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In this study we analyse some aspects of Sándor Makkai’s approach to religion. According to Makkai, the most important and most fundamental question of religious psychology is the mysterious origin of religion. When this question is answered, the essence of the essence of the psychology of religion will also be identified. Philosophy, social studies, science, sociopsychology and empirical psychology all intend to address issues familiar within the realms of the psychology of religion, including the aforementioned focal question. Makkai points out why the disciplines mentioned cannot, in his view, correctly approach psychology of religion and define religion itself. Makkai argues that the epistemological psychology of Károly Böhm provides the most fitting psychological description of the origins of religion. With this starting point, he delineates his interpretation of the concept of religion and of the religious experience.

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).