scholarly journals Rechtvaardiging en recht in de kerk: Over de theologische achtergronden van het gereformeerde kerkrecht

1992 ◽  
Vol 48 (3/4) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Van ’t Spijker

Justification and law in the church: The theological background of reformed church law In reformed church law there is a connection between ecclesiastical structure (disciplina) and ecclesiastical doctrine (doctrina). Luther’s doctrine of justification disrupted the hierarchical structure of the church. For him, whose conception of the church started from the principle of the unique priesthood of Christ, church law was ius divinum. The Calvinists paid more attention to the church and her organisation than Luther did. Because they related the church order to the ordo salutis, the church came to serve the true doctrine, which is her primary characteristic.

Author(s):  
Janusz Adam Frykowski

AbstractThe following paper depicts the history of Saint Simeon Stylites Uniate Parish in Rachanie since it became known in historical sources until 1811- that is the time it ceased to be an independent church unit. The introduction of the article contains the geographical location of the parish, its size and the position within the hierarchical structure of the Church. Having analysed post-visit inspection protocols left by Chelm Bishops, the appearance as well as fittings and ancillary equipment of the church in Rachanie in that particular period are reported. Moreover, the list of 4 local clergymen is recreated and their benefice is determined. As far as possible, both the number of worshipers and the number of Holy Communion receivers is determined.


Author(s):  
Herman J. Selderhuis

Abstract The Impact of Luther’s Reformation on the development of Church Law in the Netherlands. This essay describes how essential the specific history of the reformation in the Netherlands was for the developments of reformed church law in that country. The Dutch reformation was relatively late and was more Calvinistic than Lutheran. Calvin’s model of structuring the church, the essential effect of the refugee situation of many reformed believers and the fact that the revolt as well as the reformation were movements mainly ,from below‘, result in a church polity with the following characteristics: self-government of each individual congregation, active involvement of all church members, independence towards political authorities and a presbyterial-synodical church organisation. This church model was reached through a series of synodical meetings that started in the 1560ies and came to a conclusion at the Synod of Dordt in 1618/1619.


Author(s):  
Herman J. Selderhuis

AbstractThe Impact of Luther’s Reformation on the development of Church Law in the Netherlands. This essay describes how essential the specific history of the reformation in the Netherlands was for the developments of reformed church law in that country. The Dutch reformation was relatively late and was more Calvinistic than Lutheran. Calvin’s model of structuring the church, the essential effect of the refugee situation of many reformed believers and the fact that the revolt as well as the reformation were movements mainly ,from below‘, result in a church polity with the following characteristics: self-government of each individual congregation, active involvement of all church members, independence towards political authorities and a presbyterial-synodical church organisation. This church model was reached through a series of synodical meetings that started in the 1560ies and came to a conclusion at the Synod of Dordt in 1618/1619.


1972 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 79-91
Author(s):  
Brenda Bolton

The fourth Lateran council of 1215 represented a watershed in the official attitude towards heresy. It marked the end of a period of considerable flexibility and real experiment in dealing with dissident movements. For nearly sixty years, the Church had been seeking possible solutions to the problems posed by the formation of new religious groups which not only deviated in various ways from orthodox belief but which also failed to conform to accepted social patterns within the Christian community. Tradition and temerity were two elements in papal policy at this time. The tentative developments of the pontificate of Alexander III were given positive direction by the energetic actions of Innocent III who examined some of these groups to find a way by which they might be contained within the Church and thus allowed to fulfil their vocation. But at the same time, the Church was becoming institutionalised and its framework more rigid. The freedom of manoeuvre of the pope was limited. The episcopate and the regular orders saw Innocent’s actions as inimical to the hierarchical structure of the Church and, therefore, brought the whole weight of traditional opinion and influence to bear against the continuation of such policies.


Author(s):  
Gordon S. Mikoski

This chapter maps the essential contours and points of dialogue or contention pertaining to the sacraments among Presbyterian denominations. First, the chapter examines the distinctively Presbyterian understanding of sacraments in general. The chapter then explores in detail the theological meaning and practices of the two Presbyterian sacraments: baptism and Holy Communion. For Presbyterians, baptism serves as the rite of Christian initiation. The chapter also explains why Presbyterians practice paedobaptism. While baptism is for Presbyterians the sacrament of initiation into the church, the sacrament of Holy Communion is at the core of the church’s corporate life and work. The chapter next examines several contemporary issues related to the sacraments for Presbyterians. In the spirit of “the Reformed church always being reformed according to the Word of God,” the chapter concludes by posing several provocative questions for Presbyterian denominations and the sacraments in the digital age.


2021 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 277-299
Author(s):  
Matleena Sopanen

This article examines the interplay between religious agency and institutional control. The Church Law of 1869 gave members of the Lutheran Church of Finland the right to apply to chapters for permission to preach. Men who passed the examinations became licensed lay preachers, who could take part in teaching Christianity and give sermons in church buildings. Applicants had varying backgrounds, skills and motivations. In order to avoid any disruption in church life, they had to be screened carefully and kept under clerical supervision. However, licensed lay preachers could also be of great help to the church. In a rapidly changing modern society with a growing population and a recurring lack of pastors, the church could not afford to disregard lay aid. The article shows how the Lutheran Church both encouraged and constrained the agency of the licensed lay preachers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-26
Author(s):  
Ruth A. Meyers ◽  
Katherine Sonderegger

These essays were presented at the Jubilate conference at Christ Church Cathedral in the Diocese of Southern Ohio on 2 November 2019. Meyers urges the expansion of images and metaphors used to speak of the mystery of God in liturgy while not abandoning classical masculine language for God. Expanding our language is essential, she argues, both to speak the truth about God and to uphold the dignity of every human being. Sonderegger contends that masculine language for God is a settled matter in the church and in liturgy, and that this is compatible with a particular vision of Christian feminism, one centered on the material conditions of living women.


1993 ◽  
Vol 18 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 129-149
Author(s):  
Serge Garlatti

Representation systems based on inheritance networks are founded on the hierarchical structure of knowledge. Such representation is composed of a set of objects and a set of is-a links between nodes. Objects are generally defined by means of a set of properties. An inheritance mechanism enables us to share properties across the hierarchy, called an inheritance graph. It is often difficult, even impossible to define classes by means of a set of necessary and sufficient conditions. For this reason, exceptions must be allowed and they induce nonmonotonic reasoning. Many researchers have used default logic to give them formal semantics and to define sound inferences. In this paper, we propose a survey of the different models of nonmonotonic inheritance systems by means of default logic. A comparison between default theories and inheritance mechanisms is made. In conclusion, the ability of default logic to take some inheritance mechanisms into account is discussed.


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