Archívum

1. szám

Fazekas István: Appendix vagy epilógus? A titkos bűn a 19. zsoltárban

One of the great themes and dilemmas of psalm-research is the question of the unity of Psalm No. 19. It is obvious at first reading, that the closing part of it is a separate redactional phase. The exegetes – though supporting the unity or the fragmentary nature of this psalms text – agree in the fact that this song of David consists of in many respects different, but otherwise very cohesive parts. The three main themes, or „pillars” of this psalm are: the creation, the law and the secret sin. The main focus of the paper what the meaning of the last one is according to the psalmist. The study obviously emphasizes that in this psalm all these three elements create a linear unity, both in the theological and poetical sense. However, it is argued that the very clue of this poem can be found in the closing lines. In so doing, it is hoped that this part is bringing us closer to the most appropriate answer.
Keywords: psalm-research, redactional phase, unity, difference, secret sin

Gurányi Krisztián: A kiválasztás fogalma Pál apostolnál

Pólya Katalin: A bibliai héber nyelv oktatásának egyes aspektusai

The text of the canonical Hebrew Bible was developed in a politically and culturally heterogeneous area, and from a linguistic point, it cannot be considered uniform, because of the richness of its various genres and styles. For those, who wishes to immerse in the Biblical Hebrew, has to realize, that the Biblical Hebrew is a dead language, whose logic is far different from the modern western languages. However, it is an easing factor, that the main aim of the education of
the Hebrew language is not an active knowledge of a dead language, but rather the comprehensive reading and translating of the Old Testament. This current study wants to contribute to this aim, primarily with the accessible tools. Alongside with the introduction of the Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia, which is a fundamental issue of Bible in Hebrew, there will be presented grammar and exercise books, these will not only be introduced and described, but also
judged. Each of the grammar books has its strengths and weaknesses and in most cases even the author is aware of these. Using these books with the correct priorities and with parallel books, they are all proper to prepare those who are interested for the active study of biblical texts. The online platform is inevitable, even in nowadays language teaching. A lot of useful materials can be found in the virtual area. This current study shows the most known of the virtual materials, giving fundaments to the language study.
Keywords: biblical Hebrew, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, language teaching, methodology, teaching tools

Lehotkai Sámuel: A genetika és a Biblia A Szentírás és az Eugenika

In my current work, I would like to present Francis Galton’s theory, Eugenics, and its formation and history as a sub-science of genetics, from the perspective of a biology teacher who believes in creation. With this work, I aim to point out the potentially harmful and dangerous disadvantages of Eugenics. I would like to present to the reader a more detailed picture of the practical benefits of eugenics in our daily lives and to present the position of Scripture on the subject. According to Galton, Eugenics is a science that corresponds to the sum of the factors that influence the development of the innate abilities of a species and promote the most favourable development of these abilities. I also try to point out the relationship between Eugenics and the theory of evolution. Finally, I would like to summarize the knowledge gained and finished this shorter article with some practical advice and encouragement.
Keywords: Galton, Evolution, Eugenics, Genes

Pásztori Kupán István: A diakónia újszövetségi és óegyházi alapjai

As we approach the principles and practices of ecclesiastical and congregational diakonia, we must state at the outset that the ministry of charity is not some additional factor, an optional part of our Christian community life, but one of its integral and inseparable elements. Upon talking about the major properties of
the Christian Church, the Reformers usually emphasised that the outward characteristics of the church included the pure proclamation of the gospel and the proper administration of the sacraments. Based on this, the question may arise: can diakonia qualify as preaching, and if so, in what sense? Based on the earliest
example of Stephen, the first deacon, and then on some ancient Christian leaders who were renown for their work of social benefaction like Basil the Great and Theodoret of Cyrus, this paper addresses the following issues: diakonia as mission and testimony, it is performed in Jesus’s name, as well as questions like
‘is diakonia accompanied by “wonders and signs”?’, ‘is the testimony of the deacon a “stumbling block”?’, ‘should deacons be elected from among their own communities?’, ‘can diakonia be self-sufficient, or should it presuppose some sacrifice?’ etc. These questions are by far not outdated in our present situation, and the examples of our Christian ancestors may provide us with some answers, occasionally some surprising ones.
Keywords: diakonia, charity work, deacons, Early Christianity, mission, St. Stephen, the first deacon

Flogny Károly Lajos: A fogyatékos személyek iránti attitűd Jób korában és életében, valamint manapság Magyarországon, különös tekintettel a tradicionális protestáns kisegyházakban

This study aims to present the attitude of some Protestant Free Churches in Hungary towards people with disabilities. Before doing so, however, the author defines a biblical story as a maxim, on the basis of which he gives an insight into the world of ancient Arab society, where the attitude towards the disabled is revealed in two aspects. The author has conducted a mixed-methods survey among some Protestant Free Churches in Hungary, with an emphasis on qualitative findings. She finds that, on the one hand, although there is little archaeological data available on the peoples of ancient northern Arabia, the biblical story provides insider information on lay attitudes towards disabled people that seems to be confirmed through the Bedouin who are still living there. Furthermore, it sheds light not only on paradigm shifts in Hungarian society that have influenced the missiology of theology up to the present, but also on the contemporary experiences of some Hungarian traditional Protestant Free Churches that may help to counter negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities.
Keywords: Pre-Islamic Arabia, missio Dei, disabled people, archaeology, paradigm shift, attitude

Haris Szilárd, Tömösközi Ferenc: A Szlovákiai Református Keresztyén Egyház diakóniai szolgálatának erőforrásai

The paper deals with the development of the diaconal service in the Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia, not so much from a historical as a methodological point of view. The historical sources as hey are currently processed are sufficient to examine the decisions and factors that have shaped the evolution of the diaconal ministry of the Church. The main aspect of the study are the available spiritual and material resources and the way they are used. The study points
out that the focus of RCCS's diaconal service is congregational diaconia, which was largely based on individual initiatives, however, a clearly visible direction from the occasional to the planned services. In this paper, we propose to “measure” the community strength of congregations, which is the sum of external and internal resources, according to the power-intensive service they are able to perform.
Keywords: congregational diaconia, power sources, communion, design

Somogyi Alfréd: A Szervező Bizottság munkája a béke első hónapjaiban

The less explored and processed period in the history of the Reformed Christian Church in Slovakia in the 20th century is the few years after World War II. The reason for this can be found in the fact that Czechoslovakia, which was re-established in 1945, in the wake of the Beneš decrees, labelled Germans and Hungarians, as well as German and Hungarian organisations, as war criminals. The interesting thing is that the Reformed Church was headed by a body of Slovak clergy and laity - the Organizing Committee - which was formed in 1939, when the independent Slovakia under Josef Tiso was created and, following the Vienna I decision, the Hungarian Reformed congregations were returned to Hungary. Only 25 Reformed congregations - including 4 Hungarian congregations - remained in Slovakia. The Organizing Committee carried out the functions of the Synod and the Synod Council. This was also the situation in the first
months of peace. This paper gives an account of the main deliberations and decisions of the Organising Committee after 8 May 1945.
Keywords: Reformed, Church, Organizing Committee, Czechoslovakia, Beneš decrees

Somogyi Alfréd: Vagyunk… Tömösközi Ferenc (szerk.), Az Ige erejével. Lelkészi életrajzok és adattár Gömörtől a keleti határig. Komárom, Selye János Egyetem Református Teológiai Kar, 2022, 561 lap

Somogyi Alfréd: „Lesz-e végre igazi hazánk?” Gyurcsík Iván (szerk.), Gyönyör József emlékkötet, Budapest, Méry Ratio, Kisebbségekért – Pro Minoritate Alapítvány, 2022, 391 lap

