“Kossuth - The Hungarian Moses."
The Hungarian liberal clergy’s image of Kossuth in 1848-49
In this study, the author investigates the role of the Hungarian clergy in the formation of the Kossuth cult. The Stalinist view of history excluded the possibility of such studies despite the fact that Kossuth was positively featured in a considerable number of contemporary religious sermons. Our first record about the parallel established between Moses and Kossuth is from among the clergy of Debrecen, soon to be followed by similar, sometimes more radical statements from other denominations. The intensification of the Kossuth cult was the result of the intricate interplay of several factors. Besides the political achievement of Kossuth as leader of Hungary, his biblical education as well as the war propaganda contributed to the development of his cult. The role of the Hungarian clergy is significant in this propaganda because they were in daily contact with the religious people, mainly from the provinces, who were most open to the reception of such a cult. Liberal clergymen endowed Kossuth with almost god-like features, thereby mobilizing their believers for the cause of the freedom fight. It is also remarkable that in the heritage of some ministers materials can be found about the Kossuth cult. At the same time, when examining the war propaganda in Hungary, the role of the ministers is always to be examined and assessed together with lay people, since the war propaganda in 1848-49 permeated the entire Hungarian society.
