Reformed Church in Austria
{{short description|Calvinist Christian denomination in Austria}}
The Reformed Church in Austria (Protestant Church of the Helvetic Confession; {{langx|de-AT|Reformierte Kirche in Österreich, Evangelische Kirche Helvetischen Bekenntnisses}}) is a Christian denomination in Austria. The origin of the church can traced to the Edict of Tolerance in 1781 and in 1861. The Counter-Reformation changed this, and Protestant worship was not permitted until the toleration act.
Some Protestants were able to survive these decades in the valleys of the mountains of Carinthia and Upper Austria. In 1861 full freedom of Protestant worship and public practice were granted.{{cite web|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/evangelical-church-of-the-augsburg-and-helvetic-confessions-in-austria|title=Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions in Austria — World Council of Churches|website=Oikoumene.org|accessdate=4 February 2019}}
The Calvinist church traces its theological roots to Calvin and Zwingli. The church's name in German is {{lang|de|Evangelische Kirche H.B.}}({{lang|de|Helvetisches Bekenntnis}}, meaning Helvetic Confession).{{cite web|url=https://reformiertekirche.at/grundlagen/kurzgeschichte/|title=Kurzgeschichte – Evangelische Kirche H.B. in Österreich|website=Reformiertekirche.at|accessdate=4 February 2019}}
The church has nine congregations and 13,590 members.{{cite web|url=https://evang.at/kirche/zahlen-fakten/|title=Zahlen & Fakten › evang.at|website=Evang.at|accessdate=4 February 2019}} The church affirms the Heidelberg Catechism, Second Helvetic Confession, the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed.{{cite web|url=http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=1252&lg=eng|title=Address data base of Calvinist churches and institutions|website=Reformiert-online.net|accessdate=4 February 2019}} Ordination of women and blessing of same-sex marriages are allowed. It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.{{cite web |url=http://www.wcrc.ch/node/164 |title=Member churches | Bringing together 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide |accessdate=2012-08-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808192417/http://www.wcrc.ch/node/164 |archivedate=2012-08-08 }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.reformiertekirche.at/ church website]
- [http://www.ref-kirche-oberwart.com/home/?L=2 Hungarian Reformed parish in Oberwart, Austria]
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Category:Reformed denominations in Europe
Category:Protestantism in Austria
Category:Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches