Three Forms of Unity
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From 1618 to 1619 the international Reformed churches, with representatives from dozens of countries, met at a Synod or Council of Dordrecht and there collectively stated their faith, summarizing biblical teachings in three documents, or forms, of unity: The Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of the Council of Dordrecht.
The churches stated their faith for various reasons and used these Three Forms of Unity to perform many roles. The Three Forms summarize biblical teachings such as the doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, Predestination, Justification, and the Church. They allow members to gather together around shared beliefs about fundamental teachings in the Bible, and thereby relegate non-essential doctrines not specifically addressed (political positions, educational platforms, etc.) to personal opinion to prevent the churches from needlessly splitting. They also help others understand what members of these churches believe and thereby provide a basis upon which ecumenical unity can be built.
The different types of documents included in the Three Forms serve different purposes. The Heidelberg Catechism is a document written in a question-and-answer format to help explain biblical teaching to children and those new to the faith; The Belgic Confession explains various biblical teachings; and the Canons of Dort are series of technical responses to specific theological issues such as the nature and extent of sin, election, atonement, grace, and justification.
[edit] External links
- Printable book of English text of the Three Forms of Unity with historical and textual introduction
- Audio Recordings (mp3) of the Three Forms of Unity
- Introduction, text, and audio of the Three Forms of Unity
