Journal index

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 He superseded his age with his vision, so that some of those still wait to be accomplished.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.

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).