Remonstrants

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The Remonstranten (from Latin remonstrare "to reject"), also called Arminians , are a Protestant religious community in the Netherlands and Schleswig-Holstein . The official Dutch name of the Remonstrants is Remonstrantse Broederschap ( Remonstrant Brotherhood ).

Remonstrant Church in Groningen

history

The roots of the Remonstrants lie in the Netherlands in the 17th century. In the first decades of this century the Remonstrants separated from the Calvinist -influenced Evangelical Reformed Church . The reason was their strict doctrine of predestination , which was rejected by the remonstrants. The issue was whether humans can choose God or whether God chooses his faithful. Unlike the Calvinist counter-demonstrators , the remonstrants emphasized the freedom of will and belief of the people. As a result of these doctrinal views, they had to leave their home in the Netherlands as persecuted. Some of them emigrated to the Duchy of Schleswig and founded the Friedrichstadt settlement there , where they still have a church today.

Teaching

Their doctrine, which is also called Arminianism , is based on the writings of the Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609). It firmly rejects Johannes Calvin's doctrine of predestination and instead propagates the will of man freed from God. The original sin is indeed absolute. However, a person can distinguish between good and evil, and with the help of anticipatory grace opt God to return to God and follow Jesus. The reproach of the proximity of the Remonstrants to Pelagianism , often expressed by the Calvinist side, is vigorously rejected by the Remonstrants. The ability to redeem oneself in Pelagianism is rejected by the Remonstrants: man is fundamentally incapable of it because of original sin. But God's action on people makes them able to turn to God and to follow Jesus. In contrast to the Calvinist doctrine, God - according to the conviction of the Remonstrants - does not determine beforehand who will be condemned as a sinner or saved as sanctified ( double predestination ). Man is enabled, through God's anticipatory grace, to make choices.

Beliefs of the Remonstrants

The Remonstrants today represent an undogmatic, liberal doctrine of faith rooted in freedom and tolerance. All Remonstrants can be found (literally) in the following declaration of principle: The Remonstrant Brotherhood is a religious community that is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And who, true to its principle of freedom and tolerance, wants to honor and serve God.

Beliefs in the 17th Century

Their five beliefs , based on tradition, can be summarized as follows:

  • Conditional Election : God has chosen through Jesus Christ to save from sinful humanity those who believe in Christ by the grace of the Holy Ghost, but God leaves in sin those who refuse salvation.
  • Universal satisfaction : Christ suffered his death for all people, but God only selects for salvation those who believe in Christ.
  • Liberation of the will from original sin : Free will is not the natural state of man because of original sin. However, the grace of Christ works in all people to make them capable of a free decision to turn to God.
  • Rejectable grace : God's grace works for the good in all people and creates renewal of life through faith. But grace can be refused, even by those who have come to new lives in faith.
  • Possibility of apostasy : Those united with Christ by true faith have the power to remain steadfast in the faith through the grace of the Holy Spirit who sustains them. But it is also possible for a believer to fall away from grace.

Well-known representatives

The Dutch statesman and diplomat Johan van Oldenbarnevelt was one of the remonstrants ; In addition to conflicts with the governor Moritz von Orange , it was, among other things, his religious views that led to his execution in 1619. Along with Oldenbarnevelt were the philosopher and jurist Hugo Grotius and the Leiden pensioner Rombout Hogerbeets and Gilles van Leedenberch - the Grand Pensionary the Dutch province of Utrecht captured -; But Grotius was able to escape imprisonment by fleeing. In Amsterdam , as in various other cities, the city government was purged of the supporters of Oldenbarnevelt ; Jakob de Graeff Dircksz and Cornelis Hooft fell victim to this action .

Probably the most famous contemporary theologian of the Remonstrants is Professor Roger E. Olson of Baylor University in Texas. He is a distinguished critic of Calvinist teaching.

distribution

The community of remonstrants has around 10,000 members, friends and relatives. Most of them live in the Netherlands. The only German community is in Friedrichstadt . The local community has 174 members, half of whom live in Friedrichstadt and half in the diaspora .

Organization and community life

membership

The brotherhood includes both full members who have signed the community's creed and guest members who have joined the community as friends based on a personal declaration. In the practical day-to-day parish, however, no distinction is made between full members and friends. Both have active and passive voting rights.

Baptism and communion

The baptism of children and adults have equal rights but do not result in membership in the congregations. The declarations already mentioned are a prerequisite for this.

The Remonstrant congregations also see themselves as an offer for everyone who cannot (no longer) find a spiritual home in their traditional churches. Participation in the church services and the Lord's Supper is open to all who are called to do so.

organization

The Remonstrantse Broederschap includes 46 Dutch municipalities. Another is in Friedrichstadt an der Eider. In 1997, the nationwide Young Community Arminius was founded, which has a range of offers for children and young people.

The communities are congregational and have a high degree of autonomy. Deputies from the local congregations, together with the responsible leaders of the preachers' convention, form the Algemene Vergadering van Bestuur (German: General Council Assembly ), which meets once a year and decides on all important common concerns of the entire brotherhood. The executive body of the Association of Municipalities is the Commissie tot de Zaken (Administrative Commission), abbreviated: CoZa . It is based in Utrecht .

In 2013 the Remonstrants published a joint ecumenical hymn book (Liedboek - zingen en bidden in huis en kerk) together with other Protestant churches in the Netherlands ( Protestant church , Mennonites / baptismal people , free minds and others) . The community in Friedrichstadt uses the reformed edition of the Evangelical hymn book .

