De la restauration du régime synodal dans les Églises réformées à l’époque contemporaine

Abstract

Séverine Pacteau-de-Luze shows here that the presbyterian-synodal form of government adopted by the French reformed churches from their foundation, has never functioned without difficulties. It is supposed that these difficulties came from the mistrust of the royal authorities under the Ancien Régime, which outlawed national synods from 1659. This ban was confirmed by the “Articles Organiques” attached to the Concordat. In recent history, although synods were authorised, their workings were still problematic. Such was the case, at the national synod of 1872 : not only was it impossible to find a doctrinal agreement between evangelicals and liberals, but worse, the churches divided into two rival national unions, which considerably weakened their impact. Even though government by synod was restored by the reunification of the Eglise Réformée de France in 1938, it only became a reality after 1945, and not without its teeing problems up to the sixties.