Reformáció, társadalomszemlélet, demokrácia – Gálfy Zoltán olvasatában…

Abstract

Reformation, Social Theory, Democracy – In the View of Zoltán Gálfy... The study examines a topic in the work of the church historian Zoltán Gálfy (1924–2013): how the renowned professor from Cluj-Napoca interpreted the impact of the Reformation on the life of the society, with special regard to its democratic features, what social dynamics influenced the development of the Reformation in the 16^th century, and what consequences had the renewal of faith on the environment of the church. The paper compares the work of the young theologian, only 25 years old, with his later writings under the communist-socialist regime and his scholarly achievements after the change of regime in 1989/90. It can be concluded that Gálfy, in the face of the danger of contextualizing theological scholarship, reached conclusions that are still relevant today. For example, the recognition he often makes – in line with recent European Reformation scholarship – that the Reformation has brought radical changes in four areas: the interpretation of the Bible, the personal experience of faith, the definition of the function of the church, and the relationship of Christianity to the world. In conclusion, Gálfy’s contribution should be seen as emphasizing that, despite all the social influences and counter-effects, it is useful to pay attention to the theological dimensions of the Reformation, to a careful reading of the original sources, and to the fact that “it is not a question of moving into the Reformation building but of rebuilding it in every age”, i.e. that each generation should come to an actualization of the Reformation heritage in its own context.