Reformed Church in Hungary
Encyclopedia
The Reformed Church in Hungary is a key representative of Christianity
in Hungary
, being numerically the second-largest denomination in Hungary after the Roman Catholic Church
, and the biggest denomination among ethnic Hungarians in Romania
. It is a Reformed Church in the Calvinist tradition.
, Hungary was struggling to resist the influence of the Habsburg Monarchy
and the Holy Roman Empire
.
Some German-speaking students from Hungary in Wittenberg
brought Lutheran ideas home in 1524. In order to gain support Ferdinand I
and Maximilian II
(1564-76) allowed some nobles and cities to choose their religion. Most of the Germans adopted the Lutheran doctrines and organized their church at the Synod of Erdőd, in 1545, while the Magyars organized their church at the Synod of Czenger in 1557, and at the Debrecen
Synod of 1567 the Helvetic Confession was adopted.
When in 1606 Emperor Rudolph II suppressed religious liberty, Prince István Bocskay of Transylvania
, allied with the Ottoman Turks
, achieved autonomy for Transylvania, including guaranteeing religious freedom in the rest of Hungary for a short time. Then, religious persecution lasted until the mid-19th century.
The Church was closely linked with Hungarian nationalism
, attaining full liberty in the revolutionary year of 1848
. The revolt was decisively put down by the Habsburgs, but the 1867 accord with Austria, resulting in the dual monarchy
, gave near-independence to Hungary. After World War I
, Transylvania was incorporated into Romania, dividing the Church. The church struggled for its survival during the Communist regime, especially after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Emigration also helped to spread the Reformed faith of the Hungarians throughout the world.
form of church government
(the other being the Polish Reformed Church
.) As of 2005, there are 22 Hungarian Reformed denominations. The Reformed Church in Hungary consists of four Districts headed by Bishops, almost 30 presbyteries with 1,500 churches, with a membership of around 2.4 million. There is a fraternal body, the World Federation Reformed Hungarians, with members in about 20 countries. The RCH is member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
and the World Council of Churches
.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, being numerically the second-largest denomination in Hungary after the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, and the biggest denomination among ethnic Hungarians in Romania
Hungarians in Romania
The Hungarian minority of Romania is the largest ethnic minority in Romania, consisting of 1,431,807 people and making up 6.6% of the total population, according to the 2002 census....
. It is a Reformed Church in the Calvinist tradition.
History
During the ReformationProtestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, Hungary was struggling to resist the influence of the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
and the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
Some German-speaking students from Hungary in Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
brought Lutheran ideas home in 1524. In order to gain support Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
and Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
(1564-76) allowed some nobles and cities to choose their religion. Most of the Germans adopted the Lutheran doctrines and organized their church at the Synod of Erdőd, in 1545, while the Magyars organized their church at the Synod of Czenger in 1557, and at the Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
Synod of 1567 the Helvetic Confession was adopted.
When in 1606 Emperor Rudolph II suppressed religious liberty, Prince István Bocskay of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, allied with the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
, achieved autonomy for Transylvania, including guaranteeing religious freedom in the rest of Hungary for a short time. Then, religious persecution lasted until the mid-19th century.
The Church was closely linked with Hungarian nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, attaining full liberty in the revolutionary year of 1848
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
. The revolt was decisively put down by the Habsburgs, but the 1867 accord with Austria, resulting in the dual monarchy
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, gave near-independence to Hungary. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Transylvania was incorporated into Romania, dividing the Church. The church struggled for its survival during the Communist regime, especially after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Emigration also helped to spread the Reformed faith of the Hungarians throughout the world.
Organization
The Reformed Church in Hungary is one of only two Reformed churches with an episcopalEpiscopal polity
Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...
form of church government
Ecclesiastical polity
Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a church or Christian denomination. It also denotes the ministerial structure of the church and the authority relationships between churches...
(the other being the Polish Reformed Church
Polish Reformed Church
The Polish Reformed Church, officially called the Evangelical Reformed Church in the republic of Poland is a historic Protestant church in Poland established in the 16th century, still in existence today.-Structure and organisation:An internal census showed that in 2004 the Polish Reformed Church...
.) As of 2005, there are 22 Hungarian Reformed denominations. The Reformed Church in Hungary consists of four Districts headed by Bishops, almost 30 presbyteries with 1,500 churches, with a membership of around 2.4 million. There is a fraternal body, the World Federation Reformed Hungarians, with members in about 20 countries. The RCH is member of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
World Alliance of Reformed Churches
The World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...
and the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
Hungarian Churches in addition to RCH
- Reformed Church in Hungary
- Reformed Church in RomaniaReformed Church in RomaniaThe Reformed Church in Romania is the organization of the Calvinist church in Romania. The majority of its followers are of Hungarian ethnicity and Hungarian is the main church language...
- with two districts (Transylvania and Oradea/Nagyvárad 'Királyhágómelléki'), 725,000 members in almost 800 parishes. - Slovakian Reformed Christian Church - Komarno (Komárom)
- Reformed Church in Carpathian Ukraine - Beregovo (Beregszász)
- Yugoslavian Reformed Christian Church - Feketics
- Hungarian Reformed Christian Church in Croatia - Kopács (Kopacevo)
- Slovenian Reformed Church - Szécsiszentlászló
- Hungarian Reformed Pastoral Ministry in Western Europe - based in Lund, Sweden, serving the Hungarian Diaspora in Europe
- Hungarian Reformed Church in America - Poughkeepsie, N.Y
- Calvin Synod Conference of the United Church of ChristUnited Church of ChristThe United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, Perth Amboy, N.J. - Hungarian Reformed Church in Canada - Delhi, Ontario
- South-American Hungarian Reformed Church - Buenos Aires
- Hungarian Reformed Church of Australia - Victoria, Australia
- Christian Reformed Church of Brazil - São Paulo
External links
- Official site http://www.reformatus.hu/ (in Hungarian)
- Calvin Synod of the UCC http://www.calvinsynod.org
- Reformatus.us Hungarian Reformed Church news http://www.reformatus.us