On June 26, the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj-Napoca held a festive celebration in honor of Professor Visky S. Béla, of the Department of Systematic Theology, who has turned 65. The event was attended by the Institute's leadership, faculty, former and current students, as well as the honoree's family and friends.

The celebration was opened by Rector Kovács Sándor, who briefly recalled the life story of Visky Sándor Béla. Born on July 16, 1961, into a pastor's family, he earned his theological degree in 1985 from the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj-Napoca. He went on to serve as a pastor for twelve years, first in Bacău and later in Galambod (Porumbeni), Mureș County. Between 1996 and 2013 he taught at the Reformed Theology Faculty of Babeș-Bolyai University, and since 2013 he has taught at our Institute's Department of Systematic Theology. He also pursued studies in Germany, Budapest, Paris, and Switzerland. In 2004 he earned a doctorate in theology, summa cum laude, from Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Budapest, and in 2013 a doctorate in philosophy from Babeș-Bolyai University. His research interests include the relationship between theology and evolution, dialogue between Christianity and other world religions, and Christian ethics.

In his welcoming address, the Rector shared anecdotes from journeys he had shared with the honoree, recalling how Professor Visky faced the uncertainties of the road with unshakable calm — a testament to his cheerful presence and attentive humanity. Kovács Sándor emphasized that the Tavaszy Conferences, conceived and organized by Visky Béla, have for years demonstrated his professional openness and the ecumenical spirit the Institute holds dear.

The Institute's choir presented the honoree with two pieces: the hymn "How Good It Is to Stand Before You," and a setting of Genevan Psalm 124, which, according to tradition, carries the text of a hymn to Christ.

The next part of the event was the presentation and handing over of the commemorative volume of studies, edited by Ősz Sándor Előd. The editor reminded the audience that, following a tradition more than a decade old, the Institute honors professors turning 65 — and, in the past, 70 — with a dedicated volume of studies, and that this is already the seventh such celebration since 2011. The substantial volume dedicated to Visky Béla opens with a foreword by Rector Kovács Sándor, followed by the tabula gratulatoria and studies contributed by 43 authors: of these, 24 are former students of the Institute, and 21 are current or retired faculty members — including six who were Professor Visky's direct students. The remaining nineteen authors are faculty members at Hungarian-language institutions of higher education at home and abroad — primarily systematic theologians — who maintain professional ties with the honoree. Much of the volume's content relates to the honoree's own field of interest. The editor thanked the Press Center of the Reformed Church District of Transylvania for its high-quality printing work. Ősz Sándor Előd closed his remarks with a reading of Psalm 128, noting that its promise — "that you may see your children's children" — seems to be fulfilled in the honoree's own life as well.

Following this, those present sang together the original, seven-verse version of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's hymn "By Gracious Powers," accompanied on piano by third-year student Szilágyi Ákos.

In his response, Professor Visky S. Béla, in his characteristically gently ironic and deeply reflective style, reflected on the tension between the spirit of the Theological Institute and being celebrated in this way, recalling in the process a poem he had written nearly four decades earlier. In his remarks he posed three questions that have accompanied him throughout his career: why is there (something rather than nothing)?, why Him (Christ)?, and what does it mean? Referring to Kant's famous reflection on the starry sky above and the moral law within, he added that what fills him with wonder is both the richness of creation — the millions of plant and animal species — and the fact that, two thousand years after his execution, a Jewish man is still spoken of today in every corner of the world. He closed by thanking all those who had honored the occasion with their presence.

The Institute thanks Dr. Visky S. Béla for his decades of pastoral and academic service and wishes him God's rich blessing in his continued work.

(Photos: Kiss Gábor)