Journal index

The History of the Endeman-story. Comparing the dispute which took place at the end of the eighteenth century with earlier cases of doctrinal discipline it becomes evident that whilst both Nádudvari and Huszti admitted to their guilt, and the accusers also proved all the accusations, in this dispute neither the defendants did confess their guilt, nor the accusers were able to prove their observations beyond any reasonable doubt as they did before in the two former trials. The fact that the two accused teachers, Bodola and Zilahi repeatedly refer to the unfounded and superficial character of the allegations in their apologetic letters shows the existence of personal dissension. Further, the error in the dating of the synod's indictment (containing the wrong year) speaks for itself. The Supreme Consistorium also referred to the the synod's allegations as 'prejudice' and 'wrong opinion'. Further, one should not forget that after the closure of the trial the two teachers continued their work undisturbed, moreover, they were looking forward to a bright career. Nonetheless, had they been proven guilty of heresy (heterodoxy), this would undoubtedly have meant the end of their teaching as well as ecclesiastical activities. According to the presently available evidence including the still extant material of the trial we can assert beyond reasonable doubt that in the Endemann case some personal antipathies and not the rejection of the ecclesiastically accepted confessions stood at the basis of the dispute.

Az utóbbi másfél évtizedet a hazai erdélyi tárgyú kutatások előtérbe, sőt túlsúlyba kerülése jellemzi leginkább, illetve az új kutatási módszerek és fiatal kutatók egyre erőteljesebb jelentkezése.

Textiles from the 18th Century at the Reformatted Congregations of Déva and Hátszeg. The two chosen congregations can be found in towns of the historical HunyadZarand region. Among the characteristics of this Transylvanian area is that it lost a major Hungarian population during the last centuries. Reformatted congregations died out so many historical and cultural monuments and objects were also lost in time. The congregations of Deva and Hatszeg have a specific character. In the last century many objects were moved here, on purpose to save them, from the surrounding churches, where no reformatted lived anymore. Unfortunately only a few textiles survived till our days: at Deva – two pieces, at Hatszeg – three pieces. One of them was donated to Deva, and one to Hatszeg, as we can read from the inscriptions on the textiles, telling us also by whom and when they became property of the congregation. From earlier documents can we localize another in scripted (the name of the donator and date) piece to Nagypesteny, now found at Hatszeg. But in case of two textiles we have no information about their origin. All five textiles, having a white cross fabric material of flax or cotton, were embroidered with colored silk and metallic threads, showing mostly floral patterns. The present study / article presents in detail these embroideries which are specific artifacts of the 18th century Transylvania.

The Relationship of the Eucharist and Reconciliation in the Didaché. The author analyzes the relation of the Eucharist and reconciliation through one of the well-known writings of the Early Church – The Lord’s Teaching to the Nations Through the Twelve Apostles. Christianity has evolved from Judaism, and despite many differences there are still numerous similarities, overlaps as the feast, liturgy, prayer, Holy Communion and the renewal of the covenant. The meaning and content of the Eucharist went through several changes during the history of the Church, and differences of opinion on this point exist even in our days. The Eucharist is an important part of Christian faith which lives in the Parousia, through this Christians are in ongoing relation with the resurrected Lord. As a result of the reconciliation of Christ, the participation of Christians in the Eucharist enforces their relation to each other. The strong relationship between the Eucharist and reconciliation is clearly stated in the 8th verse of the 4th chapter of the Didaché: “for if ye are partakers in that which is immortal, how much more in things which are mortal”.

The Autobiography of Gyula Mihaly Szigethy. The „peregrinatio academica” is a well documented topic of the transylvanian cultural history from the 17–18th century. Szigethi Gyula Mihály (1758–1837) was one of the thousands of young people, who choosed to travel thousands of miles in order to continue their studies in western-European universities. After finishing the college of Marosvásárhely (Tg. Mures) –one of the best transylvanian calvinist schools of his time –, thanks to the financial support of count Joseph Teleki, he attended the universities of Marburg, Göttingen, Stuttgart and Viena in the period between 1786–1790. Returning home he choosed not to become a priest as it would be a custom in those times, earninig his living for a few years as a privateprofessor in the courts of local nobils. In 1797 ha was ellected professor of the college from Udvarhely (Odorheiul Secuiesc), where he made a carrier, retiring in 1823. In this time he published among others articles about the history of the town and the college of Udvarhely. Although his journal written between 1786–1790 no longer exists, his autobiography –published in our article– written in 1833 contains important datas about the transylvanian educational system from the late 18th and the beginning of the 19th century.