1. szám

Kókai-Nagy Viktor: A kezdettől fogva tevékenykedő ördög

The study intends to find out the origin of Satan and his rule over human beings as it is used by John’s terminology, “ from the beginnings”. First, the works throws a light on what is the characteristic of “ from the beginnings” expression in the use of literature attributed to John. Then, two passages will be examined where the beginning of the Satan’s work is mentioned. This two text will be compared and selected scholars’ argumentation will be analysed. Having presented
the various views (e.g. H. J. Klauck, Bolyki J.; J. Beutler; F. Vouga or (U. Schnelle; J. M. Lieu), it is not the intention of the study to take a stance on any side. Finally, the result of our reflections on the topics will be summarized for the reader.
Keywords: Satan, from the beginnings, in the beginning, the literature from John, Johannite tradition

Görözdi Zsolt: A konfirmációs munka anyaga

The present study studies in details the materials used for confirmation education. Several thems were gathered from various areas and resources which was deemed most vital in terms of that they reflect best our traditional denominational characters, and the reformed heritage wwe have. At the same time the catecheticalecclesiastical aspects, that are relevant to our ecclesiastical life and the context of confirming pupils (cathecumens) will be selected, assesse, evaluated, and at times it will be shortened or additional materials will be added to it.
Keywords: confirmation work, compendium, Cathechism, ecclesiology

Sungkon Park: John Calvin’s Ecclesiology and Korean Presbyterian Church

The aim of this paper is to evaluate Korean Presbyterian Church in the light of John Calvin’s ecclesiology by consulting mainly the Korean theologians’ academic journals. The Korean church experienced rapid growth since Protestantism arrived in 1885. This unprecedented growth, however, caused some harmful side effects such as church individualism, schism, and distorted understanding of mission. The Korean church sought adequate remedies to reverse the decline
shape, but they were criticized on their program-oriented solutions, and even considered to be unbiblical. Thus, a deeper understanding on the nature of Church is desperately needed. This paper describes the reception and effects of Calvinism in Korean context, and how Calvin’s ecclesiology may still pose influential possibilities for the Korean Presbyterian Church.
Keywords: John Calvin, Ecclesiology, Korean Presbyterian Church, Korean Church, Korean Calvinism.

Hornyák Enikő: A nők lelkészi szolgálata

The current work seeks to examine situation of the women ministers today. My research is not intended to support or disprove any hypothesis, I would just like to examine the appearance of and the impact of the past few decades. This paper would like to give an insight into the female minister’s congregation, family, and individual responsibilities. It examines these roles with interviews. Finally, it will reflect on the results and experiences obtained and then summarize the results obtained.
Keywords: minister, congregation, family, vocation, identity

Vámos Béla: Halál, gyászfolyamatok, gyászolók lelkigondozása

Leaving life is a heroic struggle that everyone has to go through. The pain from passing away tests those who remain here. On the one hand, they have to cope with the loss of their loved one, and on the other hand, while also facing their own finality, they have to start a new life. The pastoral office is visited by mourners in all sorts of spiritual states: those who begin the work of mourning in possession of the living hope received from God, and those who are far from it. There are individuals who, although they have not been interested in God and the Church before, now want confirmation that their deceased loved one is in the right place. There the crucial question arises: what is allowed, and how appropriate can be for a pastor to say anything. In order to have the right answers to these issues, we
need to know what a grieving person is like. Since both the funeral preaching and the pastoral counselling with the mourners must be an inviting evangelization to life, we need to know what spiritual processes and phases the mourner goes through and what their characteristics are.
Keywords: death, funeral, mourning, phases of mourning, crisis, fear, resurrection, consolation

Czine Ágnes: De Einfluss der Reformation auf das juristische Denken in Europa und Calvin als Kenner der Grundsätze des materiellen Strafrechts und des Verfahrensrechts

The author tackles well-known events of Reformation from a different angle: the data are evaluated from the point of view of the legal development of European thinking. Stress is being laid upon the influence of the Reformers’ acts and writings on later works of lawyers which are of historic importance for us. The role of John Calvin among his contemporaries was excellent as he influenced the whole of society by the development of Church order. His lasting authority is being measured by the subsequent theories of law and order in European thinking.
Keywords: Reformation, Calvin, European society, Penal and Procedural Law

Tömösközi Ferenc. Rekviem egy református gyülekezetért

The present study describes the history of the former Reformed congregation of Mohi from its foundation to its demise. It is not only a historical publication, but also a memoir. Despite the fact that the congregation survived the centuries, it was dissolved in the 20th century, not by itself, but by dissolution. The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia decided that the situation and the geological conditions of the area were the best option for a construction of a nuclear power plant. After the plans were approved, the village was liquidated, and its inhabitants were moved to other villages and towns. At the same time, the parish was dissolved also, and the parishioners were moved to other congregations. Today, only the church and the cemetery remain as reminders of the centuries-old parish.
Keywords: Mohi, parish, congregation, diocese, reformation, counter-reformation, foundation, liquidation

Petheő Attila: Gyalókay László a közösség szolgálatában

Reverend László Gyalókay was the bishop of the Reformed Diocese of Komárom in Nemesócsa. He represented firm principles with which he openly wanted to determine the place of Reformation within society, while encouraging his peers to take a much stronger stand. His intention was to rebuild the national church in Slovakia, despite the fact that history had torn Upper Hungary (Felvidék) from the Reformed Church of Hungary. He concluded, that there are no pastoral and teacher training institutes for the community here, and those in the service of the church were hindered by the question of citizenship. In his episcopal inaugural speech he set a special task for teachers, whose mission is to build faith. He also spoke of the preachers of God’s word, whose job it is to speak to the souls of
believers. He considered the work of youth and women's associations important. The study analyses how his life serves as an example for today’s religious communities.
Keywords: Reformed Diocese of Komárom, the Hungarian Reformed in Czechoslovakia, Nemesócsa

Balogh Dávid: Vizitáció és esperes a 18. században

The subject of my research is the 18th century visitation and the post of Dean. The period under study was determined by the church policy of three rulers: III. Charles, Maria Theresa and II. Joseph. The tructure of my study is as follows: First, it examines the ecclesiastical policy of the named rulers in a given period and their impact on church life. Second, it deals with the office and authority of the Dean, the person of the Dean as the person in charge of the spiritual and
material affairs of the diocese. Finally, it discusses and scrutinises diocesan inspections and visits.
Keywords: 18th century, church history, religion, dean, visitation

 

2. szám.

Kis Jolán: Amit az Ószövetség az esküről mond…

From the more than 100 oaths immortalized in the Old Testament we can determine that for the people at that time the swearing of an oath was something more than just a glorified part of several special life events. The analysis of these oaths has allowed me to understand them in a wider context. During my analytical work I have gained insight into how an oath int he people s lives in the Old Testament was applied in multiple contexts and in various forms of everyday
life.. Swearing an oath did not only mean the guaranteed truth of one statement or of promises made, but calling the name of God played an important role int he organization of private and personal relationships. Our knowledge, derived from examining Old Testament oaths, will surely contribute to answering questions
relating to the oaths of the oaths of the present era.
Keywords: Old Testament, oath, making an oath

Karasszon István: Igézés Illegitim vallásos beszéd és tett tiltása az Ószövetségben

By forming the canon of sacred writings, religions control the correct way of speech among their adherents. In the age of secularisation, however, correct speech and the freedom of speech seem to be a complicated issue – that is why an inquiry into the language of the Old Testament is important for our project of research. The present study contains a semantic panorama of the terms which are condemned by the Deuteronomistic reform at the end of the 7th century BCE: lahash, ‘ob, ‘onen, kashaph, qosem are the religious speech or activity which are punished severely in the code of Deuteronomy. The second half of the study tries to explain why just these terms are decried by the late-preexilic period of Israelite religion. It seems that the national revival refused all kind of foreign influence upon the national religion, and many of the above terms were regarded as remnants of Canaanite religion. Second, the Deuteronomistic reform esteemed prophecy above all kind of mantic manipulations of the transcendence. Third, the Deuteronomistic law (given by Moses) had to decide in speech as well as in behaviour.
Keywords: biblical vocabulary, religious discourse, Old Testament, invocation

