, Posticum (Oradea/Großwardein) gehalten wurde, mit dem Zweck dem Ökumenismus Wege zu öffnen und die Annäherung zwischen den Konfessionen zu fördern. Die Arbeit zeigt zuerst den geschichtlichen Hintergrund der jüdisch-samaritanischen Feindschaft. Es werden aus der Begegnugsgschichte Jesu mit der Samaritanerin solche Momente hervorgehoben, die im konfessionellen Zwiegespräch paradigmatisch gelten könnten.

Zsigmond Varga, snr. was a pioneer in the field of Religious Studies in Hungary. His life and fate remarkably reflects and mirrors the history and fate of Hungary during the historically tense 20th century. The present study attempts to show the connections and reflections between Zsigmond Varga’s life-events and the historical tragedies and developments in Hungary. The seven decades of his life reflects five significant periods of Hungarian history from the very last golden age of Hungary during the end of the 19th century until the post-World War II communist era. The present study argues that the central issue of his legacy is the incorporation of the study of religions in the curriculum of theological training.

This paper presents a summary of Sándor Makkai’s lifework (1890–1951) focusing on his frequent appeals to reform. This study concentrates on those publications in which he reassesses national, ecclesiastical and personal issues. I offer a review of the situation of the church, the theological education, the components of the national pedagogy and minority politics. We also perceive his major achievements as a pastor, as a theological professor and as the bishop of the Transylvanian Reformed Church District. He was critical towards the practices and beliefs of his age, and his reforms aimed to reach the most divergent issues. He raised existential questions, encouraged the members of his nation of a minority status. He superseded his age with his vision, so that some of those still wait to be accomplished. Sándor Makkai was the loud conscience of his generation.

The attack against the ideas of illumination was the last desperate attempt of the Transylvanian reformed orthodox theology at the Synod of Küküllővár in 1791, when János Zilahi Sebes and János Bodola were indicted for spreading the teachings of arminian, socionian and pelagian theology. He defended himself in an exhaustive testimony and also defended the book of the German reformed professor, Samuel Endemann, used in Transylvanian schools as a manual of dogmatic theology.

In Central and Eastern Europe, the pluriform cultural historical picture was determined by the flourishing of national arts, as well as the arrival and establishment of artists from countries far away. The painter Iacob Graf, spelled in Hungarian as Jakab Gráf, arrived from Switzerland to Transylvania. His heritage is of exceptional documentary value, but he was also a noticeable teacher of art. Through several decades he laid the foundations of the pedagogy of drawing and directed many generations towards the love of arts.

Resurrection is one of the central topics in Christian theology, widely discussed within both christology and anthropology. This idea deriving from the New Testament is deeply rooted in Old Testament texts, or, more precisely, in a particular interpretation of those texts. However, this later approach of the New Testament and contemporary Judaism to Old Testament passages speaking about resurrection raises significant questions for current Christian readers who, on the one hand, are familiar with the historical-critical reading of the Bible, and, on the other, strive to be faithful to their tradition. This paper seeks for answers concerning the discrepancy between a responsible exegetical enterprise and the fidelity towards the ecclesial tradition. It maintains that the current reader needs to distinguish between the statement of Christian theology (“the Lord has risen”) and its argumentation (based on Old Testament references). The statement is primarily rooted in the personal experience of eyewitnesses, while the argumentation bears all signs of contemporary time bound hermeneutics.