Reforma protestantă şi românii transilvăneni – câteva observaţii
The Protestant Reformation and the Transylvanian Romanians – some observations

Summary/Abstract: The study analyzes how the Protestant Reformation was implemented in Transylvania, with reference to the Orthodox Romanians. Most of the analyzes of the Transylvanian Reformation overlook the majority of the population of Transylvania, i.e. the Romanians. Naturally, for that end of the Middle Ages and beginning of the Modern Age, only the privileged ones, according to the law, mattered, i.e. “the three nations and four religions”. The Romanians, not being accepted as a nation, nor their faith considered as an official one, were somehow outside the “legal” society. An attempt was also made to attract them to the Reformation and for political reasons, the teachings of the Reformation were also adapted for the Orthodox. The leaders of the Hungarian nation, which became predominantly Calvinist in the 17th century, would have wanted the Romanians to convert to Calvinism, but also gradually become Hungarians. For this purpose, around 1640, the Calvinist superintendent managed to introduce some innovations in Romanian churches. However, this „reformation” – after some failures and vague successes among the elite – ran into the deaf ears and steady resistance of the low class, who kept the old faith.

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