Emder Synode 1571

The Emden Synod of 1571 was a landmark gathering of Dutch refugee and underground communities in troubled times. Their resolutions on a non-hierarchical church order brought together the congregations living in different territories at the time without differences in rank. With its model of church order, the Emden Synod had an impact far beyond its time and influenced the later synodal structures of Reformed and United churches. This book documents selected events and lectures from the 450th anniversary year of this synod. They make it clear in different ways that the Emden Synod became a strong source of inspiration for Reformed Protestantism and remains stimulating to this day - even beyond the church. The contributions include the ceremonial lecture by the Mainz director of the Leibniz Institute for European History, Irene Dingel, and a lecture by the Göttingen systematist and holder of the Chair of Reformed Theology, Martin Laube, on the question of the topicality of the Emden Synod.