A MAROSI REFORMÁTUS EGYHÁZMEGYE 1927. ÉVI KETTÉOSZTÁSA (A BEKECSALJAI REFORMÁTUS EGYHÁZMEGYE LÉTREJÖTTE)

Author(s): Árpád Róbert Berekméri / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2017

The territory of the Reformed Diocese of Maros was modified in 1927, this being the second significant change in its history. In 1641, several parishes have left the diocese to form the Reformed Diocese of Görgény. The managing of a diocese, which by the first half of the 20th century represented 125 parishes, became a difficult task for the governing body. The idea of a territorial division came up in 1918, but only in 1922 was a decision made by the board of the Diocese. The lengthy splitting procedure, approved by the Board of Directors, ended on April 20, 1927, with the formation of the Reformed Diocese of Bekecsalja. Lajos Kolozsvári became the Dean of the new Church organization and Dr. László Dósa lawyer became the churchwarden. The Board of Directors rejected the appeal made against the election, and confirmed the new governing body of the Diocese on May 24, 1927. While the new diocese was not recognized by the Ministry of Culture and while neither the state nor the Board of Directors gave any aid for the settling in arrangements, the functioning of the diocese had to be managed through its own available budget.

A normális nem normális, a nem normális a normális!?

Author(s): Attila Tuzson / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 06/2018

A Polygraph-Assisted Psychological Assessment of Risk of Sexual Harm Posed by a Priest

Author(s): Daniel T. Wilcox / Language(s): English Issue: 2 (48)/2019

A PRÉDIKÁCIÓ A LITURGIÁBAN

Author(s): Szabolcs Szetey / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2019

In the present paper, I examine the relationship between preaching and liturgy. I only focus on preaching in the services on Sundays and feasts. First of all, I offer an overview of Hungarian Reformed theoretical and practical liturgical books, service books, and books of liturgics concerning the relationship between preaching and liturgy from the 16th century to the recent days. The importance of preaching overshadows the liturgical function of the sermon; prayers, church music, hymns, and psalms are consequently losing relevance in the worship. The theoretical and practical books emphasize consistently, that the preaching must be presented and regarded as one of the elements of the liturgy/service. Preaching takes place within the service; the sermon has to be based on and contacted all the liturgical elements of the congregation’s worship. Balance between preaching and liturgy should be discovered, and established in order to worthily celebrate our services.

A profán emberi és a szakrális környezet viszonya az ókortól a középkorig

Author(s): László Havas / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2015

This study investigates how a healthy human environment was preserved in the past, both physically and mentally. The author introduces some famous Greek deities, who were responsible for health. From this varied palette is taken Heracles, who had an important role in creating valuable and safe human surroundings. Romulus and Caesar, two prime figures in the Roman world, are mentioned; they had magic powers over health, although they were mortal persons. The same nature was attributed to the Christian emperors of the Middle Ages, such as Charlemagne, Otto I, Henry II and the first Hungarian king, St. Stephen I. They all wanted to create the Heavenly Jerusalem on earth. One thing in common in these groups of deities, heroes and kings was that, as a thaumaturge and Christus medicus, they could possess healing and purifying abilities to improve their human environment.

A PRUDENTIAL PERSONALIST ETHICAL APPRAISAL OF HUMAN CLONING

Author(s): Peter O.O. Ottuh / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2021

Numerous uncertainties are hanging over the biotechnology of human cloning which has prompted medical ethicists and religious organizations to ask questions that bordered on its ethical and religious considerations. In cloning humans, ethical and religious issues arise both in its clinical and laboratory settings hence, the morality of manipulating human genes is the foremost ethical issue among scientists and religious scholars. Therefore, this paper evaluated the human cloning technology using the personalism and prudential personalism ethical-religious models to arrive at a workable moral paradigm. To achieve this objective, the paper employed the phenomenological and critical-literary literature review methods. The paper argued that previous ethical and religious researches have not adequately employed the ‘ideal’ ethical models to appraise the morality of human cloning hence; using the personalism and prudential personalism ethical-religious models were appropriate to reveal that every human life has worth and its commodification is an aberration. The paper concluded that based on the paradigm of prudential personalist ethics, cloning humans (especially, human reproductive cloning) negates respect for human life, human dignity, and communal goods hence it should not be practiced.

