...in society. In other words, churches are both participants and reactionary. This is notably true in the case of the Enlightenment in Holland.

* If I speak of "Holland" during the Enlightenment, one must understand that during that period Holland was composed of seven united provinces: The Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

* I must confess that the question that I am addressing seems so vast and inclusive that I run the risk of over generalization. It is evident that my observations cannot describe all of the Dutch churches, when one considers that in the Reformed tradition alone there are 17 officially recognized churches, and each of these churches undoubtedly has its own attitude toward, and resulting from, its reception of the Enlightenment!

Introduction

Historians generally limit the Enlightenment to the period 1680-1800 (Buisman 1992, I, p. 17). A census taken in 1809 revealed that the Dutch Republic at that time had a population of two million, two hundred and five thousand, of which 55% were Reformed, 38% Catholics, 3% Lutherans, 2% "Israelites" and 1,5% Mennonites (De Jong 1978, p. 304). The Republic had lost its political and military supremacy: England, France and Prussia had caught up. Dutch industrial development was stagnant, as was that of her European neighbours. An atmosphere of decline permeated all of society, while preachers and moralizers exhorted penance, and explained the recession as a punishment for unbelief. In my contribution, I will examine the period 1750-1800, which I find decisive in the attitude of the Dutch churches. At the same time, I recognize that if we consider the Enlightenment as a process consisting of the secularization of society, and the liberation and humanization of the individual, it cannot be understood without examining its roots before 1680, and its effects after 1800. Among the roots of the Enlightenment one must mention the Golden Age of the Netherlands, and pietism. In Germany and in Holland pietism preceded and accompanied the Enlightenment, while in England Methodism followed the Enlightenment. Dutch pietism, primarily understood as existing within the Reformed tradition, accented personal conversion and piety, and organized itself in "conventicles": prayer and Bible study groups that met in the homes of the faithful. In addition, while it is true, as the historian Cosse (2000, p. 36) has demonstrated, that Romanticism did not find fertile soil in the Netherlands, it is equally true that the Enlightenment lasted longer in Holland than in other European countries. Although the literature concerning the Enlightenment is full of contradictory descriptions, and while the 18th century was far from homogenous, I believe that one can discern a specific Enlightenment manner of thought and way of being. I refer to three famous quotes in my description of the Enlightenment:

I. R. Descartes (1596-1650): 'Cogito ergo sum'. Principia Philosophica I, p. 7.

II. Kant (1724-1804): 'der Ausgang des Menschen aus seiner selbstverschuldeten Unmundigkeit' (man's release from his self-incurred tutelage), Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklarung? In: Kants Werke VI Herausgabe W. Weischedel, p. 53.

III. G.E. Lessing (1729-1781), 'Zufallige Geschichtswahrheiten konnen der Beweis von notwendigen Vernunftwahrheiten nie werden' (accidental truths of history can never become the proof of necessary truths of reason), Theologische Schriften III, p. 12.

As far as the Republic of the Netherlands is concerned, it is not sufficient to quote Enlightenment philosophers. One must also listen to theologians like the members of the Teyler theological society who declared in 1788 (Wall 2000, p. 7): "Each Christian has the right to judge for himself in religious matters".

The enormous variety of definitions of the Enlightenment led one leader of a research group in Leyde, Holland, to exclaim that hell must be that place where one infinitely debates the definition of the Enlightenment (Buijnsters, quoted by Wall, 2000, p. 6). I would...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



More articles from International Review of Mission
The consequences of the enlightenment, from the perspective of the Ort..., July 01, 2006
Introduction to meeting with church leaders.(Brief article), July 01, 2006
Message.(Viewpoint essay), July 01, 2006
What kind of mission?, July 01, 2006
Mission following the missionary mandate of the risen Christ., July 01, 2006

Looking for additional articles?
Search our database of over 3 million articles.

Looking for more in-depth information on this industry?
Search our complete database of Industry & Market reports by text, subject, publication name or publication date.

About Goliath
Whether you're looking for sales prospects, competitive information, company analysis or best practices in managing your organization, Goliath can help you meet your business needs.

Our extensive business information databases empower business professionals with both the breadth and depth of credible, authoritative information they need to support their business goals. Whether it be strategic planning, sales prospecting, company research or defining management best practices - Goliath is your leading source for accurate information.