EnglishThe position of children under the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Sri Lanka has been a hitherto fairly neglected subject in the historiography on the VOC. Recent studies have demonstrated... Show moreEnglishThe position of children under the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Sri Lanka has been a hitherto fairly neglected subject in the historiography on the VOC. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of focusing on children in colonial contexts during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, especially when analysing political rationalities of colonial power and religion. While the VOC was an early modern mercantilist company, it sought to impose intellectual, moral and bodily discipline on the local population. The Company wanted to create subjects through education and the introduction of Protestant religion, explicitly targeting children. Why did an early modern mercantilist Company-state attempt to create loyal subjects? How was the Dutch Reformed Church involved in this process of subject-making in Sri Lanka, and what was the importance accorded to children? Using ordinances, visitation reports, minutes from church council meetings and school thombos (parish registers containing school data), I will show why children in eighteenth century Sri Lanka were targets of Dutch colonial subject-making.NederlandsDe positie van kinderen onder de Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) in Sri Lanka is een tot nog toe weinig verkend perspectief in de historiografie over de VOC. Recente studies over kinderen in de negentiende- en twintigste-eeuwse koloniale context hebben laten zien dat dit een belangrijk uitgangspunt is voor het bestuderen van de politieke visies achter koloniale en religieuze machtsstructuren. Hoewel ze een vroegmoderne, commerciële compagnie was, wilde ook de VOC morele, intellectuele en lichamelijke discipline opleggen aan de lokale bevolking. Door het gebruik van educatie en het invoeren van de protestantse religie wilde de Compagnie hen omvormen tot loyale onderdanen, en zij richtte zich daarbij expliciet op kinderen. Waarom probeerde een vroegmoderne, mercantilistische Compagnie-staat haar bevolking door een proces van ‘subject-making’ aan zich te binden? Hoe was de Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk betrokken in dit proces in Sri Lanka, en welke rol en welk belang werd hierin aan kinderen toebedeeld? Met behulp van visitatierapporten, minuten van de Kerkenraadvergadering en ‘school thombos’ (kerkelijke dorpsregisters die schooldata bevatten) laat ik zien waarom kinderen in het achttiende-eeuwse Sri Lanka het doelwit waren van een Nederlands, koloniaal disciplineringsbeleid. Show less
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Christianity was predominantly a white Euro-American religion with 83 percent of all Christians living in the Global North. Today, it is a global religion... Show moreAt the beginning of the twentieth century, Christianity was predominantly a white Euro-American religion with 83 percent of all Christians living in the Global North. Today, it is a global religion where over two-thirds of the world’s Christians are non-Westerners, who live in the Global South. Christianity is on the rise in Latin America, Asia and especially Africa: a trend that is predicted to continue in the second half of the twenty-first century. I will explore explanations for the appeal of Christianity, and Pentecostalism in particular, for contemporary Africans. Pentecostalism is a form of Christianity that is predominantly popular in those African countries with the fastest population growth. Alongside Catholicism, it is the most rapidly growing religion on the African continent. Show less
This article provides an ethnographic exploration of a new religious movement in Nigeria that often goes by the name ‘Chrislam’. With a particular focus on the Ogbomoso Society of Chrislam, the... Show moreThis article provides an ethnographic exploration of a new religious movement in Nigeria that often goes by the name ‘Chrislam’. With a particular focus on the Ogbomoso Society of Chrislam, the article documents the group’s origins and practices, as well as its public reception. Founded on a claimed vision from God in 2005, the group teaches that Christianity, Islam and African Indigenous Religions come from the same source and should be reunited into a single religious movement. Core to their understanding is what they call ‘a spirit of accommodation’, which provides a divine directive to exceed mere tolerance or coexistence and combine these religions under one roof. With their mission of pursuing unity and commonality while dispelling differences, the group manages to creatively embed multiple complex religious traditions into their belief structures, liturgical practices and ritual ceremonies, in what can be described as a religious bricolage. Despite the group’s intention to promote peace and unity and act as a counterpoint to violent movements such as Boko Haram, the Ogbomoso Society of Chrislam finds itself at the centre of an ongoing debate about the politics of religious bricolage and the resulting cultural limits of acceptable forms of religious entanglements. Show less
