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In this study, we briefly outline the possible sources of a disputation written by the Transylvanian polyhistor Sámuel Kaposi and make reserved statements about the authorship and originality of this disputation. Our aim is to draw attention to this interesting text, which is perhaps the first Hungarian work dealing with spiritual desertion, a topic peculiar to English and Dutch Puritans.
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In this paper I present a thorough examination of Laszló Ravasz’s publications from the period 1901–1903, when he was a student of the Protestant Theological Seminary and the State University of Cluj/Kolozsvár. In this period, he shows signs of uncertainty whether to become a Reformed minister or a journalist, novelist, or critic. This period of life of a student is typically characterised by an interest in almost everything. He writes more than forty poems, short novels, theatrical critics, but most often he relates about the student life in the magazine Kolozsvári Egyetemi Lapok. He attempts to follow well-known journalist of his time. His descriptive writings demonstrate how good a writer he was already in the early years of his career.
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A syllogism (Greek: συλλογισμός – “conclusion, inference”) is a kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true. Aristotle defines the syllogism as “a discourse in which certain (specific) things having been supposed, something different from the things supposed results of necessity because these things are so”. The Aristotelian syllogism dominated Western philosophical thought for many centuries in the Middle Ages. But the history of syllogistic thinking does not end with the Middle Ages. It continued to be used even by the church reformers of the 16th century. Thus, alongside a dialectic way of thinking, it contributed to the development of the new dogmatics coined by the church reformers in the 16th century.
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Szabados Ádám: Az apostolok hagyománya. Károli könyvek – Monográfia. Károli Gáspár Református Egyetem – L’Harrmattan, Budapest 2020. ISBN 978-963-414-658-2, 350 old. (Steiner József)
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Review: Altarul Banatului. Revista Mitropoliei Banatului. XXX (LXIX) új folyam, 2019/4–6. április–június, ISSN 1220-8388, ISSN 9 771220-838001, 160 old. (Bányai László)
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Ledán M. István: A halál mint álom. Az újszövetségi álomeszkatológia az ókori görög sírfeliratok tükrében (Adorjáni Zoltán)
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It is not disputed that the Second Vatican Council (1962—1965) was one of the most important events not only in the history of the Catholic Church, but also throughout the 20th century. Pope Francis described it as “the beautiful work of the Holy Spirit” and many historians underscore the constant need to study the said event. Guided by these conclusions and postulates, which featured in the issue of Verbum Vitae devoted to the Holy Spirit in the Church, the presented article focuses on the image of the Second Vatican Council on the pages of an unusual and rarely analysed historiographic source, namely, school textbooks in history. To this aim, several studies were selected for the purposes of the analysis, which students of Polish schools had the opportunity to use during the recent few years. It shows that, based on most of the school handbooks analysed, students have the opportunity to learn the most important facts related to the Second Vatican Council. In addition, the textbooks appreciated the role of popes — John XXIII and Paul VI.
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The article provides an overview (both in terms of types and amount) of liturgical paraphernalia (vessels, vestments, and processional items), musical instruments (organs and bells), and other items of church interior (pews, candlesticks, chandeliers, commemorative plaques, sacristy furniture, boxes for holy oils, offering boxes, wallpapers, sepulchral banners, and stoups) extant in the parish churches of the diocese of Samogitia in the first half of the seventeenth century. The overview is based on the information contained in visitation acts and inventories due to the fact that only a few material pieces of sacral art dating back to the mentioned period have survived until now. Historical sources enabled a description of the whole repertoire of liturgical paraphernalia of the parish churches of the above-mentioned diocese (in the first half of the seventeenth century) for the first time. The overview reveals some transformations of the older practice, occasionally witnessed in local sources of the sixteenth century. More significantly, it enables future research based on a comparison of the described material with the information contained in wider chronological and geographical (first of all, including the diocese of Vilnius) contexts.
