Systematic theology

The Problem of Forgiveness in the Context of the Metaphysics and Anthropology of Vladimir Jankélévitch. II.

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This paper concludes that within the moral philosophy of Jankélévitch, the problem of forgiveness is ambiguous; or rather the author has an ambiguous attitude towards forgiveness. His point of view also has shortcomings that are due to the deficiencies of his metaphysics, his anthropology, his image of God and his interpretation of death. The God of Jankélévitch is creative energy, eternal acting goodness and love, but it is not a person and does not personally know its creations.

The Confession of József Makfalvi

The Arminianist doctrine concerning predestination as well as Cocceius' theology of the covenant, which intended to dilute the inflexibility of the Dordrecht decisions, kept the Dutch theology of the seventeenth century in fever, causing serious problems even during the first half of the eighteenth. The Hungarian adepts of these doctrines were Sámuel Nádudvari, József Makfalvi, András Huszti, Ferenc Csepregi Turkovics and György Verestói, who, after their return home, began to disseminate the teaching, which differred from the confessions of the Transylvanian Reformed Church.

The problem of forgiveness in the context of the metaphysics and anthropology of Vladimir Jankélévitch. I.

Contributor

This paper concludes that within the moral philosophy of Jankélévitch, the problem of forgiveness is ambiguous; or rather the author has an ambiguous attitude towards forgiveness.His point of view also has shortcomings that are due to the deficiencies of his metaphysics, his anthropology, his image of God and his interpretation of death. The God of Jankélévitch is creative energy, eternal acting goodness and love, but it is not a person and does not personally know its creations.

The Absolution: Understanding is Forgiving

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This paper examines the issue of absolution by Vladimir Jankélévitch. The absolving party’s role is to discover the cause external to man, deep down beneath human malice, which motivates the criminal actions. With an investigator’s zeal, an answer is sought to the question of “unde malum”? The old answer comes from dualism: the negative transcendent force, Satan, is the source of all sins. If there is an explanation, sin is mitigated and rage is attenuated, therefore explanations must be found. So one needs to explain – and this absolves one from all obligations of forgiveness.

Reformation and Modernity

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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.

Calvin’s Teaching About the Intermediate State, or Does Soul Sleep after Death?

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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.

“I believe in the Holy Spirit”

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D. dr. István Tőkés (1917–2016), professor of New Testament, explained the Holy Scriptures as an exegete committed to serving the church, staying on the fundament of the writings of the Reformation. A witness to this attitude is this short personal notice in which he clarifies the meaning of ‘I believe in the Holy Spirit’.