Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Synod of Dort on Parents and the Catechism

Friend and ministerial colleague, Wes Bredenhoff, has posted a helpful article on the Synod of Dort (Dordt) and its conclusion about parents catechizing their children. He writes...

On Friday November 30, 1618 in its morning session, the Synod of Dort issued its decree on the manner of catechesis. Dort followed Bremen’s division of catechetical duties. The work of parents, however, was put up front. According to Dort, it is the work of parent to instruct their children and the whole family with all diligence in the elements of Christian religion. With an eye to each one’s capacity, parents are to seriously and diligently exhort their families in the fear of God and sincere piety. They are to discuss the sermons and especially the teaching of the Catechism. They are to read the Scriptures and explain them. If parents were not faithful in these duties, they were to be admonished by the pastors, and if necessary reprimanded and censured by the consistory.


In our day and age we have it exactly backward.  Parents hire pastors (often untrained youth workers) to care for their children and raise them in the faith.  If there are problems then it is these "pastors" who are admonished.  Dordt had it right.  This fits hand-in-glove with what we are trying to achieve at Christ Covenant Church.

Read the rest here:  The Synod of Dort on Catechism

HT. Heidelblog

1 comment:

Joe said...

Dave, this is excellent. It makes me wonder if churches (including ours) should focus on parents and catechesis instead of Sunday School (or Christian education, as we call it).

Joe