Kókai-Nagy Viktor: Az eskü tiltása az Újszövetségben

Like the oath, the prohibition of false oath appears in both Jewish and pagan culture in the New Testament era. In the present study, we deal with the teaching of Jesus and its Jewish background. We review first how do the New Testament presence the term oath and then the question of the prohibition of oath in Matthew, James and in the Didache. In the next section, we review short the oath-related remarks of contemporary Jewish literature. Finally, we focus on the interpretation of the prohibition of oath within the Gospel of Matthew and its possible explanations.
Keywords: oat, prohibition of swearing, Gospel of Matthew

Gurányi Krisztián: A győzelem motívuma a jánosi iratokban

In the history of philosophical thoughts, there have always been philosophers, who considered the existence as „absurd” or without any reason. In the 20th century, mainly the existentialist philosophers expressed these ideas, which is originated from the Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, who is regarded as the father of existentialism. One of the greatest existentialist thinkesr was Albert Camus, who wrote an essay about the absurdity of reality, in which he expresses his ideas about suicide and other solutions to this absurdity. The main topic of this article is the question of absurdity and suicide, regarded through the Johannine epistles, in which the author expresses the idea of the victory over this world, which is regarded as absurd.
Keywords: absurdity, existentialism, Johannine epistles, suicide, victory

Bernhard Kaiser: Der Eid aus theologisch-ethischer Sicht

The article deals with the oath in the context of Christian dogmatics and ethics. The oath is a worldly matter related to God because of man’s relationship to the Creator on the level of creation. The oath seems to be a necessity in a world sunk in lies. It has its due place wherever it is necessary for the establishment of truth,
particularly in a law suit. The oath can be taken by invoking God if the swearer, with a clear knowledge of the facts, makes a valid statement and calls upon God
for witness.
Keywords: oath, reference to God, finding the truth, lie

Lehotkai Sámuel: A genetika és a Biblia Helytáll Ádám és Éva története a mai genetikai forradalom idején?

In my work, I would like to present the major milestones in the development of modern genetics from the perspective of a Christian biology teacher. I would like to share some of the results of modern genetic research that supports the authenticity of Scripture. In my article, I would like to pay special attention to the historical reality of the first couple of people in the Garden of Eden. One of my main goals is to communicate the wonderful results of research into the discovery of DNA and the decipherment of the human gene map. I would like to present the evidence of Spencer Wells’s Y-chromosome research called “The Genetic Adam”. In addition, I deal with the authenticity of mitochondrial Eve’s theory. Finally, I would like to
summarize the knowledge gained and I will finish this shorter article
with some practical advice and encouragement.
Keywords: HGP, DNA, Adam and Eve, Genetics, Science

Flogny Károly: Egy vizsgálat a magyarországi protestáns szabadegyházak körében a fogyatékkal élő emberekhez való viszonyulásról

A Mixed Methods survey was carried out to find out, on the one hand, how the respondents in the survey relate to the disabled people in their circles and, on the other hand, what role special education can play in the church’s work for disabled people. Against the background of the representative results, it was found, among other things, that on the one hand, the church presence of people with disabilities in some denominations of the Protestant Free Churches in Hungary is at least as high as the overall population of the country, which justifies the need for training for ministry. On the other hand, it also points to the fact that church members exhibit behaviour similar to that of secularised society, and therefore educational and awareness-raising issues need to be addressed in their circles. The period of data collection for this research was significantly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Keywords: Church ministry, people with disabilities, special education, free churches, missio Dei

Pángyánszky Ágnes: Növekedjetek a hitben! A felnőttkor hitbéli elköteleződésének kérdései gyülekezetpedagógiai szempontok alapján

The aim of this study is to draw attention, from a congregational pedagogical perspective, to the importance of becoming a follower of Jesus through adulthood, and to the questions of discipleship formation. It explores what it means for us today to have mature faith and discipleship identity. The study aims at underlining the need for the renewal of confirmation ministry, of what it means in terms of faith affirmation, methodological questions and mission objectives. To help form a more conscious Christian life, we explore the emerging questions of theological reflection, or theological reflexivity, as it forms a new challenge for contextual practical theology.
Keywords: vocation, discipleship, adult faith, confirmation ministry, commitment, theological reflection

Molnár Lehel: Egyházi vizitáció a konfesszionalizmus korában

In the introduction to my thesis, I briefly define the concept of church visitation (Latin: canonica visitation)I then draw attention to the value of the visitation records as a source of information. In the firstpart, I will discuss the visitation provisions of the Catholic Church, which was renewed after the expansion of Protestantism with the Council of Trent (1545-1563). The Council then placed the means of disciplining and regulating dioceses in the hands of the bishops. The most effective institution for implementing synodal reforms was the bishops’ visitations. I briefly discuss the visitations in Hungary and in the Hungarian territories under Turkish rule, as  well as their different types. In the second part, I present the theory of the confessionalism model and its critique. Finally, in the third part, I turn to the visitation practices of the European Protestants: Lutheran, Calvinist and, within these, Hungarian churches.In Hungary, the three main denominations: Catholic, Evangelical and Reformedare, to a similar extent, heirs of medieval Christianity. The Catholics carried on the traditions of the
medieval church in organization, the Evangelicals in doctrine, and the Reformed in practice. This is why the Protestant churches have taken over the institution of visitation from the medieval church, with obvious differences of emphasis, but basically the same function.
Keywords: church visitation, Council of Trent, confessionalism, protestant churches, evangelical, reformed, Hungary

Czinke Zsolt: Dr. Magda Sándor püspök élete és szolgálata

In this study we presented pastor Sándor Magda, his life and work in Reformed Church of Slovakia and Sub-Carpathia, like church lieder, bishop, theological professor, chief editor. From 1934 he was the fourth bishop of the Szlovenszkói Tiszáninneni Református Egyházkerület [Slovak Cistibiscan Reformed Church District] after István Pálóczi Czinke, Mihály Péter, Barna Idrányi. Between 1929–1932 he was a theological professor of Theological seminary in Losonc. Between 1925–1937 he was a chief editor of Református Egyház és Iskola [Reformed Church and School], which was the official paper of the Reformed Church of Slovakia and Sub-Carpathia. He was a definitive figure not only in the life of the paper and a theological seminary, but also in the church history of the era.
Keywords: Reformed church, church history, bishop, theological professor, chief editor, Slovakia, Sub-Carpathia

Kulcsár Árpád: Ravasz László kolozsvári teológiai tanárrá választása; tanári, nevelői, mentori munkája tanítványai visszaemlékezéseiben

Between 1907-1921 László Ravasz was the lecturer of practical theology at the Protestant Theological Institute at Kolozsvár-Cluj. Beside the portrait as a lecturer, it’s also important to describe him as a tutor and mentor. At that time his students were – without enumerating the full list – Lajos Imre, Sándor Makkai, Imre Révész Jr., Sándor Tavaszy, János Vásárhelyi. According to their memoirs, the young lecturer influenced and encouraged them in deepening their knowledge in theology and other sciences. László Ravasz was committed for important reforms in the theological education, which are nowadays still relevant.
Keywords: László Ravasz, practical theology, education for ministry, tutoring, mentoring.

