Sources

The Canons of the Synod of Dort

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "The Canons of the Synod of Dort." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-canons-of-the-synod-of-dort.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). The Canons of the Synod of Dort. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-canons-of-the-synod-of-dort

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-the-canons-of-the-synod-of-dort,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {The Canons of the Synod of Dort},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://www.divinityatlas.com/sources/the-canons-of-the-synod-of-dort},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The Canons of the Synod of Dort are the actual doctrinal rulings issued by that 1619 Reformed church synod in response to the Arminian controversy, a primary confessional document rather than a later summary of Reformed theology. As a primary source it is the strongest possible evidence for what the synod itself formally decided on questions of predestination and grace, since it is the ruling itself. Its limit is that the canons are a polemical response to a specific theological dispute of their moment, written to refute a named opposing position rather than to present a neutral balanced account of the debate, so a reader wanting to understand the Arminian position being rejected needs a separate source representing that side directly rather than only the synod's characterization of it.

Facts

Assessment

Reliability Tier

The Synod of Dort's own 1619 canons, the Reformed church's own answer to the Arminian Remonstrance, later summarised as the five points; a governing synod's own primary confessional record.

Notes

The Reformed answer to the Arminian Remonstrance, later summarised as the five points.

Citation

Author

Synod of Dort

Publication Year

1619

URL

https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/confessions/canons-dort

Source Type

primary-text

Custodian

Custodian Source

Yes

Custodian Body

Synod of Dort

Custodian Basis

Canons adopted by a synod of the Reformed churches in their own name. Authoritative for what those churches confessed.

Claims Backed By This Source (65 claims)

This source backs 65 claims across the atlas. As facts: 34 well-attested. As cited relationships: 17 holds, 3 held Differently. Plus 11 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Beliefs & Restrictions, 11 claims: 9 well-attested, 2 general references.
Creeds & Confessions, 11 claims: 4 well-attested, 6 holds, 1 general references.
Doctrines, 10 claims: 1 well-attested, 3 holds, 3 held Differently, 3 general references.
Sources, 10 claims: 10 well-attested.
Cities, 8 claims: 3 well-attested, 4 holds, 1 general references.
Denominations, 8 claims: 4 well-attested, 2 holds, 2 general references.
Articles, 3 claims: 3 well-attested.
Councils and Synods, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
Religious Organization & Structure, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.