The doctrine of Scripture is one of the most central and foundational, as well as critical, to the theological integrity of any church. This doctrine as confessed in the CRCNA appears in Articles 2 through 7 of the Confession of Faith (compare Westminster Confession of Faith's very long Article I) and was defined much more thoroughly in the discussions and decisions of the early 1970's. Recall that this study was undertaken in response not only to research by the RES, but in the larger context of questions being raised about the Bible among all churches, not just the Reformed. Liberalism, which denies the divine origin, authority, clarity, sufficiency and finality of Scripture, had already pervaded the mainline churches; neo-orthodoxy was radically reinterpreting the text, using traditional terminology but with altogether different meaning. Higher critical methods of reading the Bible (various documentary hypothesis, form critical analysis, etc., are called "higher" since in using them one stands above and "judges" the text, while in "lower" criticism, where variant manuscript readings are compared and weighed to try to determine the true reading of the original manuscript, one stands under the authority of the Word) were being promiscuously promoted at seminaries around the world, especially in Germany, and as has already been seen, some flirtation with these was occurring in the CRC as well.

The source of modernistic influence in the CRC was at least two-fold. First of all, there was some influence from North American schools where Christian Reformed pastors, professors, and others, had pursued studies. This would include places such as Princeton, Yale and Union (NY) Seminaries, as well as the University of Chicago. It is ironic to note that "critical" approaches to the Word of God were sometimes adopted "uncritically" by some who lacked confidence in their orthodox, Reformed heritage. The craving for academic credentials and approbation from such "recognized" institutions, coupled with a low evaluation of the ethnic narrowness of one's upbringing, proved to be tremendous psychological stimuli and made such students vulnerable to "new winds of doctrine" concerning the Word of God. As early as 1959, R.B. Kuiper warned prophetically (To Be or Not To Be Reformed) of the danger of an "intellectual aristocracy" in the church and bemoaned the "sad dearth of doctrinal discernment" which was becoming more and more common in the rising generation which made it particularly vulnerable to heterodoxy.

The other source of a new understanding of the place of Scripture and how it is to be interpreted came via the Netherlands and connections which still remained with it among many in the CRCNA. On the one hand, there were many newer members of the CRC (more recent immigrants) who came out a decidedly conservative and orthodox background and whose presence in the CRC was a sound influence. On the other hand, there were connections also with elements in the NHK and the GKN where rather unwholesome things were taking place, e.g., like when denial of doctrines such as the virgin birth of Christ, the affirmation of the moral acceptableness of homosexuality, and acceptance of the likelihood of evolution (and denial of the historical trustworthiness of the early chapters of Genesis) by professors of theology, did not result in their suspension from office. Such things in the Dutch churches had resulted from the "new hermeneutic" of higher criticism having infiltrated their seminaries and pulpits. Students from the CRC were also pursuing studies at these same institutions of the "mother church" and were less inclined to be critical of what was being taught there as they might have been had they been taught these same things at places like Princeton, where one might perhaps expect to hear heterodoxy promoted. These were, after all, the seminaries of a very close sister/mother church to whom the CRC owed much and with whom the CRC maintained the closest ecclesiastical ties. Some who had watched the secession of 1944 led by Schilder with interest were noting already that the GKN was departing from Reformed orthodoxy, and prophetic voices arose within the CRCNA to warn the denomination already in the 1950's of these unwholesome currents, particularly warning the church to be vigilant in strengthening oversight of its college and seminary where future leaders were being trained. To quote R.B. Kuiper: "When a denominational college [seminary] gets caught in the tide of unbelief, it is more likely that the college will drag the church down with it than that the church will rescue the college" (1959, To Be or Not To Be Reformed, p. 98).