1. szám

Huszár Pál: Gondolatok a koronavírusról

Some Theological Thoughts about Covid-19 Virus This piece of writing is not a scientific paper but an essay about the Covid-19 virus. The author of the work is the Chief Senior Elder of the Transdanubian Reformed Diocese of Hungary, and the lay president of the Synod of the Reformed Church of Hungary who writes as a practicing Christian having a deep theological knowledge. In the current essay he throws lings on areas that are related to issues caused by the Covid-19 virus pandemic during the spring of 2020, and warns Reformed Theology to give answers to this. Sooner or later there will be studies devoted to the reasons and concomitant of the pandemic, and there will be attempts to understand theologically the issues raised by the extraordinary situation. The editors have decided to share this essay with the wider audience to stimulate discussion about the topic.
Keywords: Covid-19 virus, Reformed theology, Christian practice

Karasszon István: Zsidó tudósok és a keresztyén hebraisztika kezdetei Európában

Jewish Scholars and the Beginnings of Christian Hebraism in Europe The study investigates the scholarly relationships of Jewish and Christian scholars of Reformation Era. It is well-known that Hebrew became of language of teaching and learning at the universities of Europe during the sixteenth century. Most of the aforementioned knowledge was mediated by Jewish scholars in Italy and Germany. It is, however, less known who these Jewish scholars were. The study presents the lives and activities of Leone Ebrao, Elijah Del Medigo, Obadiah Sforno, Elias Levita and Joselmann Ger-Schom. Christians, on their turn, were interested in the linguistic features of the Old Testament and in the Jewish traditions, the contents of Jewish religion were not attractive to them. That is why a real dialogue between the sister religions did not emerge from those endeavours. Even though a Jewish-Christian dialogue had to be developed later, we still are in the footsteps of the great scholars of Reformation times.
Keywords: Christian Hebraism, Linguistic in Old Testament, Reformation, Jewish-Christian dialogue

Fazekas István: Nyelvészeti és poétikai kérdések a 27. zsoltár fordításakor

The translator’s job is fundamentally an honorary matter. The person, who cannot be fully identified with the text, cannot be a good grammarian. Above all of these, we must also know that psalm poetry not only illustrates the most ancient poetical peculiarities, but also „unveils” the origin of things. With his clear and irrevocable words, the Creator guides the lost man on the way leading to God. This guidance is the true art. The exploration of the depicting world of the Hebrew texts can only be possible if the important linguistic and contextual relationships are all „unwrapped”. This work shows the methodology: the particular attributes of a translator’s workshop. Based on the creation story of the 27th Psalm, it can be stated that it was surely written by a poet before the captivity against whom, due to the malevolence of his political enemies, false accusations were made by false witnesses. Certain elements of the first part of the Psalm could be taken from a former “trust song”. The author of the Psalm could have been inspired by this former piece of religious poetry. Making use of some of its fragments, he created this entirely new Psalm, within the flow of which the former texts became the archaic elements of the latter.
Keywords: Psalm, translation, inspiration, poetry, Genesis

Kovács Hajnalka: Two introductions to the Psalms The first and the second psalm

The composition of the Book of Psalms originally began with the third psalm, as the first and second psalms have been attached to it at a later stage as introductions. At the first sight both psalms seem to be completely unrelated to each other, the effect of the juxtaposition of the two psalms are to highlight and hold together the two key concepts of Torah and kingship. Especially in Deuteronomy Torah and kingship are related, therefore some scholars identify Deuteronomic influence at the beginning of the Psalter.
Keywords: Book of Psalms, Torah, Kingship, Deuteronomic influence

Nagy Krisztina: A Nábót-történet jogi háttere

In the conflict of King Ahab and Naboth the Jezreelite we can see the social, religious and judicial diversification in the northern part of the country, which resulted that the King of Israel became the owner of the land, what was given to his servant by Yahweh. The King - with his act ‑ started a process, that accumulated an upfront conflict a few years later causing the failure of the dynasty. I intend to sketch out the differences between the religious and judicial rules of Canaan and Israel - both of them were presented by the actions of the persons. I analyse the litigation of Naboth focusing on the actual judicial practice
in Israel, considering the sacred nature of the litigation too. Furthermore, I seek to present the characters acting in the story: the king and the queen on one the hand together with Naboth and prophet Elijah on the other hand. My aim is to uncover their personalities and their motivations beside the biblical documentation, taking into consideration the historical aspects as well.
Keywords: society and judicature of Canaan and Israel, Jewish King and pagan Queen, Israeli landowners, prophet of Yahweh redaction, Jewish king and pagan queen, Israeli landowners

Kis Jolán: Eskü az ószövetségi igazságszolgáltatásban, különös tekintettel a Szövetség Könyvére

As a means of regulating human coexistence, oath was already present at the dawn of history in the life of the communities. All of this is evidenced and preserved by a large amount of written relics. The collection of oath in Exodus is also evidence that the specific nature of the oath has always been preserved over time. The Oath in Ex 22,9 is one of the three passages in the Old Testament that gives some insight into the practice of the Israelite jurisdiction. Significant similarities and
even matches with Babylonian and Hittite documents of this kind suggest a common source, or even the adoption of ready-made legislative decrees. This paper will present that the ancient Near Eastern legal tradition played an important role in the early period of the formation of Israelite law.
Keywords: Oath, Old Testament, Covenant Code, Judiciary, Ancient Near Eastern practice of law

Kókai-Nagy Viktor: Jézus, Sirák fia asztala (31,12-32,13)

In the ancient Mediterranean world, the meal-communities played an important role not only in social but also in religious life. The banquet can be called a social institution in the Greco-Roman world. And the evidence suggests that meals took similar forms and shared similar meanings and interpretation across a broad range of the ancient world. These meal-communities basically have an integrative function, and one cannot separate the social from the religious area. In our short article we attempt to show how the thinking of a Jewish sage appears in the world of Hellenism in relation of symposium.
Keywords: Ancient Mediterranean world, banquet, Ben Sira,

Sebők János: Az átok két fajtája. Az ἀνάθεμα és a κατάρα kifejezések vizsgálata és összehasonlító elemzése

In this study I search a not well examined but very gripping theme: two expressions of the malediction, which were used by Paul, the Apostle. It is important for me to examine this issue not only from the point of view of the theology but also use the methods of the classical philology. Therefore, my purpose was to present this overshadowed theme and at the same time apply an interdisciplinary approach to the investigation. I explored the occurrence of the Greek words ἀνάθεμα and κατάρα in the Old and in the New Testament and analysed the texts in detail, in which these terms have a different meaning. I present a few examples
of the terms selected from the ancient literature as well in order to show the abundance of meanings and the development of these words. During my research I relied on Greek and Latin sources. The goal of my work is twofold: to compare the two expressions of malediction and then proceed on to presenting the reader how extraordinarily, richly and diversely the words examined developed.
Keywords: curse, holiness, exegesis, etymology, philology

Langschadl István: Feltámadás és élet (II. rész)

The intention of this paper is propaedeutics, which will be studied in the light of the eschatology of John’s Gospel. In the introduction we are making an attempt to identify the concepts of apocalyptics and eschatology. Later we are going to sketch the dilemmas of the New Testament’s perception of time. First of all, the
paper considers the subject’s aspect of progressiveness – we search thoroughly and we compare Gospel of John from two directions to the Holy Word. To do this we are going to use the Bultmann-Cullmann debate as our guideline. Our first aspect is to pay attention to the synoptic Gospels and try to define Jesus Christ’s eschatology. Bultmann’s behaviour, that is, the idea which focuses on the parousia delayed could have some weak points as the paper argues. Our second observation is to evaluate Cullmann’s viewpoint on salvation, which does not seems to be standardized. That is why we are going to put John’s way of presenting salvation next to the history of salvation as they are in the Old Testament, Paul’s letters, and the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Having done that, we are going to examine three passages in a very close look according to the gospel’s theology. We chose the chapters 5, 11 and 14 because these seem to be the most important
ones. Furthermore, in these passages the futuric and present tense statements are in opposition to each other which makes Gospel of John unique. Finally, we attempt to summarize our research findings. Keywords: apocalyptics, presentic and futuric eschatology, parousia,
salvation history.

Fazekasné Kümmel Adél: Vannak-e őrző angyalaink? (Teológiai vizsgálódás Zsolt 91, 11-12 tükrében, különös tekintettel a túlvilági lényekre.)