Bischof Mihály Tasnádi Ruber und seine Familie. Diese Studie stellt eine Ergänzung der biografischen Daten von Bischof Mihály Tasnádi Ruber (cca. 1560–1618) aufgrund von früher entdeckten und bisher unbekannten Quellen. Es ist allgemein bekannt, dass Tasnádi um 156o in Tasnád geboren wurde. Zwischen 1587 und 1591 studierte er in Wittenberg. Über seine erste Pfarrstelle haben wir keine sichere Kenntnisse. Die Fachliteratur erwähnt Gyalu und Bánffyhunyad, Gyalu kann jedoch ausgeschlossen werden. Die Kirchengeschichtsschreibung des 18. Jhs. behauptet, dass er am 7. März 1605 zum Bischof gewählt wurde. Die Bischofsstelle war jedoch seit 1602 lehr und eine aus 1714 stammende Bischofsliste sowie Namenlisten aus Kirchenkreisprotokolle bezeugen, dass er schon in 1602 zum Bischof gewählt wurde. Wir meinen auch, dass er sein Bischofsamt in 1602 angetreten hat. Die dritte Frage ist, wann er seinen Dienst im Magyarigen angefangen hat. Aus neuen Quellen erfahren wir, dass er irgendwann nach 1615 nach Magyarigen umsiedelte. Aus seinem Testament und aus einer anderen Schrift, die nach dem Tod seines Sohnes entstand, erfahren wir mehr über seine Güte und Familie. In 16o7 wurde er in den Adelstand erhoben. Vor seinem Tod besaß er drei Häuser und andere Immobilien, seine Bibliothek enthielt 93 Bände. Er hat zweimal geheiratet. Seine erste Frau war Anna Kádas aus Neumarkt am Mieresch. Aus dieser Ehe sind zwei Kinder geboren: Ferenc und Katalin. Die zweite Frau, Kata Sárközi, war viel jünger als Tasnádi. Aus dieser Ehe sind Erzsébet und István geboren. István wurde später Notar der cancellaria minor und des Komitates Fehér. Er ist ziemlich jung, noch vor November 1644 gestorben. Über die anderen Abkömmlinge des Bischofs wissen wir nichts.

A félévszázados értékelés végső megállapításával egybehangzóan kell megállapítanunk, hogy egy egyházi folyóirat lapjain megjelenő egyháztörténetnek feltétlenül hatnia kell egyrészt magára az egyháztörténet-írásra, másrészt a lelkipásztori munkában a gyülekezet történetének kutatására. Az egyháztörténetnek, mint teológiai tudománynak, és annak művelésének ugyanis – álláspontunk szerint – nem az az elsődleges feladata, hogy az általános történetírásnak tájékoztatásul szolgáljon, vagy annak részét képezze, hanem hogy az Anyaszentegyházat építése.

Goldschmiedearbeiten aus Reformierten Kirchengemeinden Deva und Hatszeg (16–18. Jahrhundert). Die Goldschmiedearbeiten die in dieser Artikel verarbeitet sind auch heute Eigentümer der gemeinden aus Reformierten Kirchenkreis Hunyad–Zaránd. Ich versuchte alle mögliche Informationen versammeln und so ein Überblick von die künstliche Richtungen der reformierte Patronen dieses Gebietes in 16–18 Jahrhunderten machen. Leider in vorigem Zeit hat man sehr wenig mit diese Theme beschaeftigt. Unsere Analyse will neben der fachmaessige Beschreibung auch ein Spiegel für die alltaegliche Leben, Gebrauche und Fachniveau der vorigen Jahrhundertes sein. Die verarbeitete Goldschmiedearbeiten kommen aus 8 verschiedene Kirchengemeinden und sie sind heute in Deva und Hatszeg. Sie sind so ornamental, wie förmlich sehr heterogen: Werke von unbekannten Meistern aus dem 15–16 Jahrhundert, Objekte der Meister aus Kronstad, Hermanstadt und Klausenburg. Neben dem spaetgotischem Kelch finden wir ein renessantischer Pokal, auch barockzeitliche und klassische Objekte.

Milyen választ kaphatunk Kálvin Jánostól korunk szorongató kérdéseire? Ezt a számbavételt kezdte el több földrész számos országának ötven teológusa 2007. április 15–19. között, a John Knox Nemzetközi Református Otthon, a Svájci Protestáns Egyházszövetség, a Református Világszövetség és a Genfi Egyetem Teológiai Fakultása meghívására Genfben tartott értekezletén.

