"Będziecie moimi świadkami po krańce ziemi" (Dz 1,8). Łukaszowa wizja świadectwa z perspektywy Dziejów Apostolskich

Author(s): Krzysztof Mielcarek / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 28/2015

Because of the richness of Lukan theology regarding witness, the author was unable to cover all of its aspects. Thus the study touches only upon its major threads. Besides the obvious issues of the apostles role as witnesses, the content of their witnessing, and its recipients – the study presents some other personalities involved in transmitting the Good News of God’s salvation to humanity. Indeed, the greatest stress is placed on the testimony of God himself. Despite being a constant Mystery for humankind, He never ceases being involved in their history and witnessing to his salvific plans. Although there are only a few texts within Acts that connect the persons of the Trinity to witnessing, one should consider them as fundamental to a full Lukan theology of witness.

"Vera iustitia et sanctitate praeditum…"

Az istenképűség tartalma a Heidelbergi Káté szerint

Author(s): György Papp / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2014

"Własny dar" sakramentu małżeństwa w katechezach Jana Pawła II

Author(s): Maciej Dalibor / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2019

This article presents the papal theology of the body within the scope which concerns the sacramental grace given to a man and a woman in the marriage. This grace, in a special way, concerns relationships created by a man because it is they that were deprived of the basic dimension of the unselfish gift by original sin. This gift was given to a man by the Creator and on the basis of this gift the man had to share himself with another human being. The incarnation of the Son of God was God's response to the mistrust that undermined the communion of God with a man, together with the essential human communion, that is, the marriage. Through the sacraments we have access to the fruits of the Passover of Christ. In the sacrament of marriage these fruits enable people to enter again into a dimension of the selfless gift of the self given to another person.

75 éves a Barmeni Teológiai Nyilatkozat

Author(s): Tamás Juhász / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 3/2009

Vor genau 75 Jahren haben Vertreter der Deutschen Evangelischen Kirche auf ihrer Bekenntnissynode in Barmen (Wuppertal) die berühmt gewordene Theologische Erklärung kund gegeben. In der Abfassung des Textes hatte Karl Barth den Löwenanteil. Die Erklärung besteht aus 6 kurzen Thesen, jede These hat einen „Predigttext“. Auch die positiven Sätze sind kräftig, kategorisch, aber sie werden durch die Verwerfungen, durch die angefügten negativen Sätze erheblich gekräftigt. Die Erklärung zeugt davon, daß die deutschen Protestanten – ein Jahr nach der Machtergreifung Hitlers! – erkannt haben: eine totale Diktatur verletzt nicht nur hie und da die Juris diktion der Kirche, sondern greift den christlichen Glauben selbst, in seinen Wurzeln an. Die biblische Wahrheit leuchtet, angesichts der Irrwegen und Lügen des totalen Staates noch klarer auf.

A béranyaság helyzete Romániában

Author(s): Sándor Béla Visky / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2019

Több milliárd dolláros üzletággá nőtte ki magát a világban a béranyaipar. Hogyan illeszthető egy ilyen szenvtelen közgazdasági megállapítás a megszülető emberi élet misztériumához? Az alábbiakban röviden ismertetem a béranyaság jelenségét, valamint az ezzel kapcsolatos alapfogalmakat, ennek romániai jogállását és gyakorlatát más országok szabályozásának kontextusában, végül pedig néhány etikai szempontot fogalmazok meg a problémaegyüttesre nézve.

A BOCSÁNAT TŰFOKA – ACUMEN VENIAE

Author(s): S. Béla Visky / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

Mad Forgiveness. Vladimir Jankélévitch (1903–1985) was a professor of moral philosophy at Sorbonne University for three decades, starting from 1951. He wrote thousands of pages on the essential issues of human life, on virtues – the reality of wisdom, courage, loyalty, sincerity, justice, fairness, modesty, humility, moderation, abnegation, forgiveness, love –, and their opposites, lying and baseness, in an age where these topics were not seen as fashionable at all. Below, I present his thoughts on forgiveness and provide my own translation of the two final chapters of his work Le pardon.

A bűn eredete

Author(s): László Varga / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 3/2007

