Samuel Štefan Osuský’s Critique of Church and Society in the Face of Totalitarianism

Authors

Michal Valčo, Comenius University, BratislavaFollow
Katarína Valčová, Comenius University, BratislavaFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

Michal Valčo ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4730-5739

Katarína Valčová ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8443-1366

Abstract

This paper provides a systematic review analysis of the relevant works of Slovak philosopher and theologian Samuel Štefan Osuský (1888-1975), focusing on his critical perspective concerning the responses of the Church (mainly the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Augsburg Confession in Slovakia) and society to the ideological and political dangers of fascism and Nazism in 20th-century Central Europe. Drawing on his major writings, including his prophetic 1937 lecture "Filozofia boľševizmu, fašizmu a hitlerizmu" [The Philosophy of Bolshevism, Fascism, and Hitlerism] and the courageous 1942 "Pastiersky list k židovskej otázke" [Pastoral Letter on the Jewish Question], we explore Osuský’s diagnosis of institutional failures, his conception of the Church’s prophetic role, his proposed Christian ethic of resistance, his critique of the societal conditions fostering extremism, and the core philosophical and theological principles underpinning his thought. We also trace Osuský’s intellectual evolution from humanist philosophy to apocalyptic theology, examining how his experience of resistance, which led to his imprisonment by both fascist and communist regimes, shaped his understanding of totalitarianism as pseudoreligion. The paper concludes by considering Osuský’s enduring relevance for contemporary church-state relations in Central and Eastern Europe, where democratic institutions face renewed challenges from authoritarian movements that instrumentalize religious symbols for political purposes.

Recommended Citation

Valčo, Michal and Valčová, Katarína (2025) "Samuel Štefan Osuský’s Critique of Church and Society in the Face of Totalitarianism," Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 45 : Iss. 7 , Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2658
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol45/iss7/3