Remonstrants in Schleswig and Holstein

history

Remonstrantenkirche Friedrichstadt

Friedrich III. , Duke in the Gottorf part of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein , allowed persecuted Remonstrants from the Netherlands to settle in southern Schleswig near the mouth of the Eider . After the religious refugees had built the city of Friedrichstadt in 1621, they built their first church there in 1625 and laid out a cemetery that still exists today . In 1850 this church was completely destroyed during the Schleswig-Holstein War by a bombardment by Holstein troops, but it was rebuilt four years later.

The Friedrichstadt community today has around 200 members and friends. The trend is growing. About half of the community members live in Friedrichstadt, the other half in the diaspora . Services are held once a month as well as on the holidays. Pastorally the Friedrichstädter Remonstranten be from a Dutch pastor looked after and a pastor.

Formerly a Dutch church and school in Glückstadt

In addition to Friedrichstadt, Dutch Remonstrants also settled in Glückstadt in neighboring Holstein in the 17th century at the invitation of the Danish King Christian IV , where they used the Dutch church on Schlachterstrasse together with the Reformed (contraremonstrants) and Mennonites (Anabaptists). There was also a Dutch cemetery used by all three denominations. The Remonstrant community there, however, never achieved the importance of the community in Friedrichstadt and dissolved again in the 17th century.

ACK membership

After many years of guest status and participation in interdenominational dialogue , the Remonstrants were officially accepted as full members in the Working Group of Christian Churches in Schleswig-Holstein (ACK-SH) in 2018 . This step was viewed by the ACK-SH members as an enrichment and described by the ACK-SH chairman Martin Haasler as an “ecumenical stroke of luck”.

Others

The Remonstrants have their own student union and a monthly magazine called AdRem ( Latin on the matter , and at the same time a play on words with the beginning of the name of the church).

See also

literature

  • Lucie JNK van Aken: De Remonstrantse Broederschap in Verleden en Heden. Historical Schets. Van Loghum Slaterus, Arnhem 1947.
  • JF Brouwers ea (red): Wat We Nog Weten. Amsterdamse Remonstranten in the 20th eeuw. 375-year Bestaan ​​Remonstrantse Gemeente Amsterdam. Remonstrantse Gemeente Amsterdam, Amsterdam 2005.
  • T. Barnard: Van verstoten child tot belijdende kerk: de Remonstrantse Broederschap tussen 1850 en 1940. De Bataafsche Leeuw, Amsterdam 2006.
  • T. Barnard, E. Cossee: Arminianen in de Maasstad: 375 jaar Remonstrantse Gemeente Rotterdam. De Bataafsche Leeuw, Amsterdam 2007.
  • E. Cossee: Abraham of Amorie van der Hoeven, 1798–1855: een Remonstrants theoloog in de Biedermeiertijd. Kok, Kampen 1988.
  • E. Cossee, Th. M. van Leeuwen, MA Bosman-Huizinga: De remonstranten. Kok, Kampen 2000.
  • Simon Episcopius : Vrye godes-dienst, of t'Samen-spreeckinghe tusschen Remonstrant en Contra-Remonstrant, over de vrye godts-dienstighe vergaderinghen der Remonstranten. Met neitherlegginge van Douchers oproerighe predicatie: C. Dungani redeloose salvatien, & c. 1627.
  • J. Goud, K. Holtzapffel (red): Wij Geloven - Wat Geloven Wij? Remonstrants Belijden in 1940 en Nu. Meinema, Zoetermeer 2004.
  • WT Keune, C. Ginjaar, J. Schaafstra: Doopsgezind en Remonstrant in Dokkum. Van der Helm, 1978.
  • GJ Sirks: Verantwoording en verantwoordelijkheid van ons Remonstrant-zijn. De Tijdstroom, Lochum 1955.
  • PL Slis: De Remonstrantse Broederschap: Biographical Naamlijst, 1905–2005 - Gemeenten, Landelijke Organen, Predikanten en Proponenten, Publicaties. Eburon, 2006.
  • Simon Vuyk: De Dronken Arminiaanse Dominee. Over de Schaduwzijde the abandoned Remonstrants. De Bataafsche Leeuw, Amsterdam 2002.
  • W. van der Burg: Over religie, moraal en politiek. A vrijzinnig alternatief. Ten Have 2005, ISBN 9025955622 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Roger E. Olson: Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. IVP Academic, 2006.
  2. ↑ Roger E. Olson: RC Sproul, Arminianism, and Semi-Pelagianism ( online )
  3. ^ Roger E. Olson: Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. IVP Academic, 2006.
  4. ↑ www.remonstranten.org : Confessions of Faith then and now (Dutch)
  5. ↑ www.remonstranten-berlin.de : Remonstranten-Booklet, p. 4.
  6. ^ Homepage of the chair of Professor Olson at Baylor University in Waco, Texas [1]
  7. ^ Roger E. Olson: Against Calvinism. Zondervan, 2011.
  8. ↑ Remonstrant community Friedrichstadt
  9. ↑ Liedboek.nl
  10. ↑ Hans-Reimer Möller: Glückstadt - A guide through the city monument and its history . Verlag J. J. Augustin, Glückstadt 1994, p. 50 f .
  11. ↑ News on www.oekumene-ack.de accessed on March 28, 2018.