The passion behind Unitarian Torch is a personal quest to bring strong, enduring light to a huge amount of Hungarian cultural heritage, and to make this heritage available to English-speaking people in general, including the English-speaking Hungarian diaspora. I hope the light from this torch will create warming memories for you. Just like the torch and candle light you see when you visit Deva Castle during the November pilgrimage. Just like the lights coming on in a Transylvanian church service during a Sunday service.
This passion is motivated by two discoveries along my life journey. The first personal discovery was that I, a person Hungarian by birth, have a cultural heritage which includes the creation of a major branch of the reformed Christian Church. The Transylvanian Unitarian Church was accepted as a state-level religion in Transylvania in 1568. Although there were seeds of unitarian movements in the countries around Transylvania, those unitarian believers were exiled or killed.
It was only inside Transylvania where the unitarian religious ideals were kept alive for over 450 years despite enormous religious, economic, and political persecution. The ancient motto of the Transylvanian Unitarian church from Matthew; 10:16 says: “Be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”. What a call for courage and tolerance! The Unitarian Torch intends to put a guiding light into the hand of anybody who gathers enough courage to explore the unitarian part of their Hungarian heritage.
The second personal discovery was that this world-class cultural achievement of Hungarian people has remained largely unappreciated, because of the language barrier. when I served as a translator for US unitarian churches in Bedford, MA and in Kirkwood, MO, I have personally seen the language barrier discouraging English-speaking folks from learning about Transylvanian unitarian ideals and culture . In addition, very few Transylvanian Unitarian written works have been translated into English. The Unitarian Torch will be illuminating Transylvanian Unitarian sermons, the life blood of expression of religious thoughts and ideas by making them readable for the English-speaking world.