A Short Note on the Scientific Attitude, the Religious Attitude and the Surrational

Author(s): Bruno Marchal / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2016

We explain that the scientific attitude, with a “good understanding” of what is science, might be the most genuinely religious attitude, and that in fact, religion and science are much closer than what we are usually told. Nevertheless they cannot be identified effectively in any terrestrial applications without leading to inconsistency, but are truly, and thus non effectively, identical in the ever guessed true realm.

A spiritual difficulty for health. Simplified mathematical ideas

Author(s): Richard Woesler / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2022

Many people say that there would be definitely no afterlife with Judgment Day. Some such persons might sometimes try to harm innocent others secretly to obtain, e.g., financial advantages, e.g., conducting a robbery at dark night, because they cannot fear Judgment Day. Such offenses can cause health damages to the victims. This spiritual idea, that there would be definitely no Judgment Day, for such offenders might have negative impact on society. A question is how to get into the dialog, e.g., with such offenders so that they eventually might come to a different conclusion, that Judgment Day is possible, and might then engage correspondingly more to do good things, with benefit for public health. In the present text, considering mathematical, physical, and further scientific knowledge, thought experiments are conducted regarding theoretical computer programs, in which, additionally, it is dealt with a question about quantum randomness.

A structural analysis of deconversion processes in adolescence: The construction of the Adolescent Deconversion Scale

Author(s): Mirosław Nowosielski,Rafał P. Bartczuk / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2017

The presence of spiritual and religious changes in adolescence is strongly supported by the existing theory and research. In the present article we propose to apply a deconversion-based approach to the exploration of religious crisis in adolescence. Streib developed the theory of deconversion in the context of the growing interest in atheism and apostasy. In the proposed approach, deconversion processes comprise all changes in personal religiosity that involve a departure from the current ways of manifesting religiosity. Drawing on Streib’s theory, on the basis of research conducted on 323 people, we constructed the Adolescent Deconversion Scale. Analyses revealed the existence of four dimensions, which we interpreted as: (1) abandoning faith, (2) withdrawal from the community, (3) experiencing transcendental emptiness, and (4) moral criticism. The reliability and validity of the new method were assessed and found to be acceptable.

A Study of Begliktash Megalithic Complex

Author(s): Diana Kjurkchieva,Evgeni Stoykov,Sabin Ivanov,Borislav Borisov,Hristo Hristov,Pencho Kyurkchiev,Dimitar Vladev,Irina Nikolova Ivanova / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2017

The article presents the results of interdisciplinary study of megalithic complex Begliktash conducted by a group of researchers from the University of Shumen. The main conclusion is that Begliktash is a natural phenomenon with interesting stone complex morphology that may have been artificially consolidated and used both to perform rituals and for calendar purposes.

A Study of the Philosophy of Science and Spirituality

Author(s): Richard A. Honeycutt / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2020

Are religion and spirituality in conflict? The prevailing opinion in today’s world seems to be that they are. But a careful examination of ontological, epistemological, and teleological factors may lead to a surprising answer: there need not be a conflict if we clearly define our terms and understand the pivotal importance of metaphor in human thought. If science and spirituality (or religion) are carelessly defined with claims of absolute truth, and if the unsupportable assumption is made that reality consists only of matter-energy, a dramatic conflict will result between science and spirituality. But these logical flaws invalidate much of what we think we know in the fields of science and spirituality themselves. If we examine Kuhn’s work on paradigms, the revelations of Quantum Mechanics, and consider the topic in the light of Process Philosophy and Transpersonal Process Philosophy, we will be prepared to evaluate the philosophical ideas that underpin the work of Goswami’s “Science within Consciousness” and also the groundbreaking thought of Ken Wilber, Rupert Sheldrake, Owen Barfield, and Eric Weiss. We will discover that essentially all human thought depends upon metaphor, though usually not recognized as such. While necessary, metaphors must not be confused with absolute truth. Comprehension of the nature and proper role of metaphor will clarify our thinking about religion, spirituality, and many other essential matters. The egregious error that is fundamentalism in religion or science will be revealed and can then be avoided. The resulting dawn of understanding can lead us into a new meta paradigm that can eradicate almost all the supposed war between science and spirituality.

