Faith on the margins : Catholics and Catholicism in the Dutch Golden Age / Charles H. Parker.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Parker, Charles H., 1958- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christianity.

Netherlands--History.

Netherlands.

Catholic Church.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (346 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts : Harvard University Press, [2022]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

In the wake of the 1572 revolt against Spain, the new Dutch Republic outlawed Catholic worship and secularized all church property. Calvinism prevailed as the public faith, yet Catholicism experienced a resurgence in the first half of the seventeenth century, with membership rivaling that of the Calvinist church. In a wide-ranging analysis of a marginalized yet vibrant religious minority, Charles Parker examines this remarkable revival. It had little to do with the traditional Dutch reputation for tolerance. A keen sense of persecution, combined with a vigorous program of reform, shaped a movement that imparted meaning to Catholics in a Protestant republic. A pastoral organization known as the Holland Mission emerged to establish a vigorous Catholic presence. A chronic shortage of priests enabled laymen and women to exercise an exceptional degree of leadership in local congregations. Increased interaction between clergy and laity reveals a picture that differs sharply from the standard account of the Counter-Reformation's clerical dominance and imposition of church reform on a reluctant populace. There were few places in early modern Europe where a proscribed religious minority was so successful in remaining a permanent fixture of society. Faith on the Margins casts light on the relationship between religious minorities and hostile environments.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Acknowledgments

Contents

Preface

Map

Introduction

1 Caught between Reformations:

2 Training the Laborers:

3 Laboring in the Vineyard:

4 Restoring a Catholic Presence:

5 Paying the Priest, Feeding the Poor:

Conclusion

Appendix:

Abbreviations

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-674-03371-X