Albert András: A vallásszabadság és a vallási tolerancia kérdése a 16-17. századi nyugat-európai államokban

emergence of the Reformation different changes occurred in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. The Lutheran and Calvinist churches created by religious innovations and reforms fought for their recognition. Through the peace of religion and edicts that ended the wars of religion, the issue of religious freedom and religious tolerance and the guarantee of them by law became increasingly important in the western European states. In the Western European states of the
16th and 17th centuries, religious freedom and religious tolerance were achieved only in principle. In practice, religious freedom and religious tolerance did not exist in the Holy Roman Empire, in England, in France, in Spain and in the Netherlands. In these states religious freedom and religious tolerance could only be expressed on the level of cynicism. In the second half of the 17th century, political thinkers, philosophers and jurists discussed the natural rights of man. More and more people advocated religious tolerance and religious freedom. The idea of religious tolerance penetrated their work. Among them there were the outstanding Samuel Pufendorf a lawyer, and John Locke a political thinker.
Keywords: religious freedom, religious tolerance, reformation, church, Principality of Transylvania