From Reformed to secularized churches? (5)


The first 4 articles dealt with the openness (interdenominational trends) of the Liberated Reformed Churches which, linked with greater tolerance, increasingly manifested itself from the 1980s onwards. Prof Dekker goes on to show a series of consequences in three chapters: church life (5), doctrine and confession (6), and ethical issues (7). A few of these matters are touched upon again in the following chapter wherein he also draws conclusions about the whole subject. We won’t go into everything here but will dwell on some main points, beginning with the basis: doctrine and confession (6).

Doctrine and discipline

Prof Dekker sees occurring, over time, a steady shift away from doctrine (orthodoxy) to life (ethics). He has observed that in all sorts of other church groups, and has seen that process over the years evident not only in the synodical churches but now also in the liberated churches. Whilst for a long time it was said within the RCNlib that they continued to be true to their heritage in such things as church, Scripture and confession, a change was quietly taking place, a change that could no longer be denied even by the deputies Dienst and Kerk (office and church) in 2008 (page 89).

As example of this change Dekker mentions the established doctrine of reconciliation. The attack on this doctrine by Dr Wiersinga in the synodical churches was still fiercely opposed in the 70’s by the liberated churches. But when the liberated Prof Dr G. Harinck in 2008 criticized the doctrine of reconciliation (besides also speaking sympathetically about the Roman Catholic mass, women in office and homosexuality), an indignant response by the church members was suppressed by a joint declaration with the university board by means of which ‘a few things had been explained and clarified’. However nothing was withdrawn, no reprimand followed, let alone a suspension. Dekker states that this testifies of a relativizing of the doctrine of Scripture (page 90):

Here we clearly taste just as was the case in a certain period of the synodical Reformed churches ‘a relativizing of the doctrine with a view to the life of the community of faith or the unity of the church.

And here, says Dekker, we can echo what Plomp said at the time about the settling of doctrinal matters in the synodical Reformed churches:

Not only in 1926, but still many years thereafter, this would have been impossible: to note a similar deviation from the confession without following it up with corrective measures.

According to Dekker, doctrine is put on a lower level in the RCNlib churches, just as it was earlier in the synodical churches (page 91). He observes a similar parallel for church discipline, which disappeared almost completely in the practice of church life within the synodical Reformed churches in the 1980s.

Confession and Scripture

Dekker also observes a position shift in respect to the confession. He refers to statements of Prof Dr E.A. de Boer (and others) who already in 2004, through the publication of the third volume of Vuur and Vlam, spoke about the ‘historical and theological relativity of the confessions’. There Prof Dekker also considers that for practical purposes it is possible ‘that one easily comes to doing confession of faith, because one realizes that one is not bound to express agreement with the literal meaning of the text’ (page 92).

Hereby, too, he indicates agreement with the image reflected by the synodical churches at the time. There the confession was not changed either, but on the one hand there was greater freedom in the application and interpretation, and on the other hand the confession took on a less important position in the life of the churches.

With regards to views on the Bible, too, changes appeared gradually within the RCNlib. Dekker mentions the discussion about the providence of God and the continuing discussion on the authority of the Scripture.

Increasing attention is being paid to the human factor in the origin of various Bible books and to a greater awareness that the authority of the Bible does not allow itself to be rooted in a theory, but in essence remains a secret.

Whilst earlier the practice of ‘Scripture criticism’ had been condemned, later this was no longer the case (page 96). Developments in the area of literary theory were welcomed and applied to the study of the Bible. Whilst earlier there had been a clear rejection of the influence of the spirit of the times in the decision about women’s voting rights (1978), now there is an acknowledgment and acceptance that it does play a role in the time in which we live (page 96).

Dekker concludes that in the course of time the Bible has come to be seen differently and to be applied differently.

Protest

Dekker also observes that these shifts give rise to differences which undermine the established unity and solidarity that previously existed. He pays very brief attention to the disturbing effects these shifts had in the early 90s and which found expression in the establishment of the paper Reformanda (page 100). Further he mentions that as result of the great changes and liberality of the last years, groups of congregational members separated themselves from the liberated-Reformed Churches. Dekker’s opinion on this is that the growing openness led to protests because people were afraid that by means of this openness they would lose the ‘traditional elements of Reformed church life’.

Further he compares, on the one hand, the Voortgezette Gereformeerde Kerken (which he wrongly calls Gereformeerde Kerken hersteld (=RCNr)) which wanted no part of being fused into the PKN with, on the other hand, the ‘new liberation’. Here he refers to our liberation of 2003 on the grounds that we could not go along with the new developments (page 102). Personally I consider this to be a very superficial comparison. The principle grounds for our reformation from a deformed church are not identified by Dekker. To him our liberation is merely seen as a matter of holding on to tradition instead of a participation in a new development.

Mid-term review

Whilst we hope to write more, at this stage we will just draw some preliminary conclusions. Although Dekker does identify important shifts, much of it is barely, if at all, touched upon. That is partly because Prof Dekker limits his source of information to the series Vuur en Vlam and to the annual handbooks. This has restricted his understanding and given him a one-sided view of the developments.

But it is also partly because he does not apply a theological analysis on the basis of Scripture, Reformed confession and Church Order. Surely these are the criteria for judging doctrine and life.

 

By this superficiality and one-sidedness Dekker has failed to expose the true nature of the ‘revolution’ within the liberated churches (namely, that it is a revolution against the Scripture and the Lord of the Church). He sees the revolution too much as a process of new developments coming into conflict with earlier, traditional ideas.

But this also prevents the extent of the revolution from being clearly presented. To give an example: How much has the toleration and application of ‘Scriptural criticism’ and the changed perspective on the Bible affected the content and assurance of people’s faith? There is much more to be said about this than Dekker does in his book.

 

In the following article we will discuss the chapters on church life and ethical matters, after which we will conclude with our assessment of the conclusion and views of Prof Dekker.