On 19 March, the Sárospatak Reformed Theological University (SRTU) conferred the title of Honorary Professor upon Dr. Dezső Kállay, Adjunct Lecturer of the New Testament Department at the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj-Napoca and former Rector of our institution.

The ceremonial Senate session was opened by Sándor Enghy, Rector of SRTU, who interpreted the conferral of the honorary title as an act of reverence – on one hand before the Creator, who provides the opportunity to study, research and transmit His work, and on the other hand before the person who recognises this opportunity, embraces it, and pursues it with deep commitment and at the highest level.

György Kustár, Associate Professor at SRHE, read the reasoning of the Senate resolution that approved the conferral, according to which Dezső Kállay "through more than four decades of scholarly, academic and pastoral work has become a defining figure in Reformed theological thought in the Carpathian Basin."

Dezső Kállay graduated as a theologian-pastor from our institution in 1983, and subsequently pursued doctoral studies in Kampen between 1992 and 1994. He served for twenty years as a pastor – in Cluj-Napoca, Bonțida and Căpușu Mic – before returning to academia in 1999. Since then he has led the New Testament Department, teaching and having taught courses such as Methodology of New Testament Exegesis, Greek Language, New Testament Theology, New Testament Ethics and Hermeneutics. Between 2016 and 2020 he served as Rector of our institution, during which time he played a pivotal role in conducting the institutional accreditation processes.

His longstanding relationship with the Sárospatak Reformed Theological University is further reflected in a decade of regular Erasmus teaching visits: he delivers lectures at the institution every year.

Following the reading of the diploma text by Dénes Dienes, the certificate was presented to him jointly by Gábor Kolumbán, Chief Ecclesiastical Notary representing the Reformed Church District of Tiszáninnen as the maintaining body, and by Sándor Enghy.

Dezső Kállay expressed his gratitude for the welcoming gesture of the Sárospatak community and described it as a great honour that the university thinks so highly of his work. The ceremonial Senate session concluded with a lecture by the newly appointed Honorary Professor.

- - - -
(News source and illustrations: SRTU)