Antiklerikális röpiratok vallással kapcsolatos attitűdjei a dualizmus idején (1867-től 1895-ig)
Attitudes Towards Religion in Anti-Clerical Pamphlets During the Time of Dualism (From 1867 to 1895)

Summary/Abstract: The study examines the attitudes towards religion in anti-clerical pamphlets published in the last third of the 19th century, which was also a period of Hungarian church policy debates. In other words, it describes how criticism of the Church related to the criticism of religion. The overwhelming majority of publicists praised the sociocultural significance and supernatural elements of religion. Nevertheless, miracles and mysteries were targeted constantly, as the authors stood up for the idea of rational religion that exists without dogmas. In the pamphlets we can observe the effects of the rational and deistic tradition of Enlightenment philosophy of the 18th century. In most cases the authors clearly distanced themselves from atheism. The accusation that the Church itself was ultimately responsible for the denial of religion was often formulated. In this point of view priests filled the formal faith with irrational and superstitious elements, thereby poisoning religion. Therefore, the topos of priestly imposture regularly appeared in these arguments. The liberal interpretation of Christianity, according to which Jesus once proclaimed the ideas of liberty and equality, was also used to good effect in anti-clerical discourse. The atheistic-materialistic approach became more and more widespread in the early 20th century among anti-clericals in Hungary. Although this viewpoint already existed at this point, it was still a marginal phenomenon.

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