Secular Function and Body in the 17th-18th Century Transylvanian Reformed Church Cover Image

Világi tisztség és testület a 17–18. századi erdélyi református egyházban
Secular Function and Body in the 17th-18th Century Transylvanian Reformed Church

Author(s): Dezső Buzogány
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, History of Church(es), Theology and Religion
Published by: Erdélyi Református Egyházkerület
Keywords: secular authority;church and state;church and politics; 17th century;18th century;Hungarian Reformed Church in Transylvania;

Summary/Abstract: 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.

  • Issue Year: 100/2007
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 734-745
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Hungarian