By this our subscription : confessional subscription in the Dutch Reformed tradition since 1816

Confessions outline what a church believes and teaches. As such they became instruments to safeguard the proclamation of the church, to keep its doctrine sound. Those ministering on behalf of the church were therefore required to subscribe the confessions. Like many other churches in the world, Reformed Churches in The Netherlands have confessions. This study looks at various aspects of confessional subscription in the Dutch Reformed tradition since 1816. It consists of two parts. The first is a historical part, reviewing the key moments of reflection on confessional subscription between 1816 and 2004. The second is a systematic part, creating an overview of the various elements of confessional subscription, how these interrelate, and how confessional subscription might best be practiced