Repository index

This thesis examines occultism and exorcism as contemporary challenges for Protestant pastoral care. The study employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating theological, historical, anthropological, psychological, and pastoral-psychological perspectives. It presents the historical development of exorcism and explores the similarities and differences between Catholic and Protestant practices. Particular attention is given to the Protestant interpretation of demonology, the medical and psychological factors associated with alleged possession phenomena, and the spiritual needs underlying interest in occult practices. The thesis argues that the primary task of pastoral care is not the sensational treatment of demonic phenomena but the provision of biblically and theologically grounded guidance and support.

This thesis examines the sacrament of baptism in the teachings of different Christian denominations. It focuses on the Reformed, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Pentecostal, and Unitarian churches. The aim of the study is to explore the theological foundations of baptism and to compare these teachings with the doctrine of the Reformed Church. The research is based on confessional writings, theological works, and official church documents. A separate section discusses the biblical basis of infant baptism and believer's baptism. The study shows that almost all denominations teach that baptism was instituted by Christ. However, there are important differences in the understanding of baptism as a sacrament, the role of grace, and the practice of infant or adult baptism. The findings suggest that while many churches share similar biblical foundations, their interpretations differ.

This research examines organ transplantation from the perspective of unitarian ethics, focusing on questions of human life, bodily dignity, autonomy, justice, and responsible love. Its aim is to demonstrate how the medical and legal framework of organ donation intersects with moral, theological, and pastoral concerns. The analysis brings bioethical principles, unitarian moral thought, and pastoral experience into dialogue, leading toward a deeper relational theological interpretation. This study is based on the assumption that, from a unitarian perspective, organ transplantation may be regarded as ethically acceptable when it rests on free consent, fair access, and respect for the human body. At the same time, it rejects coercion, the exploitation of vulnerability, and organ trafficking. In this sense, organ donation gains fuller meaning within the responsibility human beings bear toward God, themselves, and their fellow human beings.

This thesis examines the theology of the intermediate state, focusing on the dogmatic and pastoral significance of the unconscious state of the dead for the contemporary church. The research interprets the state between death and the final resurrection by comparing Reformed and Seventh-day Adventist perspectives, highlighting its practical implications for comforting the bereaved. Using historical and comparative methods, the study analyzes trichotomous, dichotomous, and monistic models, concluding that these theological differences are shaped by distinct anthropological presuppositions. Adventist theology understands death as an unconscious state of the whole person until Christ's return. By contrast, Reformed theology maintains that the believer's soul remains in conscious communion with the Lord after death, awaiting bodily resurrection. Ultimately, a responsible interpretation of the intermediate state is essential for authentic Christian comfort.

This master's thesis examines the ego concepts of the New Age and postmodernism, weighing them against the gospel and the Christian confessions. The research explores the birth of the modern self, focusing on how humanity shifted from following the divine order to creating its own identity. The thesis critiques the unstable, fluid identity of postmodernism, as well as the self-worshipping ego of the New Age movement. Based on Scripture and Reformed confessions, the work contrasts these modern secular ideas with the biblical worldview. The research concludes that true human dignity and stability are not found in absolute independence, but exclusively in a restored identity, redeemed in Christ and reconciled with the Creator.

This thesis addresses the challenges of small-group catechesis (5–10 participants) within the Transylvanian Reformed context, characterized by declining youth participation and fragile faith commitment in the context of the Romanian Reformed congregations which comprise 2.38% of the population according to 2021 census. The central research question examines how Motivational Interviewing (MI) can be applied in catechetical settings so that faith commitment and ecclesial integration emerge from intrinsic conviction rather than external obligation. The theoretical framework integrates congregational pedagogy, Elaine B. Johnson's Contextual Teaching and Learning Theory (CTL), and the MI model developed by Miller and Rollnick. Theological evaluation rests on ecclesiological, christological, and ethical foundations.

A református gyülekezetek területén élő magyar ajkú cigányság helyzetének, egyházhoz való, illetve az egyház hozzájuk való viszonyának felmérése alapján készült kutatási jelentés és stratégiai elemzés. A kutatásban 274 református lelkipásztor vett részt, akik 378 gyülekezetre vonatkozóan töltötték ki a kérdőívet. A kutatási jelentés alapján azt vizsgáltam, hogy a roma közösségekhez való egyházi viszony mennyiben értelmezhető attitűdbeli, illetve strukturális kérdésként. Az empirikus eredmények azt mutatták, hogy nem elsősorban az aktív elutasítás, hanem inkább az alacsony intenzitású jelenlét és az intézményi passzivitás jellemző. Arra a következtetésre jutottam, hogy a roma misszió problémája nem pusztán lelkipásztori vagy szociális kérdés, hanem az egyház önértelmezését érintő teológiai kihívás. Ugyanakkor az empirikus adatok alapján az azonnali integráció korlátozottan megvalósítható, ezért egy szakaszos, intézményi kapacitásépítésre épülő modellt javasoltam.

Traditionally, Christian theology interprets biblical righteousness and suffering as mirroring Christ’s righteous suffering. Yet how does this theological reading relate to scholarly exegesis and biblical theology? The question, for instance, is what role the Old Testament, with its emphasis on human righteousness and suffering, plays in this context. This volume—the unique result of a fruitful cooperation of Evangelical and Reformed biblical scholars and theologians from the Netherlands and France—explores this issue. Drawing on Gert Kwakkel’s exegetical and hermeneutical reflections in studying the Psalms of Innocence, Abram’s righteousness, and Job’s suffering, it shows how a healthy combination of thorough biblical exegesis and careful theological reflection might look.