Reformatų bažnyčios teisiniai aspektai Lietuvos Respublikoje 1918-1940 metais

The reformation was a very complicated process which coffected all spheres of social and personal life. Its research can be carriet out in many scietific studies and its importance can be reflected upon from different points of view. The trend of the reformation which developed in Switzerland is colled differently in different historical sources: helvetian after the old name of Switzerland (Helvetia); Calvinizm, after the name of a famous religions reformer J.Calvin. The Calvinist church in the Grand Dutchy of Lithuania was colled the Evangelical Reformed Church, in short-the reformed Church. Since its establishment in 1555 the Evangelical reformed Church was independent. The activities and the relationship of the Evangelical reformed Church with Lithuanian state during the period of independence in 1918-1940 is analized in this thesis, the main part of the thesis is devoted to the analysis of the self-govermment of the Evangelical reformed Church, which is the fundamental thing in the reformed Church. The reformed Church has never been governed by a hierarchic structure. Its higest self-governing institution was the Synod. The analysis shovs how the Synod of the Reformed Church independently, without direct interference of the state and without demand for special conditions managed to reorganize its administration and territorial network, retaining self-governing, real property and cult buildings under the changed political circumstances 9after Vilnius, the cuntre of the Evangelical reformed Church was occupied).Due to the remaining historical documents it was possible to ascertain under whats laws (national, adapted) the Lithuanian Evangelic reformed Church organized its work in 1918-1940. The historical synods of reformed Church of Švobiškis in 1919 and in Vilnius in 1940 stated that decisions about self governing were made in time and were correct, which made it possible to prevent the splitting up of the reformed Church and moreover, it encouraged countiming working together and refuse to acknowledge the splitting up which was stipulated by the political ciscumstances. The research of the Evangelical reformed Synods canons and other documents enabled to find out what qualitative and quantative changes had taken place in the reformed Churhes self-governing institutions: the synods the board, the ecclestiastical court, etc. A separate part of the thesis is devote to the decisions of the reformed Church about the movable property and real property of the synod. Historical sources point out that due to the skillful management of the property the Reformed Church was able to restore the property ruined during the german occupation, to begin building a new Church in Kaunas and to begin building the house of the evangelical community in Biržai. The reformed Church of Lithuania in independent Lithuania corried out that part of duties delegated by the state. It made Acts of Law birthy marriage, divorce and death. There duties were corried out by the intersynod institution- the board of the synod, which was a state institution and had to deal with other state institutions mastly. The most complicated problems emerged in divorce cases(the reformed Church does not forbid divorce as marriage is not a sacrament),and the verdicts of the Ecclestiastical Court were appeded against to the Supreme Tribunal of Lithuania. The basic concepts of the reformed Church are distribed in this part of the thesis as well. The activities of the Reformed Church in the sphere or education are analysed in the final part of the thesis. During all the period of the existence the Reformed Church education was of priority in the internal life of the church. Due to historial sources it was possible to establish how the young people of the evangelical community, who were striving to get education, were supported and how the fund of education functioned. During the period of independent Lithuania the main event in the sphere of education was the establishing of the departament of the evangelical theology at the Universitety of Lithuania in Kaunas. The hope for possibilityto train in Lithuania the theologians for the Reformed Church come true. However, the deportment was closed after eleven years of its existance. The sources allow to state that during the period of independent Lithuania the reformers were an integral part of the society dominated by the catholics and remained a part of it without lasing its identity, the Reformed Church managed to maintain its traditional self-governning and integrity. As a congregation of minority it managed to maintain tolerance among the other congregations and avoid disagrements with them. Tre Reformed Church in independ Lithuania was a small community wich its centre in Biržai, but it was unified and strong.