Hungarian Church Press, 1949 (1. évfolyam, 4-13. szám)
1949-08-26 / 10. szám
- HISTORY OR THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH - Teaching of the past for to-day and to-morrow - By: Bishop Imre Révész • ■ Under the title "History of the Hungarian Reformed Church" four excellent young historians Alexander Biro and Michael Bucsay Assistant professor on the Theological Academy, Endre Toth, University Professor, and Zoltán Varga, Univ.lecturer, wrote a mighty "dook. This work is of immense value to all longing to receiveatrue and attractive picture of the past history of the Hungarian Reformed Church. Here are some parts of the preface by the famous Hungarian church historian, Bishop Dr.Imre Révész: It is the history of the Hungarian Reformed Church and not of "Hungarian Protestantism" the reader receives in this book. Books published up to the present, summing up an d surveying the whole development in general gave rather the history of the Hungarian Protestant Church, the history of each individual Hungarian Church called into being at the time of the Reformation. Haturally, the writers of these books, guided by the principles pf their own respective denomination, have shown a greater attention for the one or the other Hungarian Protestant Churches. The writer of this preface was for 16 years the lecturer of church history on the Theological High School and the University. Beside this work and during these 16 years he lectured often on this subject. There are many precious and unforgettable memories and experiences linked up with his activities. But at the same time he also gathered some sad and upsetting impressions which he has never got rid of since. One of the most serious and it even hurts to record it, is that the history of our Reformed Church fails to be of interest even to our ministers, to an extent one would not expect and believe possible in a Church which at least during the third part of its existance of 400 years, belonged to the cross-bearing churches, in the utterance of which there was a continual and great stress laid upon the so-called "historical self-consciousness. But it is indeed hard to expect ministers or lay workers, simple or qualified church members to display a deeper and more zealous interest for the history of our Church, when we fail to give them a deeper insight of the workings beneath the surface of history, when we fail to show them those fountains of zeal that from time to time broke out like geysers from unknown depth to the surface to cleanse, to heal A momentous now book:
