Magyar Egyház, 2002 (81. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2002 / 2. szám
6. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ FIDELITY TO THE WORD These reflections concern the subjects raised at a meeting about the transformation of some modern age parishes into “social clubs”. 1. Identity-consciousness The United States of America, according to the terminology of sociology and geography, a “settler country.” For the immigrants, especially for those who came from an environment in which the consciousness of identity was very strong - like Hungarians - it appeared indispensable to maintain this identity-consciousness. This was realized through the various social functions of their churches, including the support of those who had difficulties to integrate their new society. This was all the more important for Hungarian Calvinist immigrants that because of the fidelity to the Word and the outstanding role in the nation’s history of reformed communities, their religion become part and parcel of the Hungarian national identity and historical mission (let’s not forget that Calvinism was called during centuries the “Hungarian religion.”) The importance of this fact, that is, the fusion of patriotism and reformed faith in the souls and thinking of the immigrant Hungarian Calvinists, cannot be overestimated. It fully justifies the role of Hungarian churches in America as social centers of the immigrant Hungarian Calvinists. 2. The Hungarian reformed parishes in modern American society This situation changed completely during the last 50 years. Undoubtedly, the Hungarian reformed parishes in America (and I gathered this opinion from what I have heard during our meetings) are not the same anymore as they were in the times of the first generation of immigrants. The natural reason of these changes is the “melting pot” effect of the American society which is evidenced by the attitudes of the second and third generations (although inquiries show that, in every immigrant society, from the third of fourth generation on which do not have to fight for survival, perhaps even at the price of full assimilation, a sort of return toward the past can be discovered, the search for roots). The composition of the parishes slowly changed, many do not speak anymore the language - one of the foundations of a national culture - and the consciousness of their national, cultural and religious identity faded away. This change was reinforced by the fact that in some parishes the non-Hungarian component is more and more important. Thus, the church plays still a role in social life not as a force maintaining consciousness of identity, but as a center of social activities. In this respect one cannot deny the corrosive effects of modernity both in respect of the destruction of religious identity (belief in science instead of faith, belief in man as the crowning of evolution who is capable to change the world, etc.) as well as of national and cultural identity (we are all citizens of the same democratic country, we are all members of “humanity” as such, etc.) For this reason, Hungarian reformed parishes are also obliged to fulfill the role of a social club, partly because they want to keep their younger members or recruit new ones, partly because they can raise some additional revenues to complement their meager resources. 3. The presbyterian system of Hungarian Calvinism and its significance I do not think that there is a need to prove that the presbyterian system was an essential component of the life of Hungarian reformed populations. In this respect, Hungarian Calvinism put into place a democratic institution “before the hour,” that is, before thinkers of the Enlightenment and those representing the French revolutionary heritage again “invented” it (as the Greek example was long before forgotten). Historical reasons explain this occurrence because in the tumultuous centuries of Hungarian history, beside the support of feudal lords possessing considerable power, parishes were sustained and kept together by their own representatives. The elders’ leading role, in full harmony with our traditions, was indispensable to safeguard the reformed faith and churches in times of the devastation of the country by the Turks and the merciless oppression by the Habsburg emperors. Historical reasons explain as well why the Hungarian reformed churches had to elect bishops, — simply because in those overwhelming years of destruction a unified leadership of the struggle of parishes and churches was indispensable. In this perspective, one cannot and one should not compare or, even more, to juxtapose the presbyterian system with the category of the ministers. Hungarian reformed parishes were always under such a double leadership, and from a hierarchical point of view the minister was not more than a primus inter pares; however, their knowledge of the Bible and their preaching of the
