Kinderen aan het avondmaal? Een omstreden onderwerp

Samenvatting

Children’s partaking of the Lord’s Supper has become an issue in the Protestant Church of the
Netherlands. Already, in many congregations, baptized children participate in the Eucharist.
Contenders maintain the classical Reformed position that people can only partake after confirmation and self-examination. This article covers several theological questions: the scriptural significance of the Eucharist, the relation between Pascha and Eucharist, the church as covenant community, the relation between baptism, confession and Eucharist. The connection between the believers’ answer of confession and their partaking of the Lord ‘s Supper is emphasized. It is acknowledged that the form of such confessional answer can vary and is not bound to the age of eighteen or older. An essential condition for participation of children and young people is the catechesis as cognitve as well as affective learning. The article ends with some proposals for further discussion and reflection regarding the celebration of the Lords Supper.