Protestant Church In The Netherlands Research Articles

De eeuwigheidsdimensie van het heil. Een verkenning vanuit de praktijk van missionaire pioniers

To what extent is the traditional doctrine of salvation applicable and relevant to missionary communication in a secularized, Western context? This article explores experiences and insights from three missionary pioneers in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands,with a particular eye on the ‘eternity dimension’ of salvation. While people feel uneasy with a classical understanding of predestination, atonement, and regeneration, new aspects of transcendence or eternity can be discovered in missionary situations. Both a secular audience and missionary workers need an awareness of God’s eternal choice and his faithfulness as the foundation for our response to the Gospel. The interaction between systematic-theological reflection and practical experience leads to mutualenrichment, and deepens our understanding of God’s unconditional love and grace in Christ

‘Het ambt zal zijn verpersoonlijking van de gemeente’

Daniël Chantepie de la Saussaye (1818-1874) was an important theologian in the first decades after the new constitution of the Netherlands in 1848. Representing the ‘Vermittlungstheologie’ but with strong ties with calvinism and influenced by revivalism, he was vividly involved in debates about positioning and restructuring the Dutch Reformed Church. This article investigates his thoughts on church ministry. Important elements are the common priesthood of all believers (including their suffrage) and church ministry as ‘personification’ of the life of the Holy Spirit in the congregation. Comparing these thoughts with the most recent statement of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands on church ministry, a shift turns out towards a stronger ranking of it as apostolic, sharing the same vocation by Christ, and towards a privatization of church ministry as a means of the Holy Spirit besides the church communities. The typical reformed concept of ministry as ‘ministry of the Word’ is weakened.

Ministers on Salvation: Soteriological Views of Pioneers and Pastors in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands

Abstract Missiology has always been inspired by soteriology, that is, Christian views of salvation. However, little is known about the actual soteriological beliefs of missionary practitioners. This article is an explorative qualitative study of soteriological beliefs among Dutch Protestant ministers who work in pioneer settings (N=20) and established churches (N=40). Our research shows that, contrary to what might be expected, these two groups (termed ‘pioneers’ and ‘pastors’) are very much alike with regard to their soteriological beliefs. The majority are convinced of the uniqueness of Jesus, and the connection of salvation with God and/or Jesus – even if this salvation is often expressed in immanent terms. Only two differences have been found between pastors and pioneers. Pioneers experience more challenges in communicating the uniqueness of Christianity and they are more likely to have traditional views of ‘eternal lostness’.

Neocalvinisme en gereformeerde jodenzending

Neo-Calvinism and the Jewish Mission of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. Neo-Calvinism stimulates the communication of the Christian message under the conditions of a modern democracy, where citizens enjoy the privilege of free speech. At first sight, Jewish mission would seem to fit well into this general purpose. As it is, the Jewish Mission of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands between 1896 and 1966 seems to belong to those select elements of the Neo-Calvinist legacy that are retrospectively deemed problematic even by Protestants themselves, as demonstrated by the Synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in its declaration of 2020. This article analyzes the possible reasons for this ambivalence, and their bearing on the appreciation of the Neo-Calvinist legacy. In looking for answers, we focus on the principle of sphere sovereignty, and the distinction between Calvinist attitudes during the Republic and the activist spirit that was actively promoted by Neo-Calvinists in their Jewish Mission during the early twentieth century.

Protestant Parishioners, Their Pastors, and Euthanasia

Abstract In the past, research was done in the Netherlands among pastors to study their attitudes and experiences regarding euthanasia. Also, the attitudes of protestant believers have been studied, however very superficially. This paper presents the results of a survey among 736 parishioners of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands about their experiences, views, and understanding of euthanasia and about what they expect from their pastor. Two-thirds of the respondents are positive about euthanasia being permissible in the Netherlands, and half of them consider euthanasia a possibility for themselves. A parishioner’s theological subdenomination (orthodox, evangelical, middle-orthodox, liberal) is related significantly to their views about euthanasia and pastoral care. Most parishioners value a central role for their pastor at the end of their lives, including those who would possibly consider euthanasia. The relevance of this survey is that a better insight in the parishioners’ wishes about euthanasia can improve the practice of pastoral care at the end of life.

