Abstract:
The main achievements of the huge research on the history of the Hungarian Protestantism
show that at the beginning of the Protestantism the local reformers and preachers were
interpreting Luther’s ideas, but from the 1550s Calvin’s doctrines became decisive. The
reception of the great reformers’ ideas was far from being evident in the practice. It means
pastors and preachers in Hungary did not cite directly from the written heritage of Luther
(Pelikan & Helmut 1955-1986), Calvin (Calvin 1863–1900) or Beza. They used to use the Bible
itself. Nevertheless, many new and unknown problems raised, which deserved prompt and
clear theological and moral advice. Most of the challenges were related to the burning, everyday
questions of sexual sins and of family life. Therefore, it is not surprising that contemporary
preachers were trying to commit everything to renew the public morality of people. The article
intends to illuminate the evolution of the early Protestant marriage law system and theological
thinking in Hungary after the temporary ’collapse’ of the Roman Catholic Church and its
canon law in the 1550s. At the same time, it is raising the question, how did the ’great reformers’
influence the early Protestant marriage law system and theological thinking in Hungary.
INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS : This article is based on the field of
systematic theology. The study intends to understand the development of Hungarian
Reformed regulations of marriage in the 16th and 17th century from theological, judicial and
historical perspectives.
