An Encounter and Its Impact: The Visit of John R. Mott in Cluj-Napoca/Kolozsvár and His Impression Upon László Ravasz

• Main Author: Kulcsár Árpád
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sciendo 2021-03-01
• Series: Perichoresis: The Theological Journal of Emanuel University
• Subjects: mission; value theology; spiritual life; j. r. mott; lászló ravasz
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2478/perc-2021-0005

In this paper I examine one of the effects of László Ravasz’s (1882-1975) theological thinking, former professor of Practical Theology at Protestant Theological Institute, Kolzosvár-Cluj-Napoca, namely the development of his spiritual life and its impact on his theological scientific position. Due to the limitations of the scope of this paper, I could present the less well-known views of Ravasz’s work on the mission. John R. Mott’s lecture in Kolozsvár-Cluj-Napoca provides, among others, the certainty that in the modern theoretical approach of the young Ravasz he approached the tasks of pastoral ministry, preaching, dissemination of the gospel, theological education in a modern and actual way. This notion was not perfect, but it helped to bring about a new impetus for the Hungarian Protestant worldview that was stuck in rationalism and liberalism, and for the value theology to constitute a positive transition to the dialectical theology. Ravasz was an authentic representative of this transition.