Journal index

This study on Dr. Isaac Basire discusses two letters written by him during the final and most tragic days of the history of Transylvania. Both letters are dated to the final period of the younger Prince George Rákóczi’s reign. Basire was a true-born royalist, one of the nearest „best men” of King Charles I, who was beheaded by the Puritans. That was the reason why he had to leave England, his wife and 5 children for 15 years. His correspondence was edited and partially translated by an English theologian, W. N. Darnell. Through this great work, albeit not a spotless one, we learn that Isaac Basire was not only a cruel rival of János Apáczai Csere, the illustrious representative of Transylvanian Christian pedagogy, but a man deeply sympathising with and loyal to Translyvania and the Rákóczi family during the hard, final days of their rule.

Beside his ministry, administrative tasks and teaching activities, Rvd. Dr. Dezső Bustya (February 2, 1935 – July 29, 2019) held lectures for ministers on various occasions. In the lecture published below, he interprets the narrative of judge Jephthah. He presents a historical, theological and exegetical analysis, followed by a summary of the homiletical aspects of this narrative.

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).