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Its area of evangelization of South Cameroon, missionaries of the MPA had introduced the ideas of freedom and autonomy among his flock to fight against French colonization and allow the political and social empowerment of black people. However, after the Second World War, while political leaders molded in schools of the MPA were fighting for the independence of Cameroon, African employees the Mission and trained to the awakening of consciousness began to assert their masters, the improvement of working conditions and the handling of the management of the heritage of the Mission. The pressure of the black clergy had pushed the MPA to grant independence to the missionary field giving birth, December 11th, 1957, in the Cameroonian Presbyterian Church (EPC). With the withdrawal of the American missionaries, the problem of the management of an important heritage designed since the end of the 19e century arose, because pastors African, few in number, but avid authority, had not received the training required to ensure the relay of these Apostles of good new and well trained to the task to ensure the technical work in different medical institutions, schools, agricultural. So far, the problem remains real in this church, the opposite of self-propagating who brought the early Church to create more than 500 parishes in fifty years of independence.
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The article considers the significance of the personality of Archbishop Ambrose (Shchurov), who managed the diocese of Ivanovo (Ivanovo-Voznesensk) and Kineshma in 1977—2006 for the formation of the Orthodox intelligentsia in the Ivanovo region in 1990—2006. The memoirs of its representatives are given, reflecting their personal experience of communication with the Arch-pastor. Archbishop Ambrose was for many years a member of the editorial Board of the scientific journal “Intelligentsia and the world”. The article is devoted to the 90th anniversary since the birth of this Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, who made a considerable contribution to building dialogue between the Church and the intelligentsia in the region, and many Church representatives of intelligentsia.
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The venerable Nicetas Stethatos lived and worked in a very difficult period for the Church of Christ. He was a very fruitful theologian writer. The most frequent themes in his writings are dogmatic issues popular in the time he wrote. On the Confession of Faith is a very significant work, in which the author expresses his Orthodox faith, written in accordance with his past experience. Theology must be experimental and experienced to be a true celebration of God. That is why — in this modest contribution to the history of the Christian Church — the Orthodox faith in Constantinople in the mid-11th century was translated into Serbian with a comparative original.
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Based on a systematic and problem-chronological approach, and drawing on materials from federal and regional archives of the Russian Federation and works of Russian and foreign scholars, this article identifies the theological foundations of veneration for holy relics and their roles and value for believers. This sets up a study of the causes and consequences of the campaign for the disclosure of holy relics in the European North of Russia, believers’ actions to protect the relics of revered saints, and results of this struggle. Questions about the origin of the cult of relics, their early Christian or ancient origins, and the evolution of ceremonies connected with them are the focus of modern studies. The understanding of the term “relics” and the idea of their sacred status have undergone significant evolution in the history of the Russian Church. Understood differently in Orthodox theology and among ordinary clergy and parishioners, the cult of relics became one of the most important directions for atheistic and anti-clerical policy of the Soviet government in its first years. An inspection of the contents of shrines was supposed to reveal the corruption of the saints, and thus to expose “the centuries-old deception of the working people by the clergy” and thus to nullify the influence of the Church. Data on how the majority of believers responded to this policy are analyzed. The article concludes that the fight against relics as an important element of anticlerical measures led to apparent success, but failed to achieve the main goal — to eliminate the cult of saints and martyrs as such.
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This essay continues the critique of perceived evangelical exceptionalism by providing a detailed study of the genre of biography in antiquity. While some scholars claim that the Gospels were a literary anomaly without clear precedents, we instead claim that they are an innovative variation of the classical biographical tradition. By classifying the Gospels into this generic classification, we work to establish an access to this literature that is historically grounded and does not seek the presumed religious ‘community’ of the author in the rhetorical framework of their writings.
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Consecrated life born from the God’s initiative should be considered in the charismatic perspective. Holy Spirit, who works in the Church, not only stands at the beginning of each institute of the consecrated life, but has been the source of countless blessings and positive fruits throughout the centuries. Consecrated life manifests itself as the always changing reality which under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit brings about many fruits. In the article one can find the explanation for Trinitarian dimension of the presence of the Paraclete in the consecrated life: Firstly in the vocation of a human to sainthood, secondly in the charism of the particular institute or form of the consecrated life. Finally thanks to these dimensions mentioned above one can easily discover another one, which is the charismatic form of living within the Church.
