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14. évfolyam
1. szám
A. D.
MMXIII

Rajki, Zoltán:
The Political Background of Billy Graham’s Visit to Hungary in 1977

 

 

The free churches in Hungary have been in a slight minority due to their small membership, but many of their Western counterparts had considerable influence in other countries outside of Hungary, particularly in the USA. Therefore, the Hungarian party-state used international relations of small churches in the Council of Free Churches to achieve its goals in the foreign policy during the Kádár era. It was essential for churches to follow ‘the Rules of the Game’ set by the state in order to improve their international relations. The detente in the international politics affected the life of the churches. Some western denominational and interdenominational organizations intended to improve their relations with religious communities of socialist countries. The international importance of the Hungarian churches increased that time because some international religious organizations regarded Hungary as a ‘bridgehead’ to other socialist countries. Billy Graham’s visit to Hungary in 1977 can be inserted into this process whose diplomatic and (church) political background is going to be presented in this study.

 

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