French
DeutschVrijzinnige Geloofsgemeenschap NPB
| Vrijzinnige Geloofsgemeenschap NPB | |
|---|---|
 Symbol of the Vrijzinnige Geloofsgemeenschap NPB, a flame. | |
| Abbreviation | NPB |
| Type | Liberal religion |
| Origin | 1870 from the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk |
| Number of followers | 4385.[1] |
The Vrijzinnige Geloofsgemeenschap NPB (English: Liberal Community of Faith NBP) is a liberal Christian denomination in the Netherlands, a member of the Dutch Raad van Kerken (English: Council of Churches) and the International Association for Religious Freedom. NPB stands for Nederlandse Protestanten Bond (English: Netherlands Protestant Association).
Structure
[edit]
The NPB has the structure of an association and consists of sixty independent local communities (2004) that call themselves by the neutral word afdeling (English: section).[2]
History
[edit]The Dutch Protestant Association NBP was established in 1870 by Cornelis Willem Opzoomer, Cornelis Tiele and others. It came as a reaction of liberal Protestants to the Confessionele vereniging (English: The Confessional Association) created in 1864 and Orthodox Protestantism.
From the NBP came the Centrale Commissie voor het Vrijzinnig Protestantisme (English: Central Committee for Liberal Protestantism) that established the VPRO (1926) and was involved in the Leidse Bijbelvertaling (English: The Leiden Translation of the Bible) that was used by Dutch liberal Protestants for decades to follow (1914).[2]
Profile and ideas
[edit]There can be significant differences between local communities constituting the association. Some are based upon religious humanism, some upon Christian Universalism and some upon liberal Christianity. All liberal-minded people may become members of the association regardless of membership in other Christian denominations, whether they are baptized or not or adhere to a certain creed. In liberal Protestantism the Bible is not seen as the Word of God in a literal sense, but rather as a document - a collection of meaningful stories - witnessing to the love of God. It is also striven to connect faith with the insights of modern science and with rationality.
References
[edit]- ^ "Groot ledenverlies voor NPB". Kerknieuws.nl. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
- ^ a b Hoekstra, E.G, Ipenburg, M.H. Handboek christelijk Nederland: kerken, gemeenten, samenkomsten en vergaderingen. Kok 2008, p. 305
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
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