Haris Szilárd: Joó Sándor és Makkai Sándor vitája a diakóniáról

This study presents and analyses a special theological debate between Sándor Joó and Sándor Makkai. The subject of the debate was the systematic theological foundation and interpretation of diakonia which took place approximately eighty years ago. It attempts to understand their intentions and arguments and make them subject to critical scrutiny. Sándor Joó, under the Dutch influence of historical Calvinism, considers the diakonia to be the vital function of the church and links its origin to the priestly office of Christ. Sándor Makkai tries to point out the weak points of Joó’s claims with dogmatic reasoning. Re-examining the theological debate of our great predecessors, the study offers an opportunity to reflect on the theological motivations for performing diakonia in the light of recent research. The complexity of the whole issue indicates that the diakonia of the church cannot be separated from the other services and the image of the church behind them.
Keywords: diakonia, the threefold office of Christ, office, the functions of the church, Calvinism, home mission