Thoughts on Protestant ecclesiastical jurisprudence in Hungary: A methodological approach to research into Protestant Church law from the perspective of legal dogmatics and public law history

This paper seeks to map the research trajectories in church law and, more broadly, in jurisprudence concerning Protestant churches, with a particular focus on the Reformed Church in Hungary. It highlights the various unexplored areas, aspects and sources of Protestant church law. To achieve these objectives, the study employs two primary methodological approaches: a public law historical approach and a legal-dogmatic analytical method. These two methodologies are inseparable from each other due to the role that the churches have played throughout legal history. Examples from the study illustrate that both these approaches complement and presuppose each other. Ultimately, the combined use of these methods facilitates clearer definitions and aids in the interpretation of contemporary issues in ecclesiastical law.