Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HCP Vol XX Special Number - 104 - (07108)

1963 No 2

istic view of life and under the impact of theologically interpreted stimuli« If we try to assess the historical effectiveness of the Christianity inspired revolutionaly movement s preceding and following the European Reformat ion,then we come to the conclusions when people theologically fail to understand or they misunderstand the meaning of revolution aid thus consider it one-sidedly as a religious activity, then the actual results are disappointing; they achieve very little and the debacle usually comes on the heels of shortlived revolutionary success, Thus they can only indirectly prepare the way for true reformation and work for historical progress» When, however, the believers-' revolutionary conception is in closer conformity with its right theological interpretation; when they do not consider revolution a purely religious action but try to promote its ends by their moral decisions and by the purity of their Christian life, then they can achieve more in the way of promoting political, social and economic development and the progress of European history,

This "other branch" of Christian tradition, however, has never been as strong in the course of church history as to be able to offer an effective challenge to the conservative and traditionally anti-revolutionary stance of Christian theology ard public opinion»

Clear Indications of A Change

In recent years, however, unmistakable signs of a change have- appeared in latest theology with regard to these long-ncglectod fields of social ethics» In the ecumenical movement , it has been mainly for the efforts of the theological delegates of the coloured and Latin American churches that this problem, as an increasingly urgent and sharply defined issue, is now on the conference tables of the great historical churches0 The theologians of the Christian peace movement which was launched ten years ago in Prague have from the beginning given keen and progressively closer attention to the problems of social injustice, this main threat to peace»

It is no exaggeration when we say; the year 1966 meant a decisive breakthrough in this matter in the life of Christianity, cr, at least,, in the life of Protestant and Orthodox: Christianity0 The problem of revolutionary changes was the most—debated issue in the summer cf that year at the Geneva World Conference on Church and Socletye And, in the autumn of the same year, the Advisory ComnfLtteo of the Christian Peace Conference gave agriin priority to this problem, as the central issue in irs theological work, and adopted a remarkable resolution of -far-reaching impulses and consequences (the so-called "Sofia Document") on the problem of revolution-, •

• To characterize this significant change we quote a passage from the Gieneva lecture of the aforementioned H»D0 V/endland; "To be sure, one thing must be left behind^ I mean that Christian conservatism that held its un-