The Bible often speaks of angels many times as supranational beings, who are presented as the providential guardians of God. At the same time, it also mentions a spiritual power who stands against God, which is personified as Satan, and the Bible also talks about his demons. The guardian angels’ locus classicus in the Bible - especially Ps. 91,11-12, but we can also count Ps. 34,8 as such - are not revelations, not categorical statements, not even theological arguments, but specifically poetical descriptions, inspired by religious folk beliefs and former mythologies. Based on all of this the question is rightfully asked whether the guardian angels have an ontological status. In this study this question is examined in the first place, with the help of exegetical methods.
Keywords: angel, guardian angel, Satan, demons, ontology, mythology

Cs. Molnár János: Az iszlám és a globalizáció

Islam is one of those religions which have hardly been impacted by secularisation. All areas conquered were Islamicized, and they are doing the same right know because Muslim rule demands it by its very nature. Their worldview is divided into two such as the world of Islam (or house of Islam in Arabic Dar-al Islam) and the house of jihad (endeavour). In the world or house of Islam everything is under the control of the Muslims, therefore the laws and values of Islam became
a harsh reality there. The spread of Islam is jihad, which is an obligatory endeavour for all Muslim. Some of its elements were articulated by the 8th century, which is humane only in the eye of Muslims. As for globalisation, it is claimed it had no negative impact on Islam at all. Notwithstanding it is perhaps works for its advantage. Islam is mostly aggressive at the expense of Christianity in Europe. Muslim migrants not only maintain their religion and traditions but they also try to convert to their faith the secularised European indigenous people.
Keywords: Islam, globalisation, Muslim migrants to Europe, integration of Muslims, Islam and secularised Christianity

Szabó Beatrix: Identitásformálás bibliai igazsággal egy igazság utáni korban Timothy Keller homiletikai értelmezése

This study addresses the question of how identity can be formed with biblical truth in preaching. I take the cultural analysis of American preacher, Timothy Keller as a basis, which considers the narrative of identity as the most fundamental one in today’s Western cultures. According to this narrative, we must discover our deepest desires and longings and do all we can to realize them, otherwise we fail. Money, power, success, good looks, and romantic love are now necessary
factors of our identity. The false thinking inherent in this narrative can be adjusted by a biblical approach to identity. In this study, I present the most important theological themes and passages that can be used for this purpose in a sermon. Lastly, I illustrate this method of identity formation with examples taken from Keller’s sermons.
Keywords: biblical truth, Timothy Keller, identity, formation

Siba Balázs: Kertből kertbe – természeti környezetünk keresztyén szemléletének lehetősége

This study reflects on our gardens as cultural environment from a protestant theological perspective. In the Biblical narrative gardens are present from the very beginning to the end. When we think of our life story or the huge story of Christianity, we can conclude that there is a very difficult question behind each story. The question of the common story is: “Where is God in this world?” and the question to ourselves is: “What will become of me?” God’s presence has an immediate effect on what our life would become, and during our journey (in the world) God’s ways of being present in the world is of utmost importance, also
in our natural and cultural environment. D. Ritschl distinguishes between two kinds of stories: there are closed stories, connected completely to the past, and there are on-going stories that cannot be fully completed because the story is still in progress. Creation is such an on-going story in the aspects of creatio originalis, creatio continua and creatio nova. We have to see ourselves and part of this God praising chorus of nature in order to find and play our part of this story well.
Keywords: spirituality, protestant theology, garden, environment, nature

Karasszon István: Egy nagybirodalom, most nem alulnézetből Vér Ádám, Az Újasszír Birodalom keleti tartományai (Ókor-Történet-Írás 6), Budapest/Pécs: L’Harmattan/PTE Ókortörténeti Tanszék, 2018, 366 lap

Kis Jolán: Bevezetés az ugariti kultúrába Ugarit – nyelv, kultúra és vallás A 2018. november 29-i nemzetközi tudományos KEGA-konferencia tanulmánykötete Kiadó: Selye János Egyetem, Református Teológiai Kar Komárom 2019

Fazekas István: A modern teológiai gondolkodás jelenléte (Mint a folyóvíz mellé ültetett fa /szerk.: Kis Jolán – Lévai Attila/, Selye János Egyetem Református Teológiai Kar, Komárom, 2019)

 

2. szám

Karasszon István: „Ami a két folyó között volt” Molnár János dékánunk emlékezete

Molnár János: Ami a két folyó között volt 1985 – 1990 (Részlet a könyv kéziratából)

Hornyák Enikő: Kinek szól Pál bizonyságtétele az Areopagoszon?

In this study I would like to study one particular aspect of Luke´s second book, The book of Acts. His second book deals with the life events of the church, starting from the ascension of Jesus Christs and
it comes to and end by the works of the apostle Paul in Rome, as they were summarized in Luke´s accounts of the event of the Early Church. His work can be seen as the earliest collection of the Christian
sermons, which make up about one third of the book. I will be examining Paul´s Areopagus speech in Athens.
Keywords: speeches, Paul the Apostle, Areopagus, Athens, deities, Acts

Pólya Katalin: Kiben hiszünk, avagy az Apostoli Hitvallás magyarázata

The Apostle Creed is the best unique and uniting expression of the historical churches who follow the teaching of Christ. Although there are great differences among various Christian denominations as far
as teaching, liturgy and piety is concerned, but we are one and united in the Apostle Creed. We believe in God and his salvific work, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and who is at work at all times. We often reiterate the Creed but rarely pay attention to the essence of its content. The current study has no intent to dig into a great depth. It touches only on the surface of the theme while it seeks to explicate the creed for the average church goer. The study follows the classical order of the Creed. First, it uncovers God as the Father and his work, then it expounds the person and salvific work of Jesus Christ. Finally, it addresses the person of the Holy Spirit and his testimony. Having done so, I shall raise some questions that may provide impulses for further research.
Keywords: Creed, Apostle Creed, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Exposition of the Christian Faith.

Siba Balázs: Rites – Entry into the Intermediate Space of Religion

There is an intermediate area of experiencing, to which inner reality and external life both contribute. Space in-between is a peculiar phenomenon, because we live in it without noticing it. It cannot be
described, because the world present in it is in a blurred, half-formed stage, where inside and outside, the personal and collective, cannot be distinguished from each other. Religion (like art and culture in
general) belongs to this intermediate space. In this study we investigate from anthropological and psychological point of view how rites help the believer to enter the intermediate space of religion.
Keywords: rites, religion, intermediate space, habits

Bodnár Lajos: Kovács Albert és a Protestáns Egylet

One of the most important representatives of the Hungarian liberal theology was Albert Kovács (1838-1904), who taught church law and practical theology at the Reformed Theological Seminary of
Budapest. He was instrumental in establishing the Protestant Union in Hungary, and its first secretary who had exerted a great influence on the intelligentsia and students of theology. The current study pays attention to the history of the Union from its establishment (3 October, 1871) till its dissolution (15 June, 1890). The investigation examines the intellectual and social historical context in which
modern theology emerged. As for the history of ideas, the terms of ‘religion’ and ‘Protestantism’ is scrutinised. Another research theme is to uncover the social situation and home of those who had
sympathised with liberal theology in order to estimate how widely the society was impacted by such worldview and religious concepts.
Keywords: Albert Kovács, Protestant Union, Protestant Theological Library, liberal theology, intellectual history, social history

Szász Lajos: Trianon árnyékában. Egyházszakadások a Magyar Református Egyházban, az 1920-as években.

