Original Research
Die Dordtse tradisie en binding aan die belydenis
In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi | Vol 40, No 4 | a363 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ids.v40i4.363
| © 2006 P. J. Strauss
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 30 July 2006 | Published: 30 July 2006
Submitted: 30 July 2006 | Published: 30 July 2006
About the author(s)
P. J. Strauss, Hoof: Departement Ekklesiologie, Fakulteit Teologie, Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Bloemfontein, South AfricaFull Text:
PDF (130KB)Abstract
The church tradition of Dordt and subscription to the confessions
A thorough analysis of history shows that the National Synod of Dordrecht (1618-1619) declared that the confessions of the church, especially the three Formulas of Unity of the Dutch Reformed Churches, have confessional authority. That indicates authority on the doctrines the confessions formulate and confess because (quia) these are according to Scriptures. This insight helped some reformed churches up to now to deal with criticism levelled against non-doctrinal issues in, for instance, the Confessio Belgica.
A thorough analysis of history shows that the National Synod of Dordrecht (1618-1619) declared that the confessions of the church, especially the three Formulas of Unity of the Dutch Reformed Churches, have confessional authority. That indicates authority on the doctrines the confessions formulate and confess because (quia) these are according to Scriptures. This insight helped some reformed churches up to now to deal with criticism levelled against non-doctrinal issues in, for instance, the Confessio Belgica.
A case can be argued that a literal approach to the question of the authority of these confessions takes us back beyond Dordt. It ignores the history of 1618-1619, fails to get a grip on the very nature of confessions of faith or creeds and does not help to solve the problem.
Keywords
Creeds Confessional Authority; Main Lines In Reformed Churches Since Dordt; Synod of Dordt Distinction Between Formulated Doctrine And Their Confessions As A Whole
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