Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)
1968-06-01 / 2. szám
HOP Vol XX Special Number 1968 No 2- 21 (07663) 3) Re-Thinking Theology and the Problems of Society in the Evangelical Churches of Hungary a) The Renewal The last two decades in the life of "the Hungarian Evangelical'ohurches have been marked ty a process of re-thinking our theology in terms of a stronger Biblical orientation* In the new social situation into ■which the churches have been placed by God theological questions with special bearings on ethioal and social problems have arisen« While living in the process of a social revolution, they have had radically to reassess the basic problems such as their relation to the Word of God, to Jesus Christ, the only Lord of the Ohuroh, the existence and mission of the Church and the message of the Church about the Word of God, mm and the new society.. The direction of our theological re-appraisal has been determined TV two factors» First, the new social situation in which, by the will cf God, we are-involved has placed our Church under the obligation first to repent, as regards her relation to the Word of God and to the world, and to be renewed. Repentance has given rise to the readiness to be renewed and the consequences of this readiness have showed themselves, above all, in her replies to the questions of Christian ethics, especially social ethics. We have recognized that the Word of God, if it is really 'heard in 'The Church, is never addressed to us in a vacuum, neither as the solution of solely the problems of individual salvation and conduct, but always in the widest possible horizon of our historical situation and with reference to this situation in which the Church and the Christian living in the fellowship of the Church is justified and given a new orientation. b) Toward the Church of the Word In the process of building up a new society upon the ruins cf World War II, this grace cf God working fear the sustenance cf the Church and for the fulfillment of her mission has been experienced as a vital force, the living Word cf God, the proclaimed Gospel by which the Holy Spirit of God has moved us to try to recognize the will of God Who shapes history in His revelation,by His holy Word, To this end, God has given us servants who, with the open ears and open heart cf Samuel, have awaited God's revelation. This way, even at the price of self-denial, is victorious obedience to Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church, an obedient walking in his footsteps. In one word-, the primary oontent cf the prophetic message received as God's gift has been the call to penitence, — not only in general but in concrete terms.
