EXCLUSION, TOLERATION, ACCEPTANCE, INTEGRATION - THE EXPERIENCE OF DUTCH REFORMED CHURCHES WITH HOMOSEXUALITY AND HOMOSEXUALS IN THE CHURCH

The overwhelming majority of Protestant Christians in The Netherlands are members of denominations in the Reformed tradition (i.e., protesta nt churches characterized by Calvinist theology and a ''presbyterian'' church government by elected assemblies of elders). Comparable North American denominations are the Reformed Church in America and the Unit ed Presbyterian Church, both of which are facing some degree of intern al controversy over homosexuality. In The Netherlands, the four major strands of the Reformed church have taken various positions on homosex uality, ranging from absolute rejection of homosexuality in the church and society, through one denomination which found itself in the curio us position of approving the ordination of homosexual clergy while bar ring homosexuals from the Lord's Table, to creating ''life covenants'' which re-evaluate heterosexual marriage while also blessing relations hips between homosexuals. All call upon the same set of principles for their varied stands. The two major denominational branches, the Nethe rlands Reformed Church (Hervormde Kerk) and the Reformed Churches in T he Netherlands (Gereformeerde Kerken) have taken different approaches to resolving the issue, the former through internal political conflict and the latter through a more authoritarian (though progressive) stan d. The article traces the political, theological, and juridical histor y of the evolution of these positions, and suggests various potential models, and their possibilities and pitfalls, for North American Prote stant churches dealing with issues surrounding homosexuality and the c hurch.