Acts of the synod which met June 13- 19, 1998, Calvin College, Grand Rapids Michigan.

For approximately three decades, the abortion debate has polarized America. Views range from the extreme conservative position that all abortions are morally objectionable to the extreme liberal position that abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy is acceptable. In the middle are those who advocate laws limiting the number of valid reasons for abortion. This comprehensive volume includes bibliographic citations that address the moral and religious aspects of abortion. It covers such topics as the various arguments both for and against abortion, the status of the fetus, and overviews of several religions' stances on abortion. Citations also include references on how Christianity has influenced abortion politics and law, discussions of Operation Rescue, and official statements on abortion by the Catholic Church and several Protestant denominations. Researchers, as well as anyone interested in the moral and religious elements of abortion, will find this resource invaluable. It covers the literature on abortion and religion found in books, essays, journal articles, academic dissertations and Web sites. And, unlike many of the available bibliographies, this one focuses only on the religious and moral issues, therefore providing greater depth on those two issues within one work.

The controversial question and answer 80 of the Heidelberg Catechism, which condemns the “popish Mass,” seems to some a harsh statement in this document otherwise admired for its warm pastoral style and genial tone. Viewing this question and answer as unnecessarily polemical and injurious to the Catechism’s usefulness as a contemporary statement of the Christian faith, some Reformed denominations have removed it from the text. Cornel Venema provides historical background and biblical teaching to defend the Catechism’s inclusion of question and answer 80, arguing that it must be retained today, as it “reflects a fundamental evangelical passion to uphold the sufficiency of Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross and to condemn idolatry in whatever form.” Table of Contents: 1. The Historical Occasion, Authorship, and Purposes of the Heidelberg Catechism 2. The Inclusion of Q&A 80 3. Assessing the Original Validity of Q&A 80 4. Assessing the Continued Value of Q&A 80: A Present Case 5. Conclusion: The Benefits of Retaining Q&A 80