The origin of sin is a universally commonly discussed problem of theology. It can be clarified only from the original texts of the Bible. There we find a clear answer by its diverse teachers: Sin originates from bodily desires. In our terminology, bodily desires are the biological instincts. In the animal world instincts are specifically restricted. They are only active in necessary times and conditions; they assurae the harmony of nature. Man’s instincts are free; they are always active and biologically unrestricted. The millionaire works for more money, women are able and ready to copulate even while being pregnant, the lust for power is limitless, and even world domination can not fulfil it. Remaining uncontrolled, instincts can destroy all human societies. They must be controlled morally. Man is personally responsible to keep them under God-given moral control. That is the dignity and tragedy of being human. Instincts are biological forces, morally neutral, but by nature self-centered. Godgiven morals are always altruistic. Under the guidance of strong morals, instinct is the force that brings good economy into reality, secures family life, a well trained society. When instinct escapes from under the control of morals, it is a guideless, selfcentered, always active force, which is able to destroy every social human activity, even personal life. Human morals are always questionable. My rules are as valuable as anyone else’s. Only God-given morals can be unquestionable. That is the meaning of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: Man is free to do as he wishes, but moral laws are not under man’s will. To do what moral say is the personal and social responsibility of man. So there is a permanent battle between the moral convictions and the urgings of the instincts striving to get from under it. Consequently sin is the act of self-centered instincts getting out from under the guidance of the God-given moral rules.

A HÁLA SZEREPE LELKI, MENTÁLIS ÉS FIZIKAI EGÉSZSÉGÜNKBEN

Author(s): Andrea Ferenczi / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual, Mental and Physical Health. Psalm 50 demonstrates complicated requirements of relationships towards both God and our neighbours in terms of gratitude, as well as in the realm of hope for divine libera-tion. Having evolved layers of meaning, in the psalm, the expression “liberation” – the linguistic root “jesa” – seems to have wide collocations. Getting released from an enemy is the immediate equivalent, but the spectrum of meaning covers, among others, escape from exigency, psychological burden, or bodily disease. We started to examine interrelations between gratitude and liberation with psychological means some years ago. Through exploring terrains of gratitude as a construct, we hope to get closer to the understanding of human nature and behaviour. Our results may serve therapeutic intervention by bringing closer those who are engaged in counsel-lor and psychology professionals. My present study wishes to describe the notion of gratitude from the perspec-tives of religious and cultural studies and more broadly, from the aspects of psy-chology. The review of some research results is meant to underline interrelations be-tween gratitude and mental health. Finally, some of our own researches support the idea that gratitude is a capacity you can acquire and improve throughout your life. Experiencing and expressing gratitude may provide room for something new and may afford space for recovery to happen, for willingness to occur, so that liberation could come into being.

A hit megvallásának terminológiái a Szentírásban

Author(s): György Papp / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2018

Az előadás első felében azt szeretnénk megvizsgálni, hogy Szentírás milyen közlést kifejező igékkel írja körül a hit megvallásának folyamatát, ezeket milyen szövegösszefüggésbe és élethelyzetbe ágyazza bele, illetve hogy ez milyen teológiai következményekkel jár. Ez a vizsgálódás hozzájárulhat ahhoz, hogy a hitvallást mint műfajt pontosabban tudjuk körülírni és elhatárolni más szövegtípusoktól. Az előadás másik fele arra keresi a választ, hogy milyen bibliai gyökerük van azoknak a kifejezéseknek, amelyek az ókeresztyén teológiai irodalomban jelölték a hitvallás fogalmát. Ezáltal egyrészt jobban megértjük az óegyház hitvallásról alkotott felfogását, másrészt pedig hozzájárulunk a jelenkori hitvalláskép értelmezéséhez.

A KEGYES ÉLET HETI RITMUSA – A NYUGALOM NAPJÁNAK KERESZTYÉN SAJÁTOSSÁGAI

Author(s): Balázs Siba / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

Weekly Rhythm of Gracious Life – Christian Features of the Seventh Day. This study reflects on that “many Christians and others now keep a weekend of two Saturdays.” Our consumer culture has made the seventh day not a holy day, but a kind of extra time to catch up with the tasks of everyday rush. The seventh day is not only necessary because of our biological and sociological needs, but it also has a theological dimension. Sacred time can take many forms, and we are not bound by time and space to pray to God, but the Sunday is a great opportunity to come together to experience the miracle of God’s presence in our community. In this article, we look at the four elements to a holy day: rest, remember, give thanks, and refocus.

A kegyesség mint a keresztyén magatartás alapformája

Author(s): Tamás Juhász / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2019

