We are naturally inclined to divide humanity into two categories: “us” and “them,” and “they”—the other group—are perceived as a threat to “us.” For this reason, people build not only physical walls but also invisible barriers by which they seek to protect their identity. Referring to the conflict between Jewish…
Author: inhoff.gergo
The study examines the theological interplay between trust and distrust in the context of the Church’s credibility crisis. The study proceeds from the premise that abuses of power in Christian communities, expectations of unconditional loyalty, and institutional distortions of trust call for a reconsideration of the notion of trust. The…
According to Max Weber’s famous thesis, Protestant ethics was one of the key driving forces behind the emergence of modern capitalism. Does this mean, however, that the capitalist economic and social order can be theologically justified? The author argues that it cannot; indeed, capitalism may rather be understood as a…
Throughout church history, moments of crisis repeatedly uncover deeper dimensions of Christianity that remain hidden in times of stability. This essay traces this pattern in the Hungarian Reformation and its later developments, showing how upheaval, material vulnerability, and changing relations to political power shaped the Church’s life. In the decades…
This essay, responding to articles by Tamás Fabiny and István Gégény, examines the cultural contexts of the political use of biblical texts and concepts through the example of the David and Goliath metaphor. It approaches the issue on three levels: the theological interpretation of the biblical text, the cultural patterns…
The concept of identity is experiencing a boom. Identity politics, and the demand for the formation of collective identities, has become a strategic instrument of political power in modern societies. Meanwhile, for the self-understanding of the churches of the Reformation, it is no longer dogmatic-confessional and liturgical traditions or differences…
Should be brought back to life? This question first arose in me four years ago at a conference, when it became clear to me that educated Protestant intellectuals who take their faith seriously — and who often do outstanding work in their own fields — speak about theological questions less and less often. Do they not feel authorized to speak? Do they lack the language? Or do they simply no longer see a space where it would be worth speaking? While Protestant churches, which affirm the priesthood of all believers, continue to emphasize lay responsibility in their theological self-understanding, the…
As the Heidelberg Catechism states in its 54th question and answer, the Holy Church is eternal: „from the beginning to the end of the world,” the Son of God gathers His people into His communion. At the same time, the problems associated with the human aspect of the Holy Church are also eternal. We must speak of both. Following a conference on 7 April 1997, a group of pastors from the Danubian and the Transdanubian Reformed Church Districts discussed how to create opportunities for theological discussion within the Church, independent of established ‘interest groups’. This marked the beginning of the…
In both ecclesial discourse and personal religious practice, the church and religion are often imagined as existing outside secular culture and society. Through an exposition of Paul Tillich’s theology of culture, Sára Tóth’s article offers a more nuanced account of the relationship between religion and culture, one that resists a…
This study examines the relationship between Protestantism and modern political ideologies, with particular attention to the Protestant theological roots of liberalism and conservatism. It argues that the emphasis on both freedom of conscience and social conformity can be traced back to the Protestant tradition and continues to shape ecclesiastical and…