The Autobiography of Gyula Mihaly Szigethy. The „peregrinatio academica” is a well documented topic of the transylvanian cultural history from the 17–18th century. Szigethi Gyula Mihály (1758–1837) was one of the thousands of young people, who choosed to travel thousands of miles in order to continue their studies in western-European universities. After finishing the college of Marosvásárhely (Tg. Mures) –one of the best transylvanian calvinist schools of his time –, thanks to the financial support of count Joseph Teleki, he attended the universities of Marburg, Göttingen, Stuttgart and Viena in the period between 1786–1790. Returning home he choosed not to become a priest as it would be a custom in those times, earninig his living for a few years as a privateprofessor in the courts of local nobils. In 1797 ha was ellected professor of the college from Udvarhely (Odorheiul Secuiesc), where he made a carrier, retiring in 1823. In this time he published among others articles about the history of the town and the college of Udvarhely. Although his journal written between 1786–1790 no longer exists, his autobiography –published in our article– written in 1833 contains important datas about the transylvanian educational system from the late 18th and the beginning of the 19th century.

Laymen Institution in the Hungarian Reformed Church District of Transylvania. It has been disputed for the last few decades the possible presence and task of the laymen in the church government of the 16–18. Centuries Hungarian Reformed Church life in Transylvania. Arguments have been brought up to prove that as soon as the 16th century the West-European type Presbyterium has already started to gain terrain in the church. The study tries to come up with arguments to prove that the democratic church government according to which the Swiss, English, German, Dutch reformed churches had been doing the government in the 16–17 centuries was not present only in the synods’ records and has not became reality in the Transylvanian church life. Peter Melius bishop of Debrecen was the one, who has found out, that the Presbiterial institution did not fit to the structure of Transylvanian and Hungarian society, consequently he put up the new adapted structure of the local churches as well, as that of the deaneries.

Hármas évfordulót ülünk ma: 110 évvel ezelőtt szűnt meg a Protestáns Közlöny és indult el az Erdélyi Protestáns Lap, illetve 100 esztendeje született a Református Szemle. Valamilyen szinten mindhárom folyóiratnak köze van egymáshoz.

Száz éves a Református Szemle. Nem kevés, sőt hosszú idő ez egy folyóirat esetében, amely több más erdélyi laphoz képest, ráadásul még szerencsésnek is tekintheti magát – vagy mi vagyunk a szerencsések(?) –, mert megszakítás nélkül élhette meg eddigi száz esztendejét. E száz év, mint minden jó, amit az ember kaphat, átvehet és felvállal: áldás és teher, öröm és gond, büszkeség és felelősség… De nekünk, most, a centenárumát megért Szemle jelenlegi szerkesztőinek és munkatársainak mindenekelőtt hálát kell éreznünk.

Short History of the Lutheran Church District in Transylvania.The Hungarian Lutheran church in Transylvania has a unique history. At the beginning of it existence in the 16 century the Hungarian Lutherans joined the German Lutheran Church and have organized themselves as a deanery. They kept this structural form up till the end of the 19th century when they decided to split and have started to set up their own independent church district. As a first step they have formed a separate deanery which incorporated several Hungarian Lutheran local churches around Brassó, then mainly after the 20-es of the 20th century, they have restructured the local churches in the South-Western part of Romania and this is how three more deaneries came into being. This was enough to begin thinking on how these all could come together as a basic structure of a church district, which can be further broaden by incorporating more and more reorganized deaneries. The foundation of the new church district finally was set in their general assembly held in 1920 in the city of Arad. They also put a name of the new church formation: The Lutheran Church District in Transylvania and Banat region set up on the Augustana Confession.

The Oldest Pastor Lists in the Szilágy Deanery. The collection of data regarding the service of the reformed ministers in the congregations from Szilágyság began in the end of the 19th century, but the investigation had still many objects. There are so many sources that nobody had studied till yet. The names of the priests from the church district of Szilágy were noticed at about the year 1620 in a contemporary register. Unfortunately this wasn’t kept but it was copied in the 17th century to two other registers. Regarding these roots we tried to reconstruct the original list that counts the names and data of the 140 priests. The list was continually completed with the data of the ministers serving in the district. The earlier list, formed in 1656, contains 280 names, the other that was lead from the year 1680 contains 462 names. Comparing the common part of these, we observed that data are differing in many cases. After all these we got across to make a list that contains the names and data of 478 priests, from the beginning of the 17th century until 1827.