Gedeeld ambtsgeheim?

Those who serve in ecclesial ministry are bound to official secrecy. Does this prohibit any form of sharing with others, particularly if those others are bound to secrecy themselves? This contribution first deals with terminology: the secrecy or the confession is theologically to be seen as the basis of official of professional secrecy of ministers. After a short explanation of professional secrecy in public law, privacy is being dealt with as important to the context today. Then this article describes church polity provisions in this respect, both in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PCN). Finally, it comes to the issue of sharing with others, dealing in particular with case law in PCN discipline which seems to permit sharing within certain limitations.

Leiders gezocht

In this article, the authors investigate the character of spiritual leadership by ministers in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. They determine that the Protestant Church has become plural in character, especially regarding faith experience. The authors refute the tendency in practical theology to focus on personal leadership. Spiritual leadership in the contemporary church requires a dynamic equilibrium of personal qualities, expertise and a suitable ordination.

De opleidingseisen voor het predikantschap in het licht van de traditie

In 2021, the General Synod of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands decided on differentiation within the one office of the minister of the Word. It is almost certain that the hitherto strict condition of a full academic training with knowledge of the Biblical languages will be abandoned for this purpose. This means nothing less than a break with centuries of reformed tradition. This article examines the considerations that have played a role in the past in setting this hard condition. Dominant was the often not explicitly articulated view that the church of the Reformation is fundamentally the church of the Word.

Ambt in verandering

This article discusses the document on Ministry and Diversity in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, which was prompted by the need for innovation, due to the new situation of this Church. The document is based on the importance of the ordination. Previous developments are being described and the new proposals are being weighed up with all the pros and cons. The emphasize is on the importance of the ecumenical discussions on Ministry initiated by the World Council of Churches resulting in the BEM-document (1982) and the theological conversations initiated by the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, resulting in the MOE-document (2013).

Ambt in verandering

This article discusses the document on Ministry and Diversity in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, which was prompted by the need for innovation, due to the new situation of this Church. The document is based on the importance of the ordination. Previous developments are being described and the new proposals are being weighed up with all the pros and cons. The emphasize is on the importance of the ecumenical discussions on Ministry initiated by the World Council of Churches resulting in the BEM-document (1982) and the theological conversations initiated by the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, resulting in the MOE-document (2013).

Forward with basics

Abstract Abstract This article discusses some recent developments in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in the light of the decisions of the Synod of Emden (1571), in particular Article 1 of its Acta.

Forward with basics

Abstract Abstract This article discusses some recent developments in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in the light of the decisions of the Synod of Emden (1571), in particular Article 1 of its Acta.

Preaching in a Lamenting Mode. Easter Lockdown Sermons in the Netherlands

As the COVID-19 pandemic brought fear and anxiety to people around the world, the Christian community is called to give witness to her hope in the risen Lord. Preaching is a major channel of this witness. The analysis of five Easter sermons, preached in April 2020 by pastors of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, brings to the fore how an alarming contextual situation weighs in on the tone and content of Easter preaching in local churches. A lamenting mode of preaching was found, that voices local communities’ distress and strengthens hope, repeating the salvific message of Easter in the face of bewilderment and suffering. The analysis underscores and adds to homiletical theory on lament in preaching.

Pastoraal bidden als samenspraak

Presenting the results of a qualitative research on the practice of prayer in pastoral care, this article discusses the questions which most interest ministers in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. Dialogue − between the pastor and the other, and between the conversation partners and God − is a key issue. The article presents a three-dimensional model of this dialogue and elaborates a theology of pastoral prayer as spiritual fellowship. It then argues that in pastoral care, ministers, with their conversation partners, should pay more attention to the theological quality and the practical significance of dialogue on praying together.

Dutch Reformed support for Assisted Dying in the Netherlands 1969–2019

In the opinion of many, medical assistance in dying is advocated primarily by secular thinkers whereas Christians seem to be more skeptical. However, we conclude that Dutch euthanasia practice, the most liberal in the world, would not have been possible without the support of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. We examine four sources that illustrate the nature and extent of that support: national surveys from 1970–2018, official church reports from 1972–2003, contributions to the public debate in the formative 1970s and 1980s made by protestant theologians and physicians, and a recent survey amongst Reformed pastors regarding their experiences with a parishioner’s euthanasia request. In the form of seven characteristics of Dutch Calvinism we explore the reasons for this early advocacy and try to understand why this support seems to be fading since the turn of the century.