Following the end of the World War I., the resolutions of the Trianon Treaty (1920) tore apart not just the Hungarian state, but the Reformed Church of Hungary as well. This case study examines
some ruinous effects of the after-war period in the life of the Reformed Church. Upon the ruins of the unwillingly disintegrated Hungarian Reformed Church, some separatist movement tried to gain field.
Some Reformed pastors in the USA founded a tiny church which was affiliated to the prestigious Episcopalian Church in the U. S. They based this unexpected movement on some historical relations
between the Hungarian Reformed Church and the Anglican Church. This movement lasted for nearly a decade, and it was supported sometimes even by the Hungarian bishops and politicians. A minister
in Nagyvárad/Oradea founded a local movement, which was based upon former evangelical thoughts on the revival of the church. Both movements were condemned by the Reformed Church of Hungary as schisms and separatist movements. The study points out that these phenomenon highlighted the covered antagonisms in the church itself which had already a traumatic experience.
Keywords: sedition, Episcopalian, awakening, Trianon, Reformed Church Hungarian

Tömösközi Ferenc: A Szlovenszkói Dunáninneni Református Egyházkerület peregrinus lelkészei

The study deals with the biography of some Slovakian reformed churchministers who were in charge in the so-called „on the north side of Danube” diocese, for instance Czeglédy István, Kovács Károly,
Pap József, Sörös Béla, Szabó Zsigmond, Székely Dezső, Szűcs Árpád, Csekes Béla, Czibor József, Galambos Zoltán, Kiss Gyula, Parais Árpád, Zsemlye Károly. They were on study trips at various Western-
European universities in order to widen their knowledge of theology. They were from the Reformed Dioceses of Tekov and Komárno. This study not only created as database as it is customary in the classical peregrination history, but also it shows the life portraits of the ministers shortly, who returning from the peregrination were also active in theology just like church politics, beside the pastoral services. In some cases, the shortness of the biography is eye-catching. The reason is that the necessary data after W.W II. are completely missing. Except a few cases, they were not even studied which makes archive researches really difficult.
Keywords: Slovak and Sub-Carpathian Reformed Church,

Szamborovszkyné Nagy Ibolya: „Egyedül, de hitünkben megerősödve”. Bary Gyula lelkészi tevékenysége az első Csehszlovák Köztársaság idején

The 20th century, which we left behind a decade and a half ago, is full of little-known or completely unknown stories of our predecessors who did everything to preserve the Hungarian identity and Reformed faith of the population of north-eastern Hungary which became part of Czechoslovakia. Among these forgotten people is Gyula Bary who was consecrated as a Reformed priest in the Kingdom of Hungary, but the most active time for his pastoral ministry was during the First Czechoslovakian Republic. Gyula Bary began his career as a deacon in Beregszász, in 1923 (after Ferenc Biki, the dean of Ung resigned). He prepared the budget of the Transcarpathian Reformed Church District, which the newly formed state found acceptable. From that time on, he had been a close associate of Béla Bertók Bishop and in 1932 he was elected dean of Diocese in Bereg. In the following study based entirely on written resources, the most important achievements and events of Gyula Bary’s life as well as his pastoral activities for the benefit of his parishes and diocese during the period indicated in the title will be presented.
Keywords: Gyula Bary, the First Czechoslovakian Republic, Nagybereg, the Transcarpathian Reformed Church District

Albert András: A „bevett vallások” jogállása a Compilatae Constitutiones törvénykönyvben és az erdélyi országgyűlések végzéseiben (1661-1669)

Based on the principle of ’recepta religio’ the constitution of the Transylvanian principality provided practice to the four common religions, worship services, the employment of elected ecclesiastical
people. At the beginning of his reign Mihály Apafi I (1661-1669) maintained the equality between the four common religions on the bases of the resolutions of the Transylvanian diets and the Compilatae
statue book issued in 1669. Based on the princely oath, the ruler promised free practice and respect of the rights of the common religions. He guaranteed the freedom of religion during his reign. The
aim of my essay is the presentation of the prince’s religious politics between 1661 and1669.
Keywords: legal status, recepta religio, freedom of religion, Compilatae Constitutiones statute book.

Fazekas István: Disszonanciákból konszonanciák

1. szám

Albert András: A magyarországi protestánsok védelme I. Apafi Mihály erdélyi fejedelem politikájában (1671-1681)

The Defense of Protestants in Hungary in the Policy of Mihály Apafi, Prince of Transylvania (1671-1681)
Mihály Apafi, Prince of Transylvania was the protector of persecuted Protestants of Transdanubian and Upper Hungary areas. He welcomed the ministers from Hungary who became homeless and gave them a support in his policy. The prince promoted the re-settlement of the Reformed College of Sárospatak which was expelled from the town to find a home in Gyulafehérvár, Transylvania. His role as a statesman lending support and protection to Protestants in Transylvania and Hungary is comparable to István Bocskai, Gábor Bethlen and György Rákócz I, princes of Transylvania during the 17th century history of the church. The prince’s greatness gave him a leading role in the international political life as well as in at home, in Transylvania and he played a vital role in making Protestantism flourishing in the areas of education, supported arts and the influx of intellectual capital from abroad. His saw his role as a statesman in solving the political, societal, cultural and religious issue of Transylvania and Hungary, sought to ensure religious liberty for them and offer protection when it was needed.
Keywords: Counter-reformation, persecution of religion, protection of Protestants in Hungary, Decade of Bereavement, freedom of religion

Hermán M. János: Száz éves a Kampeni Teológia: 1854-1954

The 100 Years’ Anniversary of Theological Education in Kampen: 1854-1954
The current study revisits a publication from 1954. Attila Kövy wrote about how much welcome the Hungarian theological students are in Kampen. His work has been provided by footnote János M. Hermán which is published now. The study summarizes the foundation of Kampen Theological Seminary, its growth and deals with the particularly conservative theological stance that is peculiar to the school. Its unique feature may be articulated as such “the theological institute in Kampen was established and maintained by simple folk, peasants, who were oppressed, persecuted and mocked”. This is why the theological education lays a great emphasis on the love for oppressed and marginalized. This institute became the cradle of home mission. The study also gives an account that there had been a Hungarian bursar in Kampen almost every year from 1925. The Dutch synod gave a lots of scholarship for Hungarian Reformed students coming from Upper Hungary to study in Kampen, that was given to Czechoslovakia, since they had not had yet their own ministerial training university due to the changes of national borders. This study investigates also how Dutch and Hungarian Reformed ecclesiastical relations developed through Kampen theological University during the twentieth century.
Keywords: Theology, Kampen, theological university, peregrination, reformed

Pálfi József: „…hogy szavai lelketekben visszhangot, jóra elhatározásokat ébresszen…”1 A nagyváradi Református Árvaházi Képes Naptár

„…May its words stir an echo in your souls, and urge you to do good things…” The Reformed Picture Calendar for Orphanages published in Nagyvárad
One of my former studies dealt with the history of Reformed ecclesiastical newspapers, magazines and alike published by the Reformed Diocese of Királyhágómellék (Partium region) in Nagyvárad between the two world wars. Then, albeit shortly, it had been mentioned that a picture calendar was instrumental in shaping the religious feature and spirituality of the region amongst Hungarians. This study intends to show in details the aforementioned
publication printed in Nagyvárad (Oradea in Romanian). Its significance lies in the fact that under great political pressure from the state it had not given up the fight to serve a Christian community, namely the Reformed Hungarians in the region. It also set an excellent example for the outside world and the Christians it
addressed since it devoted the pages of the calendar to do good deeds for the community.
Keywords: Reformed picture calendar for Orphanages, Nagyvárad, Reformed Diocese of Királyhágómellék, Reformed piety, history of publications

Petrov Anna: A Bábel-Bibel vita hatása Erőss Lajos Vallásbölcsészetében

The Babel-Bibel (Bible) discussion and its impact on the Philosophy of Religion written by Lajos Erőss of Debrecen
The Eastern Society of Germany approached Friedrich Delitzsch to present a paper on the Bible. His lecture was provocative and unusual and provoked an international discussion. The study attempts to see how Lajos Erőss, a systematic theologian from Debrecen reacted to this contemporaneous issue. From his books it becomes clear that he did not side with those like Volck, Kittel, who rejected the possibility of the impact of other nations on the religious history of Israel. At the same time we may claim that he did not subscribed to Delitzsch’s innovative thought carelessly. He did not deem proved that either the Babylonians or Assyrians could have been monotheist. However he does find points of connections to the story of Flood and how Israelite religion itself developed. Therefore he agreed to accept some of the results of historical critical methods, yet as a systematic theologian he found it vital to examine all results also in the life of faith, creeds which we inherited from our ancestors and underlines that all our knowledge, even if seems to be proved by historical methods is partial and fragmented.
Keywords: Dogmatics, Debrecen, Friedrich Delitzsch, Lajos Erőss, Babel-Bibel, historical criticism, philosophy of religion