Holland újságíró fejtegette egyszer, hogy a keresztyén emberek magatartásából meg lehet állapítani felekezeti hovatartozásukat. Másképpen cigarettázik a római katolikus, a református és a lutheránus ember. Még a reformátusok között is van különbség: a konzervatívok bőrszivart szívnak, a barthiánusok pipáznak, a szabadelvűek (és a remonstránsok) cigarettáznak. Ha ebben a vélekedésben sok is a túlzás, annyi igazság mégis van benne, hogy minden felekezet tagja magán viseli vallási kultúrájának valamilyen lenyomatát. Valami olyan ez, mint a római katolikusoknál és a görögkeletieknél a keresztvetés: amikor a kereszt vízszintes szárát formázzák az egyik balról jobbra, a másik jobbról balra lendíti kezét a válla felé. Ezek a különbségek a sok-sok vallási jelkép használatában, az istentiszteleti és kegyességi önkifejezés gesztusaiban nyilvánulnak meg. Még a kegyesség gyakorlásának is sok változata van akár ugyanazon felekezeten belül is. Alábbi írásomban viszont az a meggyőződés vezet, hogy a külső formákon túl a kegyesség mint vallási alapmagatartás, illetve a kegyességgyakorlás legegyszerűbb eszközeinek tára minden keresztyén felekezetnél megtalálható. Van egy „kegyességi minimum”, amely nélkül nincs igaz keresztyénség. Nem fogok reflektálni sok keresztyén egyház kegyességi gyakorlatára, csupán az erdélyi református kegyesség azon alapformáiról szeretnék értekezni, amelyeket sok tekintetben azonosnak, vagy nagyon hasonlónak látok a két másik erdélyi magyar protestáns egyház – az unitárius és a lutheránus egyház – híveinél is.

A kereszténység és a posztmodern személyiség

A „likvid modernitás” fogalma

Author(s): Csaba Tódor / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2019

Ebben a részben főleg a szociológus és filozófus Zygmund Bauman (1925–2017) társadalomról alkotott felfogásáról lesz szó. Elöljáróban néhány gondolat erejéig az ő személyéről és az úgynevezett likvid modernitás fogalmáról szólok.

A kiteljesedő világ felé. Kísérlet Balázs Ferenc gondolkodásának vázlatos bemutatására

Author(s): Norbert Zsolt Rácz / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 4/2019

A közjó szolgálatában

Author(s): Ábel Juhász / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 3/2008

In unserer bald zwei Jahrzehnte alten, manchmal seltsamen Demokratie wird die Frage oft gestellt: Wie kann man kirchliches Leben und kirchlichen Dienst mit gemeinschaftlichen Tätigkeiten miteinander vereinbaren? Heutzutage ist es eine der meist umstrittenen Fragen wie weit die politische Rolle der Kirche und der Pfarrerreichen darf. Es gibt sehr viele „Rezepte” für diese Frage. In einigen Kirchen hat man versucht sie gesetzlich und mit Verordnungen zu regeln. Anderswo wollte man die diesbezügliche Entscheidung der Einsicht der Weisheit der Gemeinden und Presbyterien überlassen. In geschichtlichem Rückblick könnte uns hier das Beispiel des holländischen Abraham Kyper und des siebenbürgischen Samu Barabás Recht mass geben.

A MAJDANI MEGBÉKÉLÉS REMÉNYE – AVAGY A FELVIDÉKI KITELEPÍTÉSEK ÉS LAKOSSÁGCSERE LE NEM ZÁRT TRAUMÁJA

Author(s): Attila Lévai / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

Hope for Reconciliation – the Lingering Trauma of Expulsions and Population Exchange in Upper Hungary (Present Day Slovakia). The study is to provide in-sights via selected individual examples into the greatest traumas post-World War II, suffered by the ethnic Hungarian population throughout Upper Hungary. Be-tween 1946 and 1948, the native Hungarian population in the region – including members of the Reformed Church – were targeted by drastic and decisive state measures which, from the perspective of human rights agreements, are to be consid-ered a cultural genocide and an ethnic cleansing. Under the pretext of collective guilt, many hundred thousands were declared enemies of the state, consequently they were relocated and deported in those three years; their only sin was that they belonged to the Hungarian minority in their native land.

A MEGBÉKÉLÉS ÉS AZ EMLÉKEZÉS ETIKAI KRITÉRIUMAI

Author(s): Sándor Fazakas / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

Ethical Criteria of Reconciliation and Remembrance. Reconciliation is a funda-mental concept of Christian theology, church practice and ecumenical social ethics. It is difficult to give a universally valid definition of reconciliation. The concept re-flects the changes of the image of God and man, the shifts in the Christian under-standing of salvation in cultural, legal and social context. Despite these significant differences, the juridical and social aspect of the doctrine is a constant in the history of theology and interpretation. According to this classic interpretation, reconciliation refers to the foundational event between God and man. The acting force of the event of reconciliation is God - but the human being has its part in actively partici-pating in the act of reconciliation, accepting the grace of God to collaborate with the creator in social, legal, economic and ecologic reconciliation between God and mankind. Unfortunately, the concept of reconciliation has been stripped of this rich spiritual-theological meaning and was reduced to its social, political and juridical dimensions. In order to counteract the one-sidedness of this understanding of rec-onciliation, this study aims to explore the theological-biblical complexity of reconcil-iation, and then to show the relevance of this rich theological concept for the cul-ture of remembrance, philosophical debates, and for the moral-legal dimension of the reconciliation processes of our societies.