Within studies of World Christianity, an approach to identity construction and negotiation that foregrounds multiple identities has been gaining momentum in recent years. Some of this research has... Show moreWithin studies of World Christianity, an approach to identity construction and negotiation that foregrounds multiple identities has been gaining momentum in recent years. Some of this research has focused primarily on Christians with multiple religious identities. The most insightful work in this regard has combined a social-scientific approach with theological reflection, as seen in work from Catherine Cornille (2002), Peter C. Phan (2004), Peniel Jesudason Rufus Rajkumar and Joseph Prabhakar Dayam (2016), and André van der Braak and Manuela Kalsky (2017). In other research, the attention has been on how Christians construct and negotiate non-religious identities. For instance, in work on the Middle East, scholars such as Andrea Pacini (1998), Sidney H. Griffith (2008) and Kail C. Ellis (2018) vividly illustrate how Christians in the Middle East have negotiated a range of competing ethnic, national and cultural identities. Similarly, research on religion in Africa from J. D. Y. Peel (2015), Marloes Janson and Birgit Meyer (2016) and Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator (2018), among others, has advanced our understanding of the interdependence and fluidity of various cultural and social identities in multireligious settings. In line with this forward momentum, this special issue of Studies in World Christianity examines the topic of Christianity and multiple identities from diverse methodological approaches, conceptual lenses and geographic locations. Show less
Politics and law are not in essence about knowledge,good sense and learning, but about wisdom. Good legislation requires wisdom andthe wise judge is also the ideal when it comes to good... Show morePolitics and law are not in essence about knowledge,good sense and learning, but about wisdom. Good legislation requires wisdom andthe wise judge is also the ideal when it comes to good adjudication. But whatis wisdom actually and who is the sage? To answer these important questions,this article departs from the views of the Stoa (of Seneca especially) whichhas been of fundamental significance for the development of law and which stillcontinues to influence it. It shows how the philosophical views of the Stoicsincluded an objective view of law and cultivated a subjective impassibility andapathy that were associated with steadfastness or constancy. Stoic wisdom was(and still is): virtuous obedience to the objective laws of nature. In modernStoics like Spinoza and Justus Lipsius we find these same elements. But inmodern times Stoicism is wrapped in the veil of a Christian vision of life,which (as such) serves as a seductive legitimation of its principles. In thisguise Stoicism has been of enormous significance in the history ofChristianity. However, their historical relationship is based on a major misunderstanding.In fact, Stoicism is Christianity’s most extreme alternative, as Erasmusalready pointed out. For the Stoic sage a theoretical and practical wisdomapplies that is not (in any way) in accordance with the courageousfoolishness of Christianity. It is through the prism of this foolishness thatwe come to appreciate that the eternal Stoic attitude is odious when it comesto law and politics. Stoicism is a recurring crisis phenomenon: a culturalsickness, for which the wisdom of Christianity still offers a very effectivemedicine. Show less
Methodological nuptialism in the study of relationships has contributed to an academic hiatus of studies on non-marital relationships and the sustenance of negative attitudes towards such... Show moreMethodological nuptialism in the study of relationships has contributed to an academic hiatus of studies on non-marital relationships and the sustenance of negative attitudes towards such relationships. Approaches that most scholars have adopted in the study of marital relationships have hardly been problematised. Through a 14-month (in total) ethnographic fieldwork using focus group discussions (FGD), in-depth interviews, participant observations and snowballing in two wards in Molepolole this studies has demonstrated that by avoiding methodological nuptialism cohabitation can be understood better. The major finding of the study is that cohabiting unions are not homogenous. There are different types of cohabiation, namely, Go adima mosadi (wife-borrowing); Go inyadisa (non-consensual cohabiation) and Go bulela ntlu (Visiting rights). The different types of cohabitation generally denote those types that carry the consent of parents and therefore signal social, cultural and moral level of justification as compared to those that fall outside the consent of parents. Contrary to some literature, the formation of cohabiting relationships does not always exclude parents. Reasons for cohabitation vary; however, the desire to raise children together cuts across all cohabiting relationships in the study. Other reasons include low socio-economic status, negative HIV status, death of parents and love and commitment to each other. Show less
This study shows how Islamisation took place and how it was contested and negotiated in West Java. It focuses on three important religious variants: Islam, Aliran Kebatinan and Christianity and... Show moreThis study shows how Islamisation took place and how it was contested and negotiated in West Java. It focuses on three important religious variants: Islam, Aliran Kebatinan and Christianity and covers the early twentieth century to the present, with the emphasis on the period after 1965. Conflicts between these religious variants are analised. This study departs from the working hypothesis that there is always a coherent dialectics between cultural categories in society on the one hand, and negotiations between the state and these cultural categories, on the other. The dramatic political change in the aftermath of the 30 September 1965 coup attempt was crucial in the development of Islam in West Java. This change produced an unprecedented socio-cultural and political setting that increasingly shifted away from the social and cultural foundations of Soekarno’s political reign towards that of Soeharto in which religions were given a wider mandate. This shifting political context that provided the imperative for social and political adjustments weakened the Aliran Kebatinan and favoured a much more intense Islamisation than ever before. This change provided the context for the rise of Dakwahism and, as a consequence, cemented the way for the deepening Islamisation of the Sundanese from below. Show less
