Journal index

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.

We are always seeking for the sense of the life, for ourselves and for the place in our family and community. Religion shows a new way to us, according to Jesus Christ’s principles. The son of God not only created a religion, but gave us an example how to live, and sacrifice himself for us. Sándor Karácsony reckons religion as a spiritual behavior, the base of our social contacts. We have to see into our lives and character according to the message of Jesus Christ. The right and appropriate personality can be evolved by individual training.

The views of Sándor Karácsony about religious education can be clearly discerned from his writings. The main task of reformed pedagogy is to activate continuously the divine notions in this continuously changing world. Protestant teachers must accomplish their daily work according to the Gospel of Christ. The Hungarian Reformed Church was a so-called “church of schools” for hundreds of years. This means that even between WWI and WWII it owned more schools than churches. The number of Reformed schools is significant even today. Sándor Karácsony claims that only Reformed people and communities are able to maintain Reformed schools by people who “are ready to serve and sacrifice themselves” for this cause (Karácsony, Sándor: A magyarok Istene. Széphalom Könyvműhely, Budapest 2004, 172).