A TANÍTVÁNYSÁG ÁRA

Author(s): Lészai Lehel / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 2/2017

The gospels inform us that following the calling of Jesus, the disciples forsook their trade, their homes, and the members of their families. In brief, they left everything behind, what they lived from and for. Jesus says very clearly that following him is only possible, if the one called denies himself and takes his cross up. On the other hand, he promises that he who forsakes his house, or brothers, or sisters, or parents, or children or fields for him will receive a hundred times as much in this present age, with persecution, and later, eternal life as a reward. In Mt 19,28 (cf. Lk 22,29-30, where they receive the promise of the kingdom too), Jesus promises the twelve disciples that they will sit on thrones and that they will judge Israel. If someone leaves his fortune, but sticks to his trade, he can still hope to regain his possessions. The return to a forsaken trade was difficult (Jn 21,2-3), if possible. After leaving possessions and occupation, the forsaking of one’s family follows. This is more difficult, because it demands the undoing of ties of blood which are deeply rooted in humanity. Jesus does not stop here. He goes even deeper in the question of self-giving and self-denial of the nominees for discipleship. Someone, though with a heavy heart, in difficulties could give up everything and everybody who is outside of him, but Jesus asks the utmost here, the called person’s life. Jesus had two kinds of disciples. On one hand, there were those who obeyed the calling and immediately left everything and followed him. On the other hand, others accepted him as their Master and Saviour, but they stayed at home, in the midst of their families and in possession of their properties. These two groups are called the wandering and the sedentary disciples. For the twelve disciples, following Jesus includes the break with the old connections, with those material or family bonds, because the disciple starts an entirely new relationship with Jesus, as their teacher. In the light of 1Cor 9,5, the questions about a radical break with occupations, possessions and families remains open, since Paul mentions that the apostles and Peter took their wives on their mission trips with them. One possible explanation is that when Jesus called the twelve disciples, they had to break with everything which defined their earlier life and follow him this way. On the other hand, there were disciples who served Jesus and his followers with their material goods. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, a different situation pertained, and then the married apostles carried out their service together with their wives. The fact that when the disciples left their wives and children, they were not the only ones to suffer, but so were their relatives, whom they left on their own for a while (until Easter). Another possible explanation could be formed, if we discuss this question in the light of 1Cor 7,29–31 where Paul speaks of a symbolic break.Jesus calls the disciples, and the Twelve breaks with everything what determined their former lives, and follow their master. Their life is characterized by poverty and wandering, while they experience miracles in the company of Jesus. They continue the mission after the death and resurrection of their master. After a while, it starts a process of becoming petty bourgeoisie, during which the second generation of disciples stop wandering and leaving behind possessions, and they live as sedentary disciples in their families.

A teológia és a természettudomány viszonyának időszerű modellje - unitárius nézőpontból

Author(s): Elek Rezi / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2010

A teológia mint „fölfelé nyitott” hittudomány

Author(s): Botond Gaál / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 5/2018

Numerous debates are evoked nowadays based on the disability of establishing an interdisciplinary harmony between Christian thought and exact sciences. It may therefore be necessary to review the main fields of the human intellect, thus sciences, philosophies, arts, religions, and Christian theology. The present study provides an overview of these areas focused on their subjects, methods and views, aiming to clarify its title.

A teremtett világ evolúciója Jürgen Moltmann olvasatában

Author(s): István Debreczeni / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 4/2020

Jürgen Moltmann unfolds the creative dialogue of theology and natural sciences along the subjects of creation and evolution. The earlier mechanistic and deterministic worldview collapsed as a result of the scientific discoveries of the 20th century. Moltmann observes a surprising parallel between the scientific theory on the one hand, and the Christian teaching about creation eschatologically oriented towards the future of God, on the other.

