This rich account of the religious life of Hungary and of Hungarian-speaking communities begins by surveying the foundation and development of Hungary as a Christian kingdom. Dreisziger then assesses the era of Reformation when loyalty to Rome collapsed and ideas about religious and moral reform gained support across Hungary. Dreisziger explains how the combined efforts of mission and Habsburg persecution of Protestants restored Catholic fortunes in Hungary from the middle decades of the seventeenth century. Even so, by the middle of the nineteenth century Catholics did not form a numerical majority across the Hungarian monarchy with around half the population attending Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Lutheran or Calvinist churches. In 1868 the Hungarian parliament introduced laws to protect the right of every adult to choose his or her religion. In 1894 further laws on religious freedom offered equal rights to the Jewish faith alongside six historic Christian Churches. Recognised religions including Baptists and Muslims were also allowed to operate freely but could not count on financial support from the state. Other faiths were tolerated as long as their beliefs did not clash with any state laws.

This summary of religious life in Hungary to the end of the nineteenth century sets the scene for the main chapters of this book. Dreisziger explores how Hungary's Churches fared during the complex and changing political contexts of the twentieth century. Several key themes emerge. Firstly, how Hungarian Churches were impacted by right-wing regimes and by Communist governments. Dreisziger then considers the place of Christian Churches in the changing circumstances of post-Communist Hungary. He also details how Hungarian-speaking Churches adapted to life in several countries after the Treaty of Trianon, and finally considers how Hungarian religious cultures became global in the wake of waves of migration.

This is a complex tale and it is presented with admirable clarity and illustrated with interesting details about prominent churchmen and local communities. Within Hungary, strong support was extended to Churches by right-wing and radical nationalist governments between the wars. However, the post-war Communist government expropriated church land, transferred church schools to state control, and arrested leading churchmen. In 1948 Cardinal József Mindszenty was condemned to life imprisonment. The Churches were pressured into pledging allegiance to the Communist regime in return for financial subsidies. The clergy were effectively tamed by the government and Churches were excluded from education. During the 1956 revolution, Mindszenty was able to seek refuge in the grounds of the US Embassy where he remained until allowed to go into exile in Vienna in 1971. Dreisziger cites evidence that by the end of the Communist period perhaps only one in eight Hungarians regularly attended church services. Although the record of Christian Churches during the Communist period was certainly a mixed one, sufficient popular support remained for some recovery in their fortunes during the 1990s. Sympathetic right-wing governments have returned church property and restored church control over colleges and schools. However, even as the state offered greater privileges to traditional Churches, the numbers of Hungarians who belong to those Churches has gone into very steep decline. Even among those who belong to churches, attendance at services is poor. It is perhaps not entirely surprising that some clergy – notably in the Reformed Church – have responded to these challenges by embracing strident nationalist rhetoric.

The relationship between Christian religion and national sentiment in Hungary is a long and complex one. Dreisziger considers the role played by Churches in sustaining the linguistic and national cultures of Hungarian-speaking minorities in a number of countries. Perhaps most revealing is the case of Romania where a large Hungarian-speaking minority in Transylvania is divided mostly between Catholics, Calvinists and Unitarians. Here the Churches became key institutions in sustaining a minority community under Romanian nationalist governments between the wars. These Churches then faced the challenge of Communist persecution. Although many clergy were compromised by the regime, the prominent role of Churches in the life of Hungarian-speaking communities was sustained. The events of December 1989 were both exceptional and symbolic in this regard. Members of a Reformed congregation in Timişoara attempted to prevent the forced removal of their pastor, László Tőkés. This was the unlikely spark that led to wider demonstrations that ultimately brought about the downfall of Nicolae Ceauşescu. A final context for Hungarian-speaking religious life is provided through Dreisziger's account of migrant Hungarian communities across western Europe and north America in particular. Waves of Hungarian migrants reached different regions of the USA and Canada from the latter decades of the nineteenth century.

Autonomous Churches were established by Hungarian Protestants following a common pattern in north America of ethno-linguistic organisation of religious life. Catholic authorities in some cases allowed Hungarians to set up their own parishes, but elsewhere insisted that they attend existing local churches. Many Hungarian congregations have battled for long-term viability against the powerful forces of assimilation into the mainstream of society. Subsequent waves of migrants after the Second World War and the 1956 revolution tended to revive Hungarian churches in some areas. In this final context we see a variant on the main themes of Dreisziger's book, relating how Hungarian churches have been bolstered but also restricted by their relationship with the state and by their commitment to national culture. As the conclusion makes clear, the resulting challenges now facing the current generation of leaders of traditional Churches in Hungary and in Hungarian-speaking communities are formidable.