JIŘÍ VOGEL
HUSITSKÁ TEOLOGICKÁ FAKULTA UNIVERZITY KARLOVY
HUSSITE THEOLOGICAL FACULTY OF CHARLES UNIVERSITY
COMENIUS‘ LEGACY IN THE CZECHOSLOVAK (HUSSITE) CHURCH THROUGH RUDOLF JORDÁN
VONKA
Abstract: The paper attempts to prove the hypothesis that in the 1930s Rudolf Jordán Vonka
(1877-1964), a teacher, translator, writer, Comeniologist, preacher of the Evangelical Church of the
Czech Brethren, Freemason and Foreign Ministry employee, made a significant contribution to the
identification of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church with the work of Jan Amos Comenius (1592-1670).
Although Vonka was not a member of the Czechoslovak Church, he saw its activities, especially
the fact that it was close to the so-called “ideal of humanity” of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-
1937), as a suitable institution for promoting the ideas present in Comenius‘s work. Vonka published
his reflections in several periodicals of the Czechoslovak Church. The paper shows, by means of
an analysis of Vonka‘s texts in the Náboženská revue Církve československé (1934-1941), which
specific conception of Comenius Vonka promoted, what mistakes he made in publishing articles on
Comenius, but also how extraordinarily extensive his literary activity was, and the fact that he was
successful in his goal of awakening interest in Comenius‘ personality and work.
Keywords: Rudolf Jordán Vonka (1877-1964); Jan Amos Comenius (1592-1670); Tomáš Garrigue
Masaryk (1850-1937); Czechoslovak (Hussite) Church
THEOLOGICAL REVIEW, Vol. 93, 2022, No. 2, Number of Article 2, p. 159 – 181.
DOI: 10.14712/12117617.93.2.2