Ruzsa-Nagy Zoltán: Reformed Towns and Presbyterian Government in Hungary in the 17th and 18th Centuries

According to the nineteenth and early twentieth century ecclesiastical historiography, the success of Hungarian Reformation was bound to the Protestant conversion of the nobility which drove the serfdom living in villages and in towns (owned by a landlord) to Protestantism. This paradigm clearly links the Reformation to the survival of the ius patronatus. Up to nowadays the widespread view of the Reformation in Hungary is focused on noble courts such as Sárvár or Sárospatak and the court of the Prince of Transylvania where Reformed preachers received significant support to spread the Gospel. This paradigm has
been considered to be right especially when the landlord was reconverted to Roman Catholicism in the seventeenth century. The study shows that it was not until 1753 that the Protestant worship was banned. There are examples also where a Protestant town or village could survive under a Roman Catholic landlord. On one
hand stating that the local communities in most cases had a certain freedom to decide on their own religion, the landlords did not put any pressure on their serfs to abandon the Roman Catholic faith. On the other hand the paradigm of confessionalism introduced by Heinz Schilling and Wolfgang Reinhard has influenced case studies carried out by Roman Catholic scholars to prove that there was no significant difference between the social structures and church life of the Reformed and Roman Catholic towns in Hungary. Against this background, the scope of this study is to examine the establishment and operation of the first presbyteries. Also trying to study the driving forces of establishing the local Presbyteries (Church sessions) and their connection to urban settlements.
Keywords: Protestant reformation, change of religion, conversion, confessionalism, Roman Catholics, Reformed, Lutheranism, Presbyteries

Sebők János: Pelagius, egy szerzetes Britanniából

In my thesis work, I am dealing with a lesser known but nonetheless important figure in the late roman period of religious history. The work of Pelagius is a rather controversial topic: on one hand, the main wave of the church (headed by Augustinus) proclaimed him to be a heretic, on the other hand, he was quite popular with the Christian aristocracy. Pelagius’s significance is further emphasized by him being the first person coming from Britain. Because of him being a controversial figure at the time, we have many written records about his looks and personality. In the second part of my thesis, the focus is on a particular
moment concerning the church. There was a rather wealthy woman, who has vowed chastity. Three important figures have “grabbed a pen” to try and sway her. Augustinus, Hieronymus and Pelagius wrote many letters, which when analysed, can give us a glimpse into their respective styles. Regardless if we view Pelagius’s influence as good or bad, his importance demands more research.
Keywords: Pelagius, Augustinus, Demetrias, heretics, heresy, letters, Church history

Szebeni Olivér: Bibliaterjesztés, evangelizáció és a nemzetiségek A református ébredés és baptista misszió kapcsolódási pontjai Magyarországon a 19. században

Bible Mission, Evangelisation and the national minorities. The Points of Connections between the Revival of Reformed congregations and the Baptist mission during the nineteenth Century in Hungary
Interdenominational mission work has been a strong feature of Evangelicalism that has been transplanted from Western Europe to the Austrian Hungarian Empire. Mission organisations such as British and Bible Foreign Society and the Religious Tract Society from London all employed Baptist as colporteurs to spread the good news and stir revival in traditional churches. However, their work often resulted in establishing new congregations that were in line with the belief of the workers. This study shows how the Baptist mission spread in Hungary amongst various ethnic groups such as Hungarians, Germans, Slovakians and Hungarian mainly but not exclusively by János Rottmayer, Henrik Meyer and Antal Novák. It also sheds light on how a tiny Reformed congregation named
German Speaking Affiliated Congregation of Budapest was a hub of revival activities through the Scottish missionaries who for some time supervised the work of the colporteurs of BBFS and RTS. Bibles and tracts were also means of educating the low class people, therefore this research paper also deals with the contents of religious literature, piety and spirituality of colporteurs who were not only Baptist but often Jewish converts of the Scottish Mission.
Keywords: British and Bible Foreign Society, the Religious Tract Society, revival, Reformed and Baptist mission, Jewish mission, evangelization

Vámos Béla: Rövid bevezetés a munka és pihenés „világába”

In my research paper I intend to throw a light on the conception of work and ethics. Since work has been regarded by some as a task ordered by God during the ages, and others perceived it as a humiliating activity, I write about what work means in light of the Sciptures, and how it gains a meaning after the Fall. God continuously creates, therefore we cannot be passive. At the same time the postmodern society lacks the biblical basis in a more and more increasing manner both in the area of work and vacation. This results on the one had that work loses its original meaning while on the other had it converges with other things. In the second part of my paper, I study the significance of the day of rest, Sunday following viewpoint of the Bible, then I treat the issue how it has been distorted
in society. The third part highlights the kickbacks and impairments for health by an overwrought lifestyle. Finally the last treatment of the study deals with work and relaxation in light of a Christocentric interpretation of the Bible.
Keywords: work, relaxation, pace of life, progress, fatigue, silence, Sunday, profit, ministry, mission

 

2. szám

Albert András: A „ius advocatiae” és a „ius supremae inspectionis” I. Apafi Mihály fejedelemsége idején (1661-1690)

After the election of Mihály Apafi I. as prince of Transylvania, he didn’t hesitated to rebuild the country in ruins. Mihály Apafi I. through diplomatic channels, worked to rescue and prosper the statehood of the principality, its cultural and ecclesiastical institutions. For a prince who has manifold activities, one of the most feasible paths in the given political, economic and social context was the material and moral support of scientific, cultural life, the protection and supervision of the Reformed Churches in Transylvania. Whith his profound religion and theological training, he defended and supervised the Transylvanian Reformed Church life in the second half of the 17th century. The aim of my essay is the presentation of the prince’s church protect activities and church supervison activities.

Keywords: polemics, church protection, theology, religion politics, church supervison.

Bodnár Lajos: Teológiai antropológia a liberális Kovács Albert szemléletében

The key figures of Hungarian liberal theology owe their theological views to the influence of Mór Ballagi, who studied with Christian F. Baur. Their theology focuses on the issue of human beings as religious entities. This paper argues that not all the co-workers, even one of the closest aide of Ballagi, Albert Kovács did not subscribe to the view of Ballagi about human beings, but he developed his own theological anthropology. It is the intent of this research to show the key concepts of Albert Kovács’ anthropology which bear an influence on the entirety of his theology either directly or indirectly. One of the most important elements that has to be underlined is the statement that human beings innately religious. This is explained in details in three subsections: the religious instinct belongs to the spirituality of humankind, the human soul is ‘akin” to that of God, and the intellectual development has a formative impact on the improvement and maturity of humankind. Secondly, the idea of practicing religion freely and the individual faith is a crucial and dominant issue in Kovács’ thinking. Finally, the paper seeks to analyse his view on the doctrine of original sin, which is a core orthodox anthropological doctrine. While trying to delineate his liberal anthropology, it is
indispensable to look at the statements of the representative figures of the new orthodoxy of Debrecen who sometimes exhibited or confessed seemingly similar, other times rather different doctrines. Finally, we shall reflect on how and why the views of liberal theology and new orthodoxy were partially integrated in modern Hungarian books written on Reformed Dogma.
Keywords: anthropology, liberal theology, new orthodoxy, human beings

Görözdi Zsolt: A Jelenések könyve mennyei liturgiájának homiletikai jelentősége

This study seeks to explore the heavenly liturgy as it is described in the book of Revelation so as to delineate important elements that could be used for liturgy and homily for modern congregation today. The heavenly liturgy, which is told several times, in spite of worshipping the Antichrist on earth, underlines that the power is in the hand of God. The intent of this biblical message is that the reality in heaven will be realised gradually on earth as well. This research paper investigates the heavenly worship, - its actual realisation, content, process and selected elements – which conveys different kind of messages that may be identified as vital liturgical elements or congregations today when preaching and worship is formulated. This realisation brings us to the challenge of a homiletical task how it is possible to direct the attention of the members of congregation to the event in order to enable them to understand its message that is
relevant to their lives. It is argued that the heavenly liturgy may provide a sound ground for providing an encouragement for the believers in their daily fights as Christians. It also offers a model not only for the individual but also for the life and worship of the congregation to conduct its life accordingly.
Keywords: Book of Revelation, homily, heavenly worship, kerygmatic message