Experiencing Ecumenism in an International Theological Exchange Programme

Experiencing Ecumenism in an International Theological Exchange Programme

Missiological Perspectives from Germany

This article argues for innovation and mission in the Lutheran Churches of Germany. The authors approach this topic by drawing on research on innovative and missional projects in rural areas in Germany. The authors are looking at rural areas where few people would expect innovation. Presenting a study called “Landwards” and the evaluation of exemplary projects in rural areas in Eastern Germany, it is possible to review key factors for innovative and missional church development. One of the most intriguing factors is that, compared to international studies on missional church development (like fresh expressions of church in the Church of England or pioneering places in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands), it can be shown that lay leaders do not play the dominant role in starting the initiatives. However, lay people organized in teams do seem to be the engine of on-going innovative initiatives in rural areas. This raises different questions regarding the training of leaders, for example, or the collaboration of such initiatives with established churches. The “Landwards” study points out the possibilities of innovation in rural areas in and adjacent to the Lutheran structure of being a “Volkskirche.” This is a rather original way to deal with the challenges of being a state-like church in Germany.

Legal Euthanasia in Pastoral Practice: Experiences of Pastors in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands

Abstract This representative survey amongst 653 ministers in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) maps their experiences and views with regard to euthanasia. We found that three-quarters of the ministers have experience with euthanasia requests from their parishioners. Almost two-thirds of them respect a parishioner’s euthanasia request. Differentiating the answers on the basis of modality, we see differences in attitudes, both regarding euthanasia itself and regarding the pastoral approach. Although ministers have considerable experience with euthanasia, the open questions posed reveal that ministers encounter many difficulties and dilemmas: there is urgent need for discussion and support. The article intends to contribute to the search for a best pastoral practice in dealing with euthanasia requests and explores the need for a renewed role for the PKN in the social and political debate on euthanasia.

The Impact of the Emerging Church on the Protestant Church in the Netherlands

AbstractThe emerging church movement never really developed into a big movement in the Netherlands. However, several ideas of the emerging church movement did influence the Protestant Church in the Netherlands quite heavily. The Protestant Church, a mainline denomination, made a missional turn from 2004 and onwards. One of the interesting aspects of this turn is that issues raised by the emerging church movement are now being embedded in an institutional organization seeking to develop a mixed economy of church, which is called “a mosaic of churches.”A big part of that missional turn is the room and support for classical church planting and the start of new contextual Christian communities in incarnational ways. This new movement of 100‐plus pioneer churches is focused more on flexibility, networking, and relationships than on upholding church order prescriptions. In practice, all kinds of tensions have risen around membership, the offices, the sacraments, and much more. The informal, relational understanding of involvement in pioneer churches with regard to membership, sacraments, and the offices sits uneasily with the formal, procedural approach of the larger body of the Protestant Church. The practice of pioneer churches challenges the Protestant Church to rethink its theology and the application of that theology.Many elements of the emerging church conversation (such as church as a movement, being church in an incarnational way, and a rethinking of theology) have been incorporated within the Protestant Church. The current situation is that the Protestant Church has a large programme for contextual church planting and other experimental ways of being church. Fostering this mosaic of churches within an existing synodal‐Presbyterian system is challenging and requires a broader understanding of the body of Christ as a Church with a capital C, which includes incarnational churches that look totally different from regular churches.

Transition and Authority

Abstract The article presents two case studies of two women who were confronted with a loss of religious authority as they were asked to resign from their lay leading positions after their coming-out as transwomen in the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. By focusing on these stories, this article provides further insight into queer lives in Europe starting from the intersections of gender, sexuality and religion. The cases show how the position of transwomen is negotiated by both religious structures as well as by transwomen themselves. The analysis focuses particularly on the interactions between the women and their community and church authorities and examines the use of gender/sexuality terminology, the role of the body, and the individualization of faith. This article brings together insights from religious studies, gender, trans* and queer studies, which allows for a multi-layered understanding of trans* and religion in a European context.