Is de zondagmis een valied criterium van kerkelijkheid?

Samenvatting

An examination of criteria used to determine church membership in the Netherlands. The adjective kerkelijk (belonging to a church) is used in opposition to niet-kerkelijk (not belong to a church) and on-kerkelijk (against belonging to a church). There is no agreement on the criteria of church membership; this is evidenced by a discrepancy of 9,000 in 2 diff calculations of membership in the Dutch Reformed Church in the province of Friesland. 2 criteria are proposed: (1) attendance at Sunday mass is proof of church membership; and (2) those who do not go to church do not belong to it. It is concluded that these criteria are not satisfactory, and it is suggested that criteria of 'internal validity,' as developed by H. Zetterberg, be applied. I. Langnas.