Preaching the Truth Under Communism

Botond Péter Koppándi: Preaching the Truth Under Communism. In: International Journal of Homiletics VI.1 (2023), 37-51. pp.

This study aims to explore if the preaching of the Truth of the Unitarian Church from Transylvania, Romania, under the oppressive times of the Communist regime was ever possible? Relying on personal and historical backgrounds, the article will explore how it was even possible ministering to people when the state was suppressing free speech and was threatening the mere existence of the churches and its clergy. Personal memories from the 1980’s will try to give a clearer picture about how allegorical language and parallels understood by those under oppression were giving hope to those in suffering. The short review of the long process of re-launching of a theological journal will show the difficulties of speaking the truth. And the presentation of the tragic fate of a theological professor who was convicted for his sermons which were considered to be dangerous, will definitely lead us to realize that preaching the truth of the Gospel was not always easy for those who had to live under the heavy dictatorship of communist times.