Sources

The Westminster Confession of Faith

Citation Formats

General Reference

Divinity Atlas. "The Westminster Confession of Faith." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-westminster-confession-of-faith.

APA Style

Divinity Atlas. (n.d.). The Westminster Confession of Faith. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-westminster-confession-of-faith

BibTeX

@misc{divinityatlas-the-westminster-confession-of-faith,
  author = {Divinity Atlas},
  title = {The Westminster Confession of Faith},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-westminster-confession-of-faith},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The doctrinal standard of Presbyterian churches, drafted by the Westminster Assembly in 1646. As the Assembly's own institutional statement of doctrine, marked in this atlas as a custodian source since the Westminster Assembly is both its subject and its author, it sits at this atlas's top tier as a direct primary record of what the Confession itself states. Use it to establish the historical Presbyterian doctrinal standard. It is not evidence for how any individual Presbyterian denomination applies or has revised its position on the Confession today, which is a separate and denomination specific question.

Facts

Citation

Author

Westminster Assembly

Publication Year

1646

URL

https://www.ccel.org/ccel/anonymous/westminster3.html

Source Type

primary-text

Custodian

Custodian Source

Yes

Custodian Body

Westminster Assembly

Custodian Basis

A confession produced by an assembly convened for that purpose and adopted as a standard by the churches that received it. Authoritative for what those churches confess.

Assessment

Reliability Tier

The doctrinal standard of Presbyterian churches, drafted by the Westminster Assembly in 1646, the Assembly's own primary institutional statement of doctrine.

Notes

The doctrinal standard of Presbyterian churches.

Claims Backed By This Source (289 claims)

This source backs 289 claims across the atlas. As facts: 71 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate. As cited relationships: 80 holds, 11 critiqued Here, 47 rejected Here, 6 held Differently. Plus 73 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Doctrines, 64 claims: 21 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate, 19 holds, 4 rejected Here, 2 held Differently, 17 general references.
Scriptures & Texts, 47 claims: 1 holds, 30 rejected Here, 16 general references.
Denominations, 45 claims: 5 well-attested, 19 holds, 13 rejected Here, 4 held Differently, 4 general references.
Beliefs & Restrictions, 39 claims: 14 well-attested, 12 holds, 13 general references.
Practices, 28 claims: 1 well-attested, 7 holds, 10 critiqued Here, 10 general references.
Rituals, 23 claims: 3 well-attested, 13 holds, 7 general references.
Sources, 10 claims: 10 well-attested.
Articles, 9 claims: 9 well-attested.
Spread Events, 8 claims: 3 well-attested, 4 holds, 1 general references.
Creeds & Confessions, 7 claims: 3 well-attested, 3 holds, 1 general references.
Councils and Synods, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Prayers, 2 claims: 1 holds, 1 general references.
Religious Roles & Titles, 2 claims: 1 critiqued Here, 1 general references.
Regions, 1 claims: 1 general references.