Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1977 (5. évfolyam, 13-15. szám)
1977 / 14. szám
HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER BOOKS Bociurkiw, Bohdan R., and John W. Strong, eds., assisted by Jean K. Laux. RELIGION AND ATHEISM IN THE U.S.S.R. AND EASTERN EUROPE. U. of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada M5S 1A6, 1975. 412 pages. $17.50 cloth. The content of this book is based on papers delivered at an international symposium on religion and atheism in communist societies, held at Carleton U. in April 1971. Its scope includes discussions of philosophical confrontation between religion and communism; church-state relations; the impact of political and economic changes on popular religiosity and the socio-political orientation of institutional religion. Two of the twenty papers focus on Hungary. Gerhard Simon (Fellow of the Bundesinstitut für ostwissentschaftliche und internationale Studien, Cologne, Germany) presents a crosscultural survey of The Catholic Church and the Communist State in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He emphasizes that though communist states in principle do not differentiate in their policies towards churches, the relationship between state and church differs from one denomination to another and one country to another. He outlines common features of communist church policy, and relates it to general political change, limiting himself to juridical and political examination of the church as a social institution. The theological and sociological-cultural aspects are not treated. The second paper related to Hungary is that of Leslie László (Assist. Prof, of Political Science, Loyola Coll., Montreal) who writes of the development Toward Normalization of Church-State Relations in Hungary. He discusses the merits of the Vatican Agreement of 1964, the ensuing confusion on the ideological front, and developments since the signing of the agreement. He insists that Kádár believes he can resolve the dilemma between combating religion on the one hand, and projecting a humane and enlightened profile to the world, on the other. Developments since the writing of this paper and following the death of Cardinal Mindszenty seem to support these contentions. Dr. Bociurkiw is Prof, of Political Science, and Dr. Strong is Assoc. Prof, of History, both at Carleton U. Dr. Laux is Assist. Prof, of Political Science at the U. of Ottawa. Fekete, Ferenc, Earl O. Heady, and Bob R. Holdren. ECONOMICS OF COOPERATIVE FARMING. Akade'miai Kiadó, Budapest; and Sijthoff, 198 Ash Street, Reading, MA 01867. 1976. 184 pages, tables, charts. $16 cloth. This volume aims to analyze socialist cooperative farming, especially as it developed in Hungary, its historical antecedents, socio-economic determinants, and to generate solutions for the problems characterizing the contemporary system. The study contrasts the interests (Continued on page 2) EDITOR’S CORNER Now, that your editor has retired from the National Institute of Mental Health (he retains his adjunct professorship at the American U. and “Scholar-in-Residence” appointment atthe U. of Virginia), he will have more time to tabulate the 110 questionnaires which you were so kind to return. As you readily noticed in this issue, we have already capitalized on information and suggestions provided by several readers. The unusually long list under RESEARCH IN PROGRESS is a result of information received. Mailing addresses have been changed, and introductory samples have been sent to potential subscribers suggested by you. Notions about improvements in form and content will be taken up one by one. The slightly changed layout of the present issue with less interruptions of homogeneous columns is a consequence of reader suggestions. Some excellent suggestions would increase our costs, such as expanding the coverage to include research and reports on fine arts or begin a “people column” reporting on professional successes of persons of Hungarian origin. We shall be glad to report about the arts if that enlightens our knowledge on Hungary and Hungarians. Send us the news, we will squeeze it in. What we cannot squeeze in is the “people column” (it is not nice to squeeze people), because such a column would not only take up much space which we do not have, it would also require an expansion of the newsletter (at the cost of over $1000 per annum). It would also require a network of reporters who would keep us informed so that we could provide a relatively even coverage of the field. I have been suggesting for years that some good soul with a lot of time on his or her hand and with some experience in publishing offer to start a Hungarian Heritgage Review that has been among the planned publications of AHF. It could among other reports give an account on the successes of persons of Hungarian background. So much for now. More about thequestionnaires in the next issue. Meanwhile, many thanks for tangible and intangible contributions from I.H. de Beky, Joseph Danesch, István Fodor, Joseph Held, Miklós Kretzoi, Joseph StClair, and Bela Vassady, Jr. The Editor
