Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism is a form of government within a Church and theological tradition particular to the Presbyterian and Reformed movements. The Churches integrated in this tradition form one of the four main groups that evolved since the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century (these were the Lutheran, the Anabaptist, the Anglican and the Reformed Presbyterian).

Summary

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• 1 Ecclesiastical organization
• 2 History
  • 1 Theology
  • 2 Creeds
  • 3 Forms of worship
  • 4 Ecumenism
• 3 Source

ecclesiastical organization

The term presbyterian comes from the Greek presbyteros (‘elder’). Government by elders characterizes the organization of the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches.

The structure of a Presbyterian system is called mixed, since it mixes democratic and hierarchical elements. Power is balanced between clergy and laity, and between congregations and larger bodies of ecclesiastical government. Although the structure of the Presbyterian system varies, broadly it consists of successive ecclesiastical entities or courts. Each congregation is governed by an entity called a session or consistory. It is made up of the pastor and the elders, who are representatives chosen by the members of the congregation. The congregations are integrated into a presbytery that coordinates and decides their activities in a specific geographical area. The members of the presbytery are all the pastors and all the elders of all the congregations it encompasses.

The power to ordain priests resides in the presbytery, and contrasts with the episcopal system in which it is the bishops who have that power. In a broad sense, the presbytery functions as a communal bishop and exercises its pastoral and judicial authority over its churches.

The presbyteries are integrated into synods that are even larger geographical units, and into a general assembly or synod that represents the entire Church. These institutions continue to be governed by their senior clergy and laity elected as representatives of the community.

History

The roots of Presbyterianism can be traced back to the theology of John Calvin ( 1509 – 1564 ), the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Geneva . Calvin wanted to establish a Church governed by the New Testament principle of the exercise of eldership. But in the end, Calvin and the early Reforming theologians did not insist that Presbyterianism was the only form of church government endorsed by the Bible . This has allowed some variations within the Calvinist form of ecclesiastical government and has fostered tolerance towards different policies of other confessions. For example, many Congregational and Baptist churches consider themselves theologically Calvinist but are not Presbyterian.

From its beginnings, the Reformed tradition was the most international of all branches of Protestantism. It spread rapidly from Geneva to France , Germany and Holland , and from there to Eastern Europe , the British Isles and North America . When Calvinists organized Presbyterian churches in continental Europe they called them Reformed; in the British Isles and North America they were called Presbyterians.

Until the 19th century , the greatest forces of Presbyterianism were in Great Britain , Holland, and North America; But with the rapid expansion of missionary activity after 1800 , Presbyterian or Reformed churches were established on all continents. Today, the English-speaking members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church represent a minority and there are important congregations in Asia , Africa , Latin America and other regions of the planet.

Theology

Although characterized by diversity, its central source is the theology of Calvin. His most important and influential work was the Institution of the Christian Religion ( 1536 ) which he revised throughout his life. The last edition ( 1559 ) is the most consulted.

Like the German reformer Martin Luther, Calvin focused on the two main doctrines of the Protestant Reformation: the authority of Scripture and the justification of grace through faith. Like Luther, Calvin reduced the number of Christian sacraments to two, infant or adult baptism and the Eucharist. Calvin disagreed with Luther and other Protestant reformers regarding the nature of the Eucharist, the government of the Church, and the role of the law in the Christian life. His theology is characterized by his trust in the Bible and its interpretation with the help of the Holy Spirit. He also emphasizes the sovereignty of God and the inability of people to achieve their salvation through works.

Creeds

Although the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches consider the Bible to be the supreme authority over the Church and the individual believer, they are also called Confessional Churches because of their efforts to write confessions or creeds that define and guide theology and church practices. Many Reformed creeds have been written in different countries and at different times from the 16th to the 20th centuries. The most important of the early creeds were the First Helvetian Creed ( 1536 ), the Scottish Creed ( 1560 ), the Belgian Creed ( 1561 ), the Heidelberg Catechism ( 1563 ), the Second Helvetian Creed ( 1566 ), the canons of the Synod of Dort ( 1619 ) and the Westminster Creed and Abridged Catechism ( 1647 ). Two examples of recent creeds may be the Barmen Theological Declaration, drawn up by the German Evangelical Church in 1934 , and the 1967 Creed adopted by the United Presbyterian Church in the United States . The most influential of all these creeds, especially for the Anglo-American Presbyterian churches, was the Westminster Creed.

Forms of worship

Presbyterian worship has always allowed considerable flexibility in form, but it is based on Calvin’s definition of the essential characteristics of the Church: the proclamation of the Gospel and the celebration of the sacraments. In the United States, the influence of Puritanism and evangelicalism contributed to the greater importance of the sermon as the axis of worship. The liturgy was in fact absent and the Eucharist was only celebrated occasionally. However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the renewal in the Reformed understanding of worship and the ecumenical movement brought greater richness to Presbyterian worship. The sermon is still important, but there is now greater observance of the liturgy and a more regular celebration of the Eucharist.

Ecumenism

In general, the churches of the Presbyterian tradition are organized according to national borders, although they have also often suffered divisions within the same country. As a group, however, they are known for their ecumenical spirit. They are associated according to their own tradition in the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and spearheaded the founding of the World Council of Churches. In the United States they cooperate with other churches in the National Council of Churches and in the Consultations for the Union of Churches. A similar spirit of ecumenism has occurred within Presbyterianism with the founding of the Unified Church of Canada , the Church of South India, and the Unified Churches of other countries. In summary, Calvinist theology rests on five pillars that constitute the doctrinal foundation of the Presbyterian tradition:

1. a) the only norm of faith and life is the Holy Scripture. b) radical evil, that is, the total depravity of man, whom the fall into sin left in a state of absolute corruption and incapable of accessing salvation. c) the unconditional election that predestination entails. d) limited atonement and irresistible grace. The sacrifice of Jesus Christon the cross occurred only for the elect. e) the perseverance of the saints.