Goodly Heritage, A: The Secession of 1834 and Its Impact on Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and North America

In A Goodly Heritage, Cornelis Pronk surveys the history of the Secession of 1834, beginning with the events leading up to this important spiritual movement and subsequently following its long journey through the Netherlands and North America until 1892. He then focuses on a small minority that decided to continue as the original Christian Reformed Church, considering its growth and how it formulated theological positions in relation to several other Reformed denominations. Throughout, special attention is given to the doctrines of covenant, baptism, and the Holy Spirit’s ministry in applying salvation. This work not only explains the concerns of De Cock and other fathers of the Secession. It presses beyond the early years of the reform movement to present a larger picture of the developments of Secession theology and the contributions made by its main representatives.

512 pages

Contents:

1. The Historical Background and Spiritual Roots of the Secession of 1834
2. The Further Reformation
3. The Further Reformation View of the Church
4. Further Reformation Views on the Doctrine of Salvation
5. The Reveil
6. The Character of the Dutch Reveil
7. The Secession of 1834
8. The Scholte Club — Part 1: Scholte and Brummelkamp
9. The Scholte Club — Part 2: Van Velzen, Gezelle Meerburg, and Van Raalte
10. Early Years of the Secession
11. Doctrinal Differences between De Cock and Scholte (1)
12. Doctrinal Differences between De Cock and Scholte (2)
13. Preaching in the Secession Churches
14. The Amsterdam Synod of 1840: A Very Important Synod
15. Training Ministers
16. The Brummelkamp Issue
17. The Theological School at Kampen
18. Helenius De Cock’s Theological Method
19. Controversy Surrounding the Well-Meant Offer of Grace
20. The Influence of the Marrow Men on the Secession Church
21. Pieters and Kreulen and the Synod of 1863
22. History of the Reformed Churches Under the Cross
23. Ledeboer and the Ledeboerians
24. Rev. G. H. Kersten and The Netherlands Reformed Congregations
25. Secession Immigrants in North America
26. The Birth of the Christian Reformed Church
27. Douwe Vander Werp and other Early Leaders in the CRC
28. Hendrik Pieter Scholte: Founder of Pella
29. Abraham Kuyper, the Doleantie and the Union of 1892
30. Dutch-American Secession Theologians (1) – L. J. Hulst and F. M. Ten Hoor
31. Dutch American Secession Theologians (2) – William W. Heyns
32. Dutch Secession Theology After 1892
33. Leading Dutch Secession Theologians
34. Summary and Conclusions

Bibliography