Calvin Synod Herald, 1982 (82. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1982-02-01 / 1. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 3 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA THE TRANSPLANTED CHURCH ■— -----------William E. Nyerges------------------------------------The Hungarian Reformed Church of which I am presently the assistant minister in Cleveland, Ohio, is the same one in which I was baptized as an infant, reared as a child, confirmed and married. Fortunately, exposure to other Christian denominations, particularly Methodist, and more than casual personal associations with Jews and Catholics, as well as long absence from the Cleveland area, has allowed me to develop both a loving and critical look at its strengths and weaknesses. I am not satisfied that this loyalty should rest within a narrow parochialism, but rather always be tested against the broadest Christian understanding and standards. The pronounced historical and ethnic heritage of this church, well personified by its warm and learned bilingual pastor, Dr. Stephen Szabó, continues to draw my first love and loyalty. It is too much a part of me to deny. So I feel compelled to see its future ensured—its mission renewed —in God’s Name and to His glory. As I have assumed leadership in its ranks, and as I look to further responsibilities in the future, my desire to comprehend its unique features has increased: to understand the roots of its past, the nature of its present troubles, and the directions of its future. I have sought to relate to the people as they are, but want also to lead them in imaginative new ways in the service of Christ. The calling of God for me has remained in this highly personal context and points to challenges and practical needs that must be faced. What is the future of the ethnic church of this type? What ways must we redefine and measure our past struggles and achievements so that we continue to remain a vital force in building His Kingdom and remain to the basic call? The purpose of this article, then, is simply to highlight and clarify the historical, spiritual, and (unavoidably) political landmarks that have created a church such as the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Cleveland, and other Synod churches like it. My goal is not a comprehensive history, but rather a basic framework of understanding upon which to build a worthy and continuing history. This heritage which has been transplanted to a new land deserves survival, after all, by only one measure: whether or not it remains a living church that honors the God of all people, and His Son Jesus the Christ. * * * Hungary, homeland of the Magyars in central Europe, had been since its inception in the year 1000 a royal kingdom of sorts and dominantly Roman Catholic. Its history up through the 16th century was one of the great turmoil and conquest by foreign intruders. The departure point for our purpose is the Battle of Mohács in 1526, which was a decisive defeat that extended Turkish influence in Hungary for another two hundred years. At this time also the beginnings of Protestant Reformation thinking took firm hold to become a permanent feature of Hungarian national life. Martin Luther’s writings quickly influenced and took root among the German burghers and Saxons of Transylvania. But Calvin’s Latin writings with their international flavor were the real key to spreading the new understanding among the learned elite, and eventually the common people in their mother tongue. By the end of the 16th century, Hungarian translations of the Bible were available and Latin began losing its predominance. In 1550, a Diet in Transylvania authorized the free expression of both the Catholic and Protestant religions; in 1564, the distinction between the Calvinists (always the majority among Protestants) and Lutherans was recognized; and in 1572, the four “authorized” creeds —Catholic, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Unitarian — were granted equal political rights. This was fairly progressive for the time and place, but, of course, it was still state religion. And the country’s subsequent history unfortunately did not reflect such even development and enlightened political evolution. A good part of the 1600’s was dominated by the early maneuverings of the Habsburg monarchy to define its self interests and attitudes toward the divided land and toward the Hungarians’nemesis to the East, the Turks. Much of what could be termed Hungarian liberalism, and certainly the core of its Protestant leadership, originated in Transylvania. This remained true right to the early 20th century. One of these early revolutionary heroes was István Bocskay, who first threw out one of (Habsburg) Rudolph’s generals responsible for local atrocities and confiscation directed against Protestants. Bocskay concluded with Rudolph, on 23 June 1606, the Peace of Vienna, which enlarged Transylvania and guaranteed the rights of Protestants in Royal Hungary, a segment of the larger Hungarian realm abutting northwest Transylvania. The Peace of Zsitvatorok (11 Nov. 1606) made peace between the Emperor and the Porte, which meant no more Hungarian tribute to the Turkish Sultan. Following Bocskay’s death, however, the Turkish influence eventually reasserted itself. In 1613, the Porte forced Transylvania to accept a chosen Magyar prince, Bethlen Gábor (Gabriel Bethlen). Ruling from 1613-1629, he was somewhat of an enlightened despot. He encouraged commerce and the arts, and set up an academy to which he sent many Protestant pastors. Upon many of these he conferred hereditary nobility, which says something about the clergy’s place in the socio-economic scheme of things, for better or worse. Bethlen ’s successor, György Rákóczi, ruled from 1630-1644. As evidenced in such pacts as the Treaty of Linz (1645), Transylvania continued its gradual move toward greater Protestant liberty and political independence. It thus escaped the worst ravages of the counter-reformation and the 30 Years War. Nonetheless, a revival of Catholicism meant a corresponding rise in loyalty to Rudolph and his successors to the Habsburg Crown. In the larger Hungarian realm, this meant