Rede uitgesproken bij de aanvaarding van het ambt van Bijzonder hoogleraar Religie en Seksualiteit in Afrika aan de Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen van de Universiteit van... Show moreRede uitgesproken bij de aanvaarding van het ambt van Bijzonder hoogleraar Religie en Seksualiteit in Afrika aan de Faculteit der Maatschappij- en Gedragswetenschappen van de Universiteit van Amsterdam op woensdag 24 juni 2015 Show less
This dissertation provides a comprehensive and cross-religious analysis of representations of religious conversion in early modern English drama. An urgent topic due to the religious upheavals of... Show moreThis dissertation provides a comprehensive and cross-religious analysis of representations of religious conversion in early modern English drama. An urgent topic due to the religious upheavals of the early modern period, conversion provoked questions about a variety of religious and social issues, including divine and human agency, mystical experience, the demarcation of religious identities and the nature and possibility of religious transformation. The stage, which served an important socio-cultural role in early modern England, responded to these questions in dramatizations of conversion that investigated conditions under which it could be successful. By distinguishing between spiritual and interfaith conversion, this study demonstrates that in plays perceptions of faith in spiritual terms were increasingly replaced by an understanding of belief in terms of mutually exclusive denominational identities. Moreover, despite the great interest in interfaith conversion, and despite the importance of religious change and transformation on the stage, early modern playwrights did everything in their power to suppress conversion and the idea that the same depraved Muslim, Jewish, Catholic or pagan identities they had constructed could be shed and exchanged for a righteous (Protestant) Christian one. Show less
Schuman’s Europe: His frame of reference provides an insight into the way European unification was envisioned by its founding father Robert Schuman. The thesis makes clear why Schuman can be... Show moreSchuman’s Europe: His frame of reference provides an insight into the way European unification was envisioned by its founding father Robert Schuman. The thesis makes clear why Schuman can be considered the main architect of European unification because of his thoughts, his personality, his religious background as a practicing catholic and his origins from the region of Alsace-Lorraine. A comparison with several contemporary thinkers shows the uniqueness of Schuman’s thoughts regarding European unification. It explains that Schuman considered the European spiritual and cultural heritage to be the raison d’être of European unification and that this implies effective solidarity beyond frontiers. Schuman’s aim for European unification was peace and security, which should be achieved by political unification through economic integration at the service of the citizen and be consistent with the moral order based in Christianity. Schuman’s method of integration was one of small steps, taking into account the human psyche. He therefore believed that the process of unification would take several generations. According to Schuman the national interests needed to be safeguarded as much as possible, unless they go against the common European interests. Show less
Four missions, namely the American Baptist Mission (ABM), the English Presbyterian Mission (EPM), the Basel Mission and les Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP) carried out the evangelical work among... Show moreFour missions, namely the American Baptist Mission (ABM), the English Presbyterian Mission (EPM), the Basel Mission and les Missions Etrangères de Paris (MEP) carried out the evangelical work among the Hoklo people in the mid-nineteenth century. By using the archives and tracts of these missions and adopting the perspective of contextualization and the comparative methodology, this study examines how Christianity changed the daily lives of the local Christian women and the traditional gender patterns in Chaozhou in the late Qing and Republic period. This study highlights the life experience of these Catholic and Protestant women, their active personal agency, and their ability to create autonomous economic, social, and religious spaces for themselves. It goes beyond the dichotomy of empowerment and resistance in the conventional feminist scholarship and represents a new trend of research, moving away from the mod ernist and feminist discourses of historical analysis and reclaiming proper historical perspectives of these humble women. Show less