Karasszon István: Kommentálás – magasfokon Walter Dietrich, Samuel. Teilband 3. 1Sam 27 –2Sam 8. Biblischer Kommentar VIII/3, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2019, XII+762 lap

Karasszon István: Király és zsoltár Németh Áron, „Királyok zsoltára, zsoltárok királya”. A 72. zsoltár előállása és teológiája a Zsoltárok könyve redakciójának tükrében, Kolozsvár: Exit Kiadó, 2018, 332 lap

Kókai Nagy Viktor: Simon mágus

There are few so high-impact heretics in the Church History as Simon was. He appears in the Book of Acts. According to Irenaeus, he is the father of all gnostic heresy. This was had been accepted by the Early Church Fathers and propagated further as such. By the eleventh century, a term had been coined: simony. The unfaithful handling of money was named after him. It was considered one of the most serious ecclesiastic crimes. Simon appears in many literary works, like Faust and Mephistopheles. However, it is claimed that the subsequent reports and views about Simon, the Gnostic required a great fantasy that was often read into the text of Acts of 8:4-25. Therefore, we would not like to deal with Simon’s afterlife in our article, but to focus on the only New Testament text, in which the key subject figure of the story appears.

Keywords: Simon the Magician, Philip, Peter, Acts.

Kókai Nagy Viktor: Im memoriam Ulrich Luz (Kókai Nagy Viktor emlékezése)

Kovács Enikő Hajnalka: A 22. zsoltár

The most well-known individual lament psalm among Christians, in fact, almost the only well-known complaint which starts with an address to God. It is formally characterized by המָָל or הנָאָ דַע questions. This is followed by the complaint in the psalm itself, in which the Psalmist presents his sufferings to God. The complaint is followed by an expression of unbroken confidence in God’s deliverance, followed by a request. At the end of the psalm, there is a change of mood and it ends with thanksgiving for experiencing deliverance. Psalm 22 is the basis of a liturgy in which the prayer goes from complaint through prayer to praise and finally to thanksgiving. A unique song runs throughout the book of Psalms which is suitable for a typological application regarding Jesus’ suffering and death.
Psalm 22, as the key to understand the narrative of Christ, was mediated by Jesus himself by quoting the opening words of this psalm on the cross.

Keywords: complaint, suffering, trust, thanksgiving, typological application.

Kovács Enikő Hajnalka: Magyar Holokauszt 70 Babits Antal sorozatszerkesztő: Magyar Holokauszt 70, veszteségek és felelősségek, Logos kiadó, Budapest, 2014, terjedelem: 287 lap.

Langschadl István: Feltámadás és élet1 (I. rész)

The intention of this paper is propaedeutics, which will be studied in the light of the eschatology of John’s Gospel. In the introduction we are making an attempt to identify the concepts of apocalyptics and eschatology. Later we are going to sketch the dilemmas of the New Testament’s perception of time. First of all, the paper considers the subject’s aspect of progressiveness – we search thoroughly and we compare Gospel of John from two directions to the Holy Word. To do this we are going to use the Bultmann-Cullmann debate as our guideline. Our first aspect is to pay attention to the synoptic Gospels and try to define Jesus Christ’s
eschatology. Bultmann’s behaviour, that is, the idea which focuses on the parousia delayed could have some weak points as the paper argues. Our second observation is to evaluate Cullmann’s viewpoint on salvation, which does not seems to be standardized. That is why we are going to put John’s way of presenting salvation next to the history of salvation as they are in the Old Testament, Paul’s letters, and the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Having done that, we are
going to examine three passages in a very close look according to the gospel’s theology. We chose the chapters 5, 11 and 14 because these seem to be the most important ones. Furthermore, in these passages the futuric and present tense statements are in opposition to each other which makes Gospel of John unique. Finally, we attempt to summarize our research findings.

Keywords: apocalyptics, presentic and futuric eschatology, parousia, salvation history.

Lendvai L. Ferenc: Jüdische Diaspora in Raum und Zeit (von den Anfängen bis zum Beginn der Neuzeit)

It is well-known that Jews have lived in diaspora for centuries. However, there have always been great differences between the kind of diaspora they experienced in different context because their legal and political status were not always the same. The study endeavours to make clear-cut differences between four types of diaspora. First, the life of the Jews will be examined within the civilizations of the Ancient Near East, i.e., in Assyria and Babylon, caused by the defeat of the petty-states of Israel and Judah by the empire. Second, the life of the Jews in the Mediterranean region as a diaspora will be scrutinised. This period is also marked by the loss of the mother country and gave birth to the new leadership of Jewry, i.e., the nasi and gaonim. Third, the study addresses the context of the diaspora among countries of two world religions, i.e., Christianity and Islam. Fourth, the life of Jews within the European national states as a minority community will be studied. It is here where they continued to suffer from setbacks, but they gave our modern Europe a new principle: the ‘Leistungsprinzip’. This principle became the foundation of the modern civil societies.
Keywords: diaspora, Jewish people, ‘Leistungsprinzip.

Lovász Krisztián: Krisztológia és ekkléziológia Révész Imre tudományos írásaiban

The purpose of my paper is to show two theological themes from the life and work of this Imre Révész junior, bishop of the Reformed Transtibiscan Church District in Hungary. This paper attempts to describe and grasp his character and spirituality based on his theological vision. The study seeks to achieve this end thorough the biblical views and formulated theological opinion that expressed in his highly academic manner in his writings. His voice broke out of from a mere theoretical spectrum into the reality of everyday life and therefore connected practice and theory well. His Christology and Ecclesiology mirrors a very deep and personal experience that was deeply influenced by the awakening movement of the Reformed Church and the powerful influence of John Mott. The paper argues
that Révész held the Bible in one hand and the Reformed creeds in the other. In consequence his theological views on Christ and church exhibit a successfully combined evangelicalism with a deeply rooted confessional stance. The paper explicates how the two theological themes relate to one another and points out that his views were formed and shaped by his revivalist experience.
Keywords: Christology, Ecclesiology, New Orthodoxy, Revival

Petheő Attila: A csehszlovákiai magyar közösség helyzete az 1918-1924 között megjelenő magyarországi református lapokban

The purpose of my study is to observe the development of Hungarian public life in Czechoslovakia after World War I. from the perspective of the motherland of a Hungarian religious minority group. The main focus of the study is the situation of the Slovakian Reformed community of the period. I will touch upon the general situation in Slovakia and the emerging viewpoints following the Council’s decisions. So far, we have not found any publication related to the era
where the situation of certain parts of the nation-state is presented from the point of view of Hungary and other attached territories. In my study, I intend to research the news dealing with the Hungarian people and regions of Czechoslovakia which can be found in the Sárospatak Reformed Papers, the Protestant Review and the Transdanubian Protestant Papers, until the Legislative Council of Leva in 1923.
Keywords: Slovakian Reformed community, Hungarian in Czechoslovakia.

Tóth Márta Dóra: Izrael és Edóm kapcsolatának alakulása

In this paper I study how the relationship between Israel and Edom developed. How did this intense anger against Edom – which can be found in many prophetic pieces of literature – generated? The two nations’ relationship and its development are of interest to us, because it allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the stories about Edom and Israel in the Old Testament. According to the traditions, Israel and Edom originate from the same ancestor, and we consider them brother nations. The Old Testament evinces both a brotherly and a hostile relationship between them. Two stories which unfold the same event (Deuteronomy 2,4-6.8; Numbers 20,14-21) show a very different relationship and balance of power. Based upon such materials, I study the evolution of the two nations’ relationship and also considering the results of the archaeological research.
Keywords: Israel, Edom, the generations of Esau, the relationship between Edom and Israel.

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