A vallás fogalma

Author(s): Tamás Nyirkos / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 01/2020

Borbély Gábor: A lehetetlen másolatai A vallásfilozófia alapjai Osiris, Budapest, 2018. 217 oldal, 2980 Ft

A VALLÁSTANÁR ÖNISMERETIÉS SPIRITUÁLIS KOMPETENCIÁJA

Author(s): Gabriella Márta Gorbai / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2018

The Self-knowledge and Spiritual Competence of the Religion Teacher. The person and the interpretation of profession of the religion teacher is one of today’s central problems. Theological competence, discussion and dispute competence, developmental psychology-diagnostic competence, and pedagogical competence are all linked to the religion teacher’s competence profile. However, this study only aims at discussing self-knowledge and spiritual competencies. Self-knowledge has two pivotal aspects from the religion teacher’s point of view: on one hand, the teacher’s own development of personality, knowing themselves aids forming a positive relationship with the pupils, which is the bedrock of the effective transfer of information, and on the other hand, by transmitting personality development methods achieved through personal experience, the religion teacher offers a device for developing self-knowledge to the pupils. Discussing the spiritual competence is relevant, because the religion teacher has to be ready for regular introspection in front of God in the personal religious life, and also, for a continuous growth in faith.

A VILÁGKÉP ÉS A VILÁGSZEMLÉLET MEGKÜLÖNBÖZTETÉSE A VALLÁSPEDAGÓGIÁBAN

Author(s): Dávid Németh / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2019

In the field of practical theology from a Christian pedagogical perspective we have to make a clear distinction between world picture (describing empirical reality) and worldview (determining personal affection to the first one). While the science based world picture tends to be as objective representation of our actual world as is could be, the worldview is hermeneutical system based upon principles, ideas and values. In most cases, mixing up these two notions cause tensions between faith and natural science. In order to clarify some points of differentiation and also reference to each other, this study investigates the two notions in the context of religious education.

A Virtue-based Model for Medical Ethics and Practice in Edmund Pellegrino

Author(s): Philemon Ayibo / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2020

This paper deals with the resurgence of interest in virtue ethics in professional ethics, specifically as it applies to Edmund Daniel Pellegrino’s account in medical ethics. Pellegrino investigates in a clear manner the ethical problems of contemporary medicine from a virtue ethics point of view and offers a virtue-based ethic for medicine as an effective tool and a practical guide for confronting the challenges of modern medicine. His account builds on a thesis of the indispensability of virtuous character traits for a sound medical practice. Pellegrino’s virtue ethics offers a plausible and distinctive alternative to utilitarian and Kantian (principle-based) approaches to understanding and evaluating professional roles. It is hoped that our exploration of Pellegrino’s account will underline the place of a virtue ethics in medicine and stimulate a similar inquiry into social welfare, and into other forms of human professions and disciplines.

A ZENE HATÁSA AZ ÉRTELMI ÉS AZ ÉRZELMI INTELLIGENCIÁRA

Author(s): Lajos Király / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 1/2019

This study analyses the effect of music on aesthetic and emotional intelligence. Since creativity also means healing creation at the same time that implies digging deeper and transcendence as well, we would like to talk about the therapeutic effects of music with an intercommunication outlook. Some state that musicality is inborn and coded into our genes, which we call talent that can be further developed and transferred to the following generation. According to others, musicality and the ability to play and sing is not merely a matter of genetics but also the social and cultural background the individual grew up in is very important. We shall see that there are cultures in which music is the sole instrument with which the individual can adapt into the respective culture. Many deem that music is the “peak of human intellect and emotionality”, and that is why many studies were published in the second half of the 20th century about its effects on intellectual and emotional development. In what follows, we shall also talk about the debated Mozart effect, the biological basis of music and the stimulation of logical thinking. By music, the help, the counselor, the attender, the priest have a tool with which they can positively influence cognition, the expression of feelings, the development of creativity, whilst „the effects of the expansive transfer prevails through the intellectual, emotional and motivational changes”. But for all that, we must be familiar with the effects of music on intellectual and emotional intelligence.