History · Faith · Christian life
Canons of Dort reading guides
Explore the history, follow the teaching, and return to the original text. Illustrated guides with reading maps, questions to consider, and sources you can follow.
New to these documents? Compare the Three Forms of Unity and choose where to start.
History
Why the Synod of Dort met in 1618–1619
Discover the dispute behind the Canons of Dort, the 1610 Remonstrance, and why the synod’s decisions combine doctrine with pastoral care.
Reading map
How to read the Canons of Dort: five points, four divisions
Navigate the Canons of Dort’s 59 doctrinal articles, 34 rejections of errors, and conclusion, with a clear map of the five main points.
Grace and assurance
Election and comfort in the Canons of Dort
Read the First Head’s teaching on election alongside its instructions about assurance, humility, and care for those troubled by weak faith.
Christ and salvation
Why evangelise if God elects? Christ’s death and the gospel call
Why preach if God elects? Explore Dort’s teaching on Christ’s sufficient sacrifice, the sincere gospel invitation, and the means God uses to bring faith.
Grace and Christian life
Do we have free will? Grace and conversion in the Canons of Dort
Does grace remove free will? Read Dort’s account of human responsibility, the Spirit’s renewal, and why believers themselves willingly trust Christ.
Comfort and assurance
Perseverance and assurance in the Canons of Dort
Explore the Fifth Head on God’s preservation, serious falls, doubts, restored assurance, and the ordinary means that sustain faith.
Historical story
Warm feet and crowded benches: inside the Synod of Dort
Explore Dort’s civic meeting hall, its winter arrangements, and a surviving engraving printed on silk that helps us picture the assembly.
Common questions
Are the Canons of Dort the same as TULIP?
Compare TULIP with the Canons of Dort: what the five letters mean, why Dort has four divisions, and what the familiar summary can leave out.