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Is the reverence and cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus still topical in the mission of the Church? The text „God’s Heart in the mystery of its opening to the modern world” is an attempt to answer the question above. Biblical depiction of the word „heart” has basically symbolic and allegoric meaning. Repeatedly this word appears in connection with the word „love” both in regard to God and human. Incarnated God, the Word of the Father, became truly human with the loving heart and he redeemed the world. The Heart of Jesus pierced with the soldier’s spear on the cross is still open to the present day with his love. A special place in this regard is given to spreading the idea of the social kingdom of the Heart of Jesus and the civilization of love.
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Formation towards the vow of poverty is one of the elements of the preparation of consecrated persons aimed at living according to evangelical counsels. In the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus all three vows are inscribed in the figure of reparation characteristic for the Institute as well as oblation dimension which underlines total devotion to God through religious consecration. The documents of the Congregation besides the goals and various aspects of formation also set out the essence of the vow of poverty, encouraging life with its spirit. The goal of formation is to shape the heart of a religious person, who supposed to more and more reflect in himself the way of life of the poor which was chosen by Jesus Christ. That formation has also the community dimension, through which the religious community should become a witness of non-remissive goods and thus its prophetic dimension.
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Because this year (more precisely on August 11th) is the 565th anniversary of the transition to the eternal ones of John Hunyadi, but also because the famous ruler by state and by army of origin Romanian meant a lot to the history of Banat, I decided to draw up this modest study in his memory to be printed in this remarkable publication. John Hunyadi was one of the greatest European political and military leaders of the 15th century, standing out as the initiator and commander of the anti-Ottoman fight. He was born around 1407 as the son of Vojk, “soldier of the royal court”, son of Şerbu (an important Romanian knyaz in the Haţeg land), and Elizabeth of Marginea, descendant of lesser noblemen from Hunedoara (migrated probably into Transylvania from the Banatian district of Marginea) who had embraced Catholicism, the faith in which her children, including Hunyadi, were raised. Most of the narrative and official (diplomatic) historical sources of his time and subsequently confirmed its Romanian roots. Marco Antonio Bonfinio (Bonfini/Bonfinius), an Italian scholar, wrote in his chronicle that John Hunyadi’s father was Romanian, one of those who “inhabit the land of the Getae and the Dacians, descendants of the Roman settlers, as proved by the language they speak”. The great Italian scholar, Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, who would later become pope Pius II, wrote that John Hunyadi “whose name far outshines the others did not increase so much the glory of the Hungarians, but especially the glory of the Romanians among whom he was born”. In his times, it was known that Hunyadi “was not a Hungarian but a Romanian of a lesser nobility”. In the 19th and 20th century many Banatian scholars took a keen interest in the origin, personality and deeds of John Hunyadi. We mention here: Nicolae Stoica of Haţeg, Damaschin Bojincă, Iosif Bălan, Victor Motogna (a Banatian by adoption), Patriciu Dragalina etc. Worthy of remark is Damaschin Bojincă’s monograph about the great Christianity’s hero called The description of birth and heroic deeds of very famous and all Scurtă prezentare biografică a lui Iancu de Hunedoara 91 over Europe of the wonderful hero John Corvinus of Hunyadi. Half of this study deals with the matter of John Hunyadi’s Romanian origin. On 18 October 1409 John Hunyadi’s father was ennobled and received Hunedoara possession with surrounding villages from king Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387-1437). After having served his apprenticeship at some laymen and clergymen’s courts and even monarchs as well, John took part in the anti-Ottoman fight in the south of Hungary, leading his own detachment of 6-12 cavalrymen. Around 1428-1430 he married Elizabeth Szilágyi, a Hungarian noblewoman of high rank from Solnacul de Mijloc county (or Slavonia) whose family were supporters of Sigismund of Luxembourg. They had two children, Ladislau and Matthias (the future king of Hungary between1458-1490). With the support of his wife’s family, John entered the retinue of Sigismund (emperor 149 of Germany since 1410) and he served Filippo Maria Visconti, duke of Milan, in his anti-Venetian campaign. In this period John Hunyadi completed his military education and training and studied the new military art of Italy from the condottieres. In 1434 he accompanied his monarch at the Council of Basel, Switzerland. In 1436-1437 he joined Sigismund of Luxembourg in his campaign in Bohemia (Czechia). Although king “de jure” Sigismund was to become king “de facto” as the country people, townspeople and lesser nobility wouldn’t acknowledge the German suzerainty. At that time, John was already leading his own detachment of 50 troopers. On 9 December 1437 Sigismund of Luxembourg died and Hunyadi went to Alba Iulia to attend the coronation of Albert of Austria (1438-1439) as king of Hungary. Then he returned to Bohemia where he spent the remainder of the year 1438, so he did not take part in the suppression of the peasant revolt in Transylvania (1437-1438). Although king Albert of Austria was acknowledge by a group of noblemen from Czechia, the Hussites were against him, preferring Casimir, the brother of the Polish king, as their sovereign. John Hunyadi and his brother were engaged in king Albert’s warfare with the Bohemians and their Polish allies. In 1438, during peace negotiations, king Albert promoted Hunyadi to Ban of Severin, a dignity that he shared with his brother. He was soon in the ascendant. On 7 March 1441 king Vladislav I rewarded him with the title of voivode of Transylvania, position retained until 1446. During this time he was also Comes of Temes and Comes of the Szekely. His sovereigns recognized his merits by granting him vast estates in Transylvania, the Banat and eastern Hungary. All these brought him great revenues, John Hunyadi being the greatest landowner in Hungary at the time. In 1445 he became Captain General of Hungary and in 1446 he was rewarded by king Vladislav I with the captaincy of the fortress of Belgrade. In June 1446 he found himself at the peak of his political career when he was elected as Regent-Governor of the kingdom of Hungary by the Diet. Supporter of the centralization of political power, on the external plan John Hunyadi consequently sought to create a system based on 92 Altarul Banatului tightening the ties between the three Romanian principalities in order to form a united anti-Ottoman front. At the same time he aimed to launch a Christian crusade to oust the Ottomans from Europe. In 1442 he defeated the Turks at Sibiu and Ialomiţa. In 1442-1443, during the famous expedition known as “the long campaign”, John Hunyadi crossed the Balkans advancing as far as Zlatita where he scored a brilliant victory over the Turks, then in 1445 obtain a new victory over them in a campaign undertaken along the Danube, but he was defeated in the battles of Varna (1444) and Kossovopolje (1448). 150 After his resounding victory against the Ottoman armies led by sultan Mohammed II (1444-1446; 1451-1481), in July 1456 in the famous Battle of Belgrade, John Hunyadi died of bubonic plague in his camp at Zemun, near Belgrade, on 11 August 1456. He is buried in the Roman Catholic Cathedral “St. Michael” of Alba Iulia. His funeral plaque was engraved with John of Capestrano’s words: “The light of the world has passed away”.
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The Archbishop of Esztergom (lat. Strigonium), Dionisius of Szecs, is considered a controversial figure in historical literature. In a short time, he crowned two Hungarian kings: 14 May 1440 as a faithful servant of Queen Elizabeth her three-month-old son, Ladislav the Posthumous, and 17 July 1440, apparently under pressure, also his enemy Vladislaus I. Despite the indisputable fact of the double coronation, the historians are now more cautious regarding the role of the Archbishop. As an excellent speaker and diplomat, he favored negotiations over violence and was instrumental in settling several seemingly insoluble conflicts. He also played an important role in the election of Mathias Corvinus as King of Hungary, which he eventually crowned (as the third ruler in his life). His merits in the church are also important: despite the difficult period he began to build the cathedral and archbishop’s palace in Esztergom, convened several church synods, supported monasteries and increased the importance of the Archbishop of Esztergom by achieving the title Primate of Hungarian church.
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This paper is an addendum to the book Serbs and Religious Interventionism 1991–2015: Political Aspects of Religious Challenges to the Serbian State and Church After the Breakup of Yugoslavia written by the same author Aleksandar Raković (Belgrade: Hrišćanski kulturni centar – Christian Cultural Center, 2015; 366 pages, in Serbian language).
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