Lutheranism in Hungary: Part 2

Isaiah 25:1 - Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you. I will praise your name, for you have accomplished wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

We left off last time with what I would say is the first half of the history of Lutheranism in Hungary. Here, I will finish the history.

The absolutist regime collapsed, and the leaders of the nation came to a

compromise with the Hapsburg dynasty. Accordingly, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was established. In 1867, the final act of the compromise took place and Franz Josef I, the Austrian emperor, was crowned King of Hungary. (Why don't people grow beards like that anymore?) Freedom fighters who fled Hungary were allowed to come back. Hungary suffered great losses by this time. The rapidly industrialized towns employed the poor who lost their land, but many more lived in underdeveloped villages, and had no permanent work. As a result, mass emigration started, especially in Northeast Hungary, which largely affected the Lutheran Church. Whole villages became depopulated. The number of emigrants reached two million before World War I. Since Lutheranism was prevalent in Northeastern Hungary which were mainly populated by Slovaks, their emigration entailed a great loss for the whole of Hungarian Lutheranism.

The four years of World War I took a toll on the political, social and economic life in Hungary. Internal problems cause severe tension. The same happened in church life. At the beginning of 1919, several contemporary church journals recited the Soviet government’s decrees on churches. State and church was separated, compulsory religious education was terminated, state-controlled registration was introduced and church properties were nationalized. The Hungarian Soviet Republic, proclaimed after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, nationalized all schools. Church properties were placed under public ownership.

The Hungarian delegation signed the Trianon peace treaty in Versailles on June 4th, 1920. It declared the new boundaries of the country. Hungary’s territory decreased by two thirds. After four centuries of growth, only one out of the four higher education institutions remained within the new borders of the country, namely the Theological Academy in Sopron. Irredentist ideas (a political or popular movement intended to reclaim and reoccupy a "lost" or "unredeemed" area) were often considered to be a part of Hungarian theological thought and so were defended as “true doctrines”. The reason behind this was that Hungarian irredentism could advance not only political life, but it could invigorate church life as well. There were church circles who protested against irredentism and advocated maintaining good relations with the neighboring nations. One Lutheran journal read: “We too have bore enough malice! We have shed enough blood! We have maligned each other more than necessary! Why do we not try now to love?”

Most Lutheran leaders agreed that church cooperation, religious education and anti-communist programs could lead toward a “Christian Hungary”. Accordingly, several church organizations were employed for this, e.g. the Lutheran Alliance, and the Unified Christian National League (the latter being founded by Catholic-Protestant collaboration).

The emergence of the Hungarian Soviet Republic (which only lasted 133 days, from March 21st to August 1st, 1919) was a reaction to the growing influence of the Jews. Even the church press often announced summons to set up a unified Christian front against Jews. There were those who bravely announced that anti-Semitism should be condemned, and that an anti-Semitist course could not be called a Christian one. Several Lutheran churches protested against the inhumanities of Fascism and actively participated in rescuing persecuted people. For example, Dr. András Keken, the director-minister of a congregation in Budapest sheltered dozens of old, ill and young Jews who asked for his help, hiding them in the church, in the cellar and under the pulpit.

During World War II, the Communist party began to remove “reactionary” church leaders and to once again nationalize educational institutions run by churches. The church districts were reduced to two. The Church-going population in Hungary was reduced once again as the German Congregations moved away. The entire social class of kulaks (higher-income farmers) was destroyed, and many ministers were victims of internment and torture. The whole church was burdened by the fact that its leaders were forbidden to help the persecuted or neglected ministers and interned families. Several ministers began making a living by doing manual work.

Change occurred in 1956. Fervent debates evolved in several church conferences already before the revolution. Eventually, pastors were allowed to return to their pulpits. Despite the intentions of the atheist regime to wither church life and the identity of the church, its function was maintained. The church was enriched with new possibilities. After World War II, the organization of several small missionary congregations, the raising of new church buildings and the setting up of national and international relations has achieved great results in the Lutheran Church in Hungary. The Lutheran Church of Hungary joined in the foreign affairs work of the Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches.

Since the government system change in 1989-1990, a new situation for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary has come about. The abolition of the State Church Authority finished the four-decade-long period of church persecution performed by the state. The sixth act of 1990 enabled the freedom of conscience and religion and the self-governing of churches. The social, educational and cultural expenses of the church are still financed from the state budget, since “historically well-based economical independence of the church has suffered damages.”

Church schools were reopened. Today about fifty schools from a kindergarten to a high school exist where Lutherans study with students from other denominations. The launch of the schools was not only hindered by prejudices against the church but also by the lack of dedicated teachers. Pastoral training developed, and the number of theology students has multiplied. Since 1998, the former theological academy functions as an accredited, state financed university, training pastors, theologians, teachers and church musicians. The desperate lack of pastors has gradually been dissolved during the last 25 years. Pictured below is Bishop Tamás. He is one of three Lutheran Bishops and oversees the area I live in. Note that this role is not like a bishop in the Catholic church.

The challenges of secularization became apparent from the results of a census: in 2001, 300,000 people declared themselves Lutheran, while in 2011 only 215,000 people did so. Village churches, because of the lack of work, have suffered as people move away. This is counterbalanced only to a certain degree by towns in the countryside and around Budapest where congregations have strengthened. New communities have been formed and churches have been built in these areas. The Lutheran Church in Hungary hopes more and more people will find fulfillment for their spiritual needs in their communities and congregations.

Now you know everything.