All Together in One Synod? The Genesis of the Federal Synod of Protestant and Evangelical Churches in Belgium (1985-1998)
This article aims to explore the structural developments that took place between 1985 and 1998 in Belgian Protestantism and that led to the establishment of the "Federal Synod of Protestant and Evangelical Churches in Belgium" (FS). It seeks to substantiate two theses. First, it argues tha...
| Published in: | Trajecta |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Amsterdam University Press
[2017]
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| In: |
Trajecta
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| RelBib Classification: | KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBD Benelux countries KDG Free church RB Church office; congregation |
| Further subjects: | B
Evangelical Churches
B Councils & synods B Protestantism B Evangelicalism B Protestant Churches |
| Summary: | This article aims to explore the structural developments that took place between 1985 and 1998 in Belgian Protestantism and that led to the establishment of the "Federal Synod of Protestant and Evangelical Churches in Belgium" (FS). It seeks to substantiate two theses. First, it argues that Evangelical leaders engaged in the difficult and complicated process, which ultimately resulted in the establishment of the FS, because they saw it as a battle for orthodoxy and as an opening for evangelization. Second, the article makes the case that the process of establishing the Synod cannot be considered as an innerEvangelical development, even if the FS has an almost exclusively Evangelical membership. Rather, it argues, the Synod must be understood as an inner-Protestant matter, involving negotiations with the United Protestant Church in Belgium (UPCB) and with other Protestant churches, as well as with the State. For, in fact, the process purposely aimed at breaking (what was perceived by Evangelical leaders as) the monopoly of the UPCB regarding particular privileges given by the State to the officially recognized religion of Protestantism. |
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| ISSN: | 2665-9484 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Trajecta
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