A MEGBÉKÉLÉS FOGALMA PÁLNÁL

Author(s): Viktor Kókai-Nagy / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

Reconciliation in the Pauline Epistles. In my article, I deal with the concept of reconcilia-tion in the Pauline Epistles. What does reconciliation mean? The issue becomes particularly important in German theology, because of the concordant relationship between reconcilia-tion (Versöhnung) and atonement (Sühne). I would like to discuss the problem in three points. First, reconciliation as a cult category – the relationship between dia/katallage and ilasterion. Second, reconciliation as an expression of Hellenistic life – reconciliation as a profane, political category with a Christian content at Paul. And finally, is there a consensus between the two opinions?

A MEGBÉKÉLÉS HANGJAI BENJAMIN BRITTEN HÁBORÚS REQUIEMJÉBEN

Author(s): Krisztián Kovács / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

The Sounds of Reconciliation in Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. On the morning of November 15, 515, German bombers attacked Coventry, an English town with the population of 210 thousand people for 12 hours. The medieval cen-tre of the town was completely destroyed along with the Saint Michael Cathedral. The cathedral that had been torn down by the bombings has never been recovered to its original state, they built a new church next to its ruins instead. The consecra-tion took place in 1962, for which an oratory was ordered from Benjamin Britten. This was the occasion for which he wrote War Requiem that is considered to be the interpretation of reconciliation since then, just like the cathedral, which has become the emblematic place of it. Apropos of the music, we can talk about the liturgic gen-re of mourning mass, as well as its unique function as a reminder that can reach its audience regardless of their worldview and religion.

A MEGBÉKÉLÉS JÓZSEFI PARADIGMÁJA

Author(s): Sarolta Püsök / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

The Paradigm of Reconciliation Seen at Joseph. The origin of unrest. The first part of the present study examines the origin of violence. In the biblical vision of the Paradise the lion does not harm anyone and the power and justice do not extin-guish peace.However, the earthly interpretation of justice, that of the mankind is mistaken, thus control and power have become a constant source of conflict. The greed for power over others destroys peace. The study presents the train of thought on vio-lence and peace from the book Exclusion and Embrace written by Miroslav Volf. The presented work writes openly about the distortions of the human interpreta-tion of justice. In Volf’s book Christ’s Kingdom of peace that has to come is deemed true but the author raises the question that until the promises will be fulfilled what does remain for His followers to do. Volf also asks whether the earthly life of the people is related to Christ and if yes, how does this bond manifest itself.Humanity has already come up different ideas to overcome violence, the mod-ernists put their hope into the intellect, others thought that the universal peace be-tween religions would put everything right, but the dreadful events of the 20th century showed wrong all the ideologically implemented attempts to establish peace. The only possible solution that remains is imitatio Christi.Reliance on God and its power to make peace. The second part of the study high-lights one of the Old Testament paradigms of the pious believer’s conduct on the subject of violence and reconciliation.The biblical stories carry timeless messages, behavioral patterns, archetypes which are worth analyzing so that evil cannot be repeated, to stop transmitting bad schemes and empower the functional ones through biblical examples.Joseph’s story unfolds from an ancient experience, from the fact that if someone is chosen it will result in the peers’ envy and hatred. The continuation of the story is conventional, in the sense that there are almost lawful manifestations of human evil, the brothers endanger Joseph and remove him by force. The really exciting part un-folds in the end, when Joseph acts atypically, breaking the chain of violence, re-sponding with forgiveness instead of revenge.He explains: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good (Genesis 50:20). He understood that everything is part of God's providence, including what was painful, what he did not agree with, or what he did not understand at all. Jo-seph’s first great realization is that the absolute forgiveness belongs to God alone, who is the one who sees through the events of the world, and finally Joseph realizes that only those can have a future who do not cling to the grievances of the past but is open and ready for new duties.

A MEGBOCSÁTÁS HATÁSA A PÁRKAPCSOLATI MŰKÖDÉSRE

Author(s): Tünde Pál,Csilla Lakatos / Language(s): Hungarian / Issue: 1/2020

The Effect of Forgiveness on the Way Relationships Work. Forgiveness belongs to those coping strategies with a strong religious base, which, by focusing on strengths and development opportunities, help people to normalize their injured, disturbed relationships, to reduce the frequency of conflicts, and to help preventing the aggravation of problems in the future; in this way, it is important not only for religious people. Forgiveness, as well as the functioning of relationships, are affected by both personality, environmental, and relationship factors. Taking into consideration the personality traits, forgiveness can also be understood as a disposition, as a relatively stable attitude of the personality manifested in various life situations, as such a psychological adaptation, through which people willing to forgive are actively seeking to normalize their intra-and interpersonal relations. In our paper, we review the role of forgiveness in harmonizing the relationships, the way a helping professional can use it in the process of working through an injury. For a more complete view, we have built our psychological approach on the theological, biblical definition of forgiveness and on the analogy of the Divine For-giveness.