As the teachings and inclinations of such new approaches to Scripture started to be heard more in the CRC, some reacted with horror and vigorously condemned the new hermeneutics (this was especially carried on by the editor of the Banner, Lester De Koster, and by the publishers of the Outlook). On the other hand, there was a tendency during this period to disdain theological controversy and to promote instead "ministry" as the central focus of the church. The Seminary was placing more emphasis in its training program on educational and counseling techniques (the latter often being of the humanistic-psychology variety) rather than on instruction in orthodox theology and principles of biblical exposition. This was a distinct departure from the traditional (à la Berkhof) training offered by Calvin Seminary to its future leaders. Decorum and peaceful relations were higher on the church's list of values than biblical/theological correctness (disparaged as "scholastic," i.e., overly intellectual and irrelevant to current needs, concerns and "ministry"). It was more important to be "nice" than to be "right." There was also a growing apathy toward these things in the churches as materialism was occupying so many people's attention; the pursuit of wealth was a far more pressing concern than the pursuit of truth! This is ironic if one considers the origins of the CRC in the 1850's, when amid their dire poverty the founders of the church were far more concerned (perhaps overly so) with moral and theological purity than with amassing wealth. Others viewed what they saw as "theological nit- picking" as a very counterproductive activity just when the church was entering a new phase of outreach activities; such controversy could only serve to alienate those folks many were endeavoring to win and bring into the fold of the church. In some respects, these phenomena are typical of the "baby-boomers" generation which was coming into adulthood in this period, and similar dynamics can be seen in other North American evangelical churches. Note that the "inerrancy" controversy was at its height during this period. Harold Lindsell, long-time editor of Christianity Today, published his book, The Battle for the Bible, in 1976, focusing the discussion around the Word's "inerrancy."

This period saw at synodical meetings the reopening of some issues of biblical interpretation, especially regarding evolution and the role of women in the church (re the latter, see Appendix I). Charges were pursued against several Calvin College professors for their evolutionary views which were deemed inconsistent with the CRC's understanding of Genesis according to Report 44 on the doctrine of Scripture, but decisive action on these issues has not taken place till the present. A long and acrimonious debate rages also till the present day on the proper understanding of Scriptural texts relating to the permissibility of ordaining women to the offices of the church. There was also a well-orchestrated challenge to the doctrine of reprobation in the Canons of Dort, and much agitation against the Formula of Subscription and for freedom of conscience in regards to a variety of subjects, from the doctrine of reprobation to such things as homosexuality, baptism of the Holy Spirit, evolution, catechism preaching, quota-based giving, ecumenical relations, the extent of the atonement, and so forth.

It is quite clear, as the range of areas of disagreement emerging in the church at this time indicates, that the CRCNA was (and is) a church in the process of losing its unity. The consensus of theological understanding and of day-to-day practice was being severely eroded, and in fact many congregationistic tendencies were beginning to surface. That the Church Order, which is the covenant of unity of the church, could be easily set aside with impunity by local churches to suit what they might perceive as their situational needs as well as by the synod to provide more latitude in the church (as was done in 1995 in regards to the women in office issue) is a dramatic illustration of this. Another unfortunate illustration is the rate of payments of denominational assessments (ministry shares, formerly called "quotas," to finance the activities of synodical boards and committees are assessed to each congregation based on membership reports), which have fallen to the 70% level in recent years from a level which was at one time in the 90% area. Variations in liturgical practices, extensive involvement with non-CRC para-ecclesiastical organizations, use of non-ordained and non-licensed persons in worship leadership and preaching, and abandonment of the name "Christian Reformed," are other symptoms of the new wave of "independent-ism."

Defections from the church are also taking their toll recently both in terms of the actual membership of the church as well as in morale and theological vigor. In this area, the "women in office" controversy has been by far the most devastating. In the 1990's over 30,000 members departed from the denomination either to join other more orthodox groups (especially the OPC) or to form what the disaffected folks consider "orthodox" (in doctrine) but independent (in church government) Reformed congregations. Names are adopted such as "Reformed Bible Church" or "Orthodox CRC." Several forums have been established for these kindred souls to communicate among themselves, most notably the "Alliance of Reformed Churches," and in some cases new denominational groups have been formed. The largest new denomination, called the United Reformed Churches, was formed in October 1996 and presently counts about 10,000 members. Prior to that the Orthodox Christian Reformed Churches (about 1,400 members) and the Christian Presbyterian Church (a group of ethnically Korean congregations) had organized. Several dozen non-affiliated congregations also exist.

The key issues of dispute cited to justify these separations are evolutionism, women in office and homosexuality, with the charge being made that the CRC's departure from its traditional positions on these issues (either by its declarations, waffling, or refusing to discipline those who differ with past synods' official positions) indicates an abandonment of the authority of Scripture and of Christ over the church and the adoption of a new hermeneutic incompatible with true Reformed doctrine. The key issue undergirding all these areas of dispute is, therefore, the doctrine of Scripture.

