Installed 1997 Birth name Gusztav Bolcskei Consecration 1997 | Ordination 1978 Predecessor Dr Elemer Kocsis Name Gusztav Bolcskei | |
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Diocese Tiszantul Reformed District | ||
Dr. Gusztáv Bölcskei (born 30 July 1952) is a Hungarian reformed bishop and a theologian. He is the current clerical president of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary and bishop of Debrecen. Bölcskei is Executive Committee Member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, former president of WCRC Europe, and a professor of church sociology at Debrecen Reformed Theological University.
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Life and carrier
Bölcskei was born on 30 July 1952 in Szamoskér, Hungary, as the 6th child of a minister of the Reformed Church in Hungary. He received his primary education in Szamoskér, then at age 14 he went to the Grammar school of the famous Debrecen Reformed College in Debrecen, Hungary. He finished school in 1970, and worked for a year in a state foster home in Nyírmártonfalva, as a non-qualified educator. Between 1971 and 1976 he studied at Debrecen Reformed Theological University (then called Debrecen Reformed Theological Academy).
He spent the academic year 1977/78 with a scholarship at Tubingen University, Germany. From 1979 he taught as a tutor in theology at Debrecen Reformed Theological Academy. In December 1984 Bölcskei started to teach RE in the Grammar School of Debrecen reformed College.
He became chair of Department of Social Ethic at Debrecen Reformed Theological University in 1990. In the 90's he was twice elected to be head of the university, and also the College. He received a Doctorate from Gáspár Károli University of the Reformed Church (Budapest, Hungary) in 1994. His dissertation was on the social ethic of Arthur Rich.
Two universities awarded him Honorary Doctorates: Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania in 2003, and the Evangelical-Lutheran Theological University (Budapest, Hungary) in 2005.
Pastor and Bishop
Bölcskei was curate at Berettyúszentmárton and Tiszanagyfalu (villages in Hungary) in 1976-1977. After his ordination he served as rector in Téglás and Hajdúhadház from 1978 to 1984. He was elected to bishop of Debrecen and also the clerical president of the Synod of Reformed Church in Hungary in 1997. He is currently holding both offices.
From 2006 to 2011 he was president of WCRC Europe and Executive Committee Member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
Gusztáv Bölcskei is de facto leader of the Hungarian Reformed General Convent from its start in 2004, and also the Hungarian Reformed Church (a Community of Hungarian Reformed Churches from a number of countries: Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia), founded on 22 May 2009.
Bölcskei, the theologian
His field of interest is church history and systematic theology, however his main specialty is social ethics. Bölcskei is well known among Hungarian and international scholars, he is fellow of number of Societies.
He takes part in the work of College of Doctors of Reformed Church in Hungary since 1979, where he was Secretary of Division of Systematic Theology between 1984 and 1988; and is the current chair of Division of Social Ethics since 1995. Since 1986 he's member, since 1991 he's officer of Societas Ethica. He chaired the Theological Committee of the Tiszántúl Reformed District (the reformed districts in Hungary are equal to dioceses in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches) between 1990 and 1996. He's General Secretary of Coetus Theologorum (the Conference of Hungarian Reformed Professors in Theology).
He is guest of number of international conferences: Hamburg (1981), Josefstal (1982), Wuppertal (1983), Montreux (1988), Durham (1989), Walberberg (1990), Tutzing (1990), Arhus (1991), Utrecht (1992), Pforzheim – Hohenwart (1993), Genf (1995), Bern (1996), Gomadingen (1996), Genf (2004), Barcelona (2005).