In Ethiopia, as in other parts of Africa, relations between Christians and Muslims show a new dynamic under the impact of both state policies and global connections. Religious identities are... Show moreIn Ethiopia, as in other parts of Africa, relations between Christians and Muslims show a new dynamic under the impact of both state policies and global connections. Religious identities are becoming more dominant as people's primary public identity, and more ideological. This development has ramifications for the 'public sphere', where identities of a religious nature are currently presented and contested in a self-consciously polemical fashion. This shared space of national political and civic identity may become more 'fragmented' and thus lend itself to conflict and ideological battle. This article examines recent developments in the polemics of religion in Ethiopia, and the possible role of the state as custodian (or not) of an overarching civic order beyond religion, as well as the emerging rivalries between communities of faith. A crucial question is what social effects these polemics will have on communal relations and patterns of religious coexistence. Polemics between believers have a long history in Ethiopia, but a new and potentially problematic dynamic has emerged which may challenge mainstream believers, their intergroup social relations, and Ethiopian state policy. Polemics in Ethiopia express hegemonic strategies and claims to power, and are rapidly evolving as an ideological phenomenon expanding in public space. The secular state may need to reassert itself more emphatically so as to contain its own erosion in the face of assertive religious challenges. development has ramifications for the 'public sphere', where identities of a religious nature are currently presented and contested in a self-consciously polemical fashion. This shared space of national political and civic identity may become more 'fragmented' and thus lend itself to conflict and ideological battle. This article examines recent developments in the polemics of religion in Ethiopia, and the possible role of the state as custodian (or not) of an overarching civic order beyond religion, as well as the emerging rivalries between communities of faith. A crucial question is what social effects these polemics will have on communal relations and patterns of religious coexistence. Polemics between believers have a long history in Ethiopia, but a new and potentially problematic dynamic has emerged which may challenge mainstream believers, their intergroup social relations, and Ethiopian state policy. Polemics in Ethiopia express hegemonic strategies and claims to power, and are rapidly evolving as an ideological phenomenon expanding in public space. The secular state may need to reassert itself more emphatically so as to contain its own erosion in the face of assertive religious challenges. Show less
D. Z. Phillips is a leading figure in advocating a Wittgensteinian approach to the philosophical study of religion. His writings exert an important influence on contemporary philosophy of religion,... Show moreD. Z. Phillips is a leading figure in advocating a Wittgensteinian approach to the philosophical study of religion. His writings exert an important influence on contemporary philosophy of religion, giving a new direction to the philosophical discussion of religious belief and practice. Although his work has prompted much – often critical – comment, a thorough investigation has not been forthcoming. Grammars of Faith fills that gap. The book pays close attention to Wittgenstein's own remarks on religious belief, arranging them against the background of his broader philosophical methodology, as well as to the efforts of the early Wittgensteinians at providing a more comprehensive Wittgensteinian philosophy of religion. Central to this study are Phillips's understanding of philosophical enquiry as a form of contemplation, and his descriptive accounts of religious belief. By means of a careful and methodical examination of Phillips's oeuvre, the study seeks to present a fair assessment of Phillips's position, showing not only its weaknesses, but also its strength Show less
This bibliography on Christianity in Ethiopia covers material published from the early 1960s onwards. It focuses on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, including the Eritrean Orthodox Church, which... Show moreThis bibliography on Christianity in Ethiopia covers material published from the early 1960s onwards. It focuses on the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, including the Eritrean Orthodox Church, which became autonomous in 1993, but references on modern missionary and evangelical Christianity, as well as Catholicism are also included. The focus is on foreign-language studies, but a limited number of works in Ethiopian languages is also included. The entries are arranged in three parts: 1. Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and missionary churches: historical, political, religious and sociocultural aspects; 2. Christian texts, manuscripts, hagiographies; 3. Ethiopian Christian art and architecture. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
Scholars frequently acknowledge the force of political Islam in shaping the Muslim societies of Africa and Asia, but seldom consider the role that Christian activism has played in these societies,... Show moreScholars frequently acknowledge the force of political Islam in shaping the Muslim societies of Africa and Asia, but seldom consider the role that Christian activism has played in these societies, particularly in the context o f Western imperialism and globalization. Of central importance here is the history of Christian missionary attempts to convert Muslims in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries - a period when the British, French, and Dutch colonial powers lent their protection to European and American evangelical groups that operated within their overseas empires. Show less