Already in the 1980's, a new independent seminary was formed (Mid- America Reformed Seminary in northwestern Iowa, presently located in the Chicago suburb of Dyer, Indiana) to reestablish the traditional CRC training of ministers of the Word, and the rhetoric around its establishment leaves no doubt that the sector of the church involved in the new Seminary's founding had found Calvin Seminary wanting in its respect for Scripture and Reformed theology. Founders of Mid-America blamed Calvin Seminary as the source of most of the evil presently in circulation in the CRC, especially as Calvin professors often openly agitated for opening the offices to women and supported college professors whose evolutionary views were under fire. Also, a great deal of financial support has continued to go towards Westminster Seminary, which established its Escondido campus during this period. WTS has often been seen and used as a more solidly Reformed alternative to Calvin Seminary, and Christian Reformed personnel continue to serve and to study there. Reformed Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, is also frequented by CRC ministerial students and professors. Present Church Order regulations require that all candidates for the Ministry of the Word in the CRC spend one year of study and secure the endorsement of the faculty at Calvin Seminary, but this regulation is regularly under fire both because of the fine reputations of these other schools as well as because of undeniable resentment towards and distrust of Calvin.

While all this infighting is very demoralizing and the church is indeed in a state of disarray in some respects, it would be a mistake to say that the CRCNA is an apostate church whose days are numbered or that nothing good is happening. Change is always difficult to deal with, and while some of the changes above are certainly unwarranted, problematic and hurtful, other changes have been taking place which have been for the good. Liturgical experimentation and diversification had been occurring in the CRC as it became more Americanized and outreach-oriented and as the ethnic diversity of the church increased. This has certainly enriched the churches and accelerated the forward- and outward-looking orientation of many members. New church-planting projects and evangelistic initiatives are becoming more common. Denominational agencies are producing enabling-type of structures and materials to empower local efforts in evangelism, social ministries, leadership development and education, rather than focusing on centrally controlled ministries. An example of this would be C.R. Home Missions' Church Development Resources arm and their appointment of regional staff as consultants for classes and congregations desiring to initiate new outreach programs. In this way what might have been seen as "congregationalistic" tendencies are exploited positively as local churches take more initiative while using denominational resources. C.R. World Missions and CRWRC both have established a system of "local representatives" who serve as advocates of the agencies' concerns and communication facilitators to bring the agencies and local churches into closer contact. C.R. Home Missions and C.R. Publications have a number of "trainers" who introduce C.S./evangelistic materials and train teachers/leaders in using them effectively.

The CRCNA has also produced a new statement of its faith and ministry commitments. "Our World Belongs to God" is called a "contemporary testimony" and was never given the status of a confession of faith, but it was produced in response to some of the positive changes noted above to provide in modern terminology a summary of what the CRCNA professes and believes regarding God, man, salvation, and the church's and believers' calling in the world. Approved by the Synod of 1986 for incorporation in the liturgical forms of the church, the format is poetic rather than didactic, and as such it lacks theological precision in terminology and raises a very wide range of issues about which much more needs to be said than can possibly addressed in such a format (e.g., things like abortion, ecological responsibility, ecumenism, civil disobedience and pacificism, etc.). The 56 articles are certainly useful as a contemporary confession of faith to be used in the worship liturgy, but to really understand the CRCNA's positions on the myriad of issues raised, much research into synodical decisions and declarations is necessary. Fortunately, much of this material has been edited and summarized in a publication called, "Synodical Decisions on Doctrinal and Ethical Matters" (1976, CRC Publications; now available in the annually revised Handbook of the Christian Reformed Church). The "testimony" has also been published in an edition which includes a useful study guide.

The down side of the production of the contemporary testimony is the devaluation of the three Forms of Unity. Many voices are heard condemning these documents as ancient and irrelevant (and sometimes errant, as in the matter of reprobation, or in such things as eternal damnation, limited atonement, condemnation of the Roman Catholic Church & Anabaptism, etc.). One gets the impression that many condemn without having studied (or even read) the documents. At any rate, synod has affirmed the historical conditioning seen in some statements of the confessions without making revisions. New translations of the Heidelberg Catechism (1975), the Belgic Confession (1985), and the Canons of Dort (1986) have been authorized and adopted by synod to make these foundational statements of the church's confession more useful to the current generation. These new translations were produced in time to be incorporated into the newest edition of the Psalter-Hymnal, which was published in 1987.