Synod of Dort

Timeline

1. 1618Dort (Dordrecht) · NetherlandsAt the request of the States-General of the Dutch Republic and the Reformed Church, Calvinist representatives from multiple countries gathered at Dort to examine the Arminian doctrinal claims of unconditional election, limited atonement, total depravity, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Politically, the synod was also linked to the Orangist desire to consolidate domestic Calvinist orthodoxy and restrict religious tolerance.
2. 1619Dort (Dordrecht) · NetherlandsThe synod examined and formally rejected the Arminian Five Articles point by point, adopting the Canons of Dort as a statement of Calvinist orthodoxy. Several Arminian leaders were exiled or imprisoned, and the space for religious dissent in the Netherlands significantly contracted. The Canons of Dort subsequently became an important Reformed confession, long circulating in the Calvinist traditions of Britain, America, and worldwide.