Back to Budapest - and some Background

I'll write another post now since I may not be online again for several days. Tomorrow I'm off to Budapest with 25 of the 130(ish) Transylvanian Unitarian ministers to retreat with several of the 10 Unitarian ministers in Hungary. During communism, the Hungarian churches had to split off into a separate organization, despite the fact that the Unitarians in Hungary proper are almost all ex-pat Transylvanians. This retreat is part of a long (and controversial) merger conversation. I'm grateful to get to go be with these ministers for a few days (including another 20 hours in a van!) - I look forward to seeing Erika and Endre (Balazs scholars who I know), learning more about the minister's association (of which Kinga-Reka is the new president), as well as being with a group in which many folks speak English.

Basic Balazs Background

I realize that many of you don't know the basics of how and why I'm here. Here's my attempt to remedy that a bit. Please ask more specific questions too.

The Balazs Scholars Program at Starr King has been bringing a Transylvanian Unitarian minister to study at Starr King almost every year since 1994 (you can read more about the program and Ferenc Balazs, for whom the program is named, here.

My month here, also sponsored by the Balazs committee (donations gratefully accepted!) is an attempt to have some kind of reciprocal program, in addition to the many partner church relationships that also exist (see the UU Partner Church Council for more info). My hosts are all former Balazs Scholars - which means they not only speak good English, but they know my context and Berkeley. Kinga-Reka here in Szentpeter was in Berkeley 10 years ago. Soon I'll see Endre, who was in Berkeley just last year. They are all ministers here- serving in villages, in the city, as teachers, chaplains, etc.

It is incredible to be so far away from home, and yet connected in the same large community. One of Szentpeter's partner churches is Unity in St. Paul, where the Revs. Janne and Rob Eller-Isaacs serve (and served at my church in Oakland before I got there). So I find myself reading a book about pilgrimages that Janne read and gave to Kinga on her last visit here, and swapping updates about various Starr King graduates, ministers, professors, and churches. Kinga knows more than I do about some churches or UUA happenings!

Unitarianism 101

For those of you reading this who aren't UU (or don't know much UU history), here's a very brief primer on why Transylvania. During the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century (Luther nailing his 99 theses, Calvin, etc), many folks went further than the "mainstream" reformation, and were persecuted and often killed. These include Miguel Servetus, Biandrata, and others (unfortunately, I haven't actually studied the reformation & radical reformation yet, so you'll have to go research more on your own!). Transylvania, being a crossroads of empires, became a sort of quasi-haven for some of these heretics, in particular the Unitarians. Unitarians believe(d) in the oneness of God (and that Jesus is not any more divine than the rest of us), versus the mainstream Trinitarians who believe(d) that Jesus is the divine son of God, and one of the trinity of Father(God), son, and holy spirit. Yes, this difference was enough to get killed for. It is still enough for Unitarians and UUs to be excluded from many ecumenical/intra-Christian organizations. Unitarians have been here in Erdely for hundreds of years, and since the fall of Ceacescu in 1989, UUs in the US have built relationships.

That is a VERY crass history - skipping over the Edict of Torda, Unitarian King John Sigismond, Francis David, and many other nuances of theology and history.
Please go read more! You'll find links over on the right that will give you a better primer, or Susan Ritchie's longer and fascinating lecture series on Unitarians intersecting with Muslims and Jews.

Please also comment with corrections where I've written incorrectly!