Luther, at the dawn of the Reformation, still struggling with monastic guilt, confused humility with self-depreciation, but he already sensed the secret of the mirifica commutatio, the so-called “miraculous exchange”, so prominent in the later works of the Reformers.
Since the second half of the 20th century, form-criticism has assumed the existence of the genre of the call narratives, after a certain pattern was discovered in the biblical call stories. The pericope I examine in this paper (Ex 2,23–4,17) is considered a call story. However, Ex 2,23–4,17 contains many other features beyond the familiar elements of the call narratives, which raises questions about the appropriateness of this genre identification.
In my study, I aim to demonstrate, through two examples, how the study of New Testament texts can become an engaging exercise that enhances our understanding of the author’s thought. By examining the story of the Akedah (31:12–32:13), which holds immense significance in Jewish tradition and a passage from the book of Ben Sirach, I seek to bring us closer to an understanding of the teachings found in the Letter of James and Paul’s writings in 1 Corinthians.
What responsibilities do Protestant pastors in 21st -century Transylvania fulfill, and how should theological education adapt to meet these needs? To address these questions, the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj-Napoca and the Institute of Religious Studies initiated a research project aimed at mapping the duties and roles of ministers within the region. The initial phase of the study involved in-depth interviews with Protestant leaders and ministers representing a variety of congregational backgrounds across Transylvania.
During their stay in the northern Netherlands (Utrecht, Groningen, Franeker) a circle of most talented Hungarian Peregrini around Georgius/György T. Martonfalvi wrote Greeting Poems (carmina gratulatoria) in Latin, Greek and even in Hebrew. Petrus/ Péter P. Csedregi, a student who started his studies at Sárospatak, also belonged to that circle of Peregrini.
The new ecumenical Hungarian Bible translation project began in 2017, following guidelines established by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the Bible Societies. This translation effort involves both Catholic and Reformed experts and has received approval from the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The project is characterised by a novel approach, where biblical scholars from philological, exegetical, and theological perspectives refine the base text prepared by the stylist.
The emergence of new manuscripts often raises the question of whether they contain authentic sayings of Jesus. What criteria can we use to determine if the Gospel of Thomas includes similar logia? This paper argues that ancient authors considered reports authentic in ways different from our modern judgments. Methodologically, this article first attempts to filter out non-authentic sayings. Approximately half of the logia in the Gospel of Thomas are presumably authentic, paralleling sayings preserved in the Synoptic Gospels.
This study examines the Egyptian vision of resurrection, initially developed in the cults of the gods Isis and Osiris. In this belief system, the deceased could unite with Osiris and find eternal rest in him. Initiates of Isis could escape the cruel power of fate, and Serapis, a near-human deity, offered a connection to mortal man. The mysteries were relatively easy to join and accessible to all, which sometimes led to confusion in the early Christian churches. The cult of Isis and Osiris spread rapidly throughout the Mediterranean.
John Calvin transformed the Western theology and law concerning sex, marriage and family life. Building on a generation of Protestant reformers, Calvin constructed a comprehensive new theology and law that made marital formation and divorce, children’s nurture and welfare, family cohesion and support, sexual sin and crime essential concerns for both church and state. He drew the Consistory and Council of Geneva into a creative new alliance to guide and govern the reformation of the intimate domestic sphere.
In the 19th century, the need to understand the past became increasingly prominent. However, archaeology as an independent science was not yet established. This is important to emphasise because the literature often describes Gábor Téglás as an “enthusiastic dilettante” in archaeology, as there was no such training available at Hungarian colleges, and it was still in its infancy at foreign academies. Flóris Rómer studied humanities, while Henrik Finály studied engineering, mathematics, physics, and ancient literature at the University of Vienna.