The Ecumenical Council of Dordt

Ryrie, Alec

Abstract

This article examines the Synod of Dordt by comparing it to the historic model of General or Ecumenical Councils. This was a category of church assembly which Reformed Protestants venerated and often aspired to, but which also posed vexing ecclesiological problems, and despite much talk of it, they never succeeded in gathering such a council. However, the article argues that the Synod had many of the characteristics of a Reformed General Council; that it was seen by some contemporaries, including some of its participants, in that light; and that this helps to explain its enduring international authority. This applies not only to its canons on predestination, but also to its less well-known rulings on slavery, which it is argued unwittingly helped to delay the conversion and emancipation of slaves in the Dutch empire. The article concludes with a discussion of the Synod’s failure to serve the function which enthusiasts for its conciliar role had hoped, and an argument that the episode demonstrates the incompatibility of General Councils with Protestant church structures.

Citation

Ryrie, A. (2022). The Ecumenical Council of Dordt. In H. van der Belt, K. W. de Jong, & W. van Vlastuin (Eds.), A Landmark in Turbulent Times: The Meaning and Relevance of the Synod of Dordt (1618–1619) (23-36). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 29, 2021
• Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
• Pages: 23-36
• Series Title: Academic Studies
• Book Title: A Landmark in Turbulent Times: The Meaning and Relevance of the Synod of Dordt (1618–1619)
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1646966
• Publisher URL: https://www.vandenhoeck-ruprecht-verlage.com/themen-entdecken/theologie-und-religion/kirchengeschichte/57374/a-landmark-in-turbulent-times?number=VUR0008767