Religion and Politics in the Netherlands1. Brief Introduction 1. Brief Introduction to Religion and Politics in the Netherlands The Netherlands has a population of over 16.7 million and a population growth rate of .39% (July 2010 est). It has a 2009 HDI ranking of #6 and a 2009 CPI ranking of 8.9. The CIA Factbook (2006 data) lists the Netherlands as 30% Catholic, 11% Dutch Reformed, 6% Calvinist, 5.8% Muslim, 2% other, and 42% none. This country remains much more important than its population numbers in any global consideration of religion and politics. Prior to the Reformation, the region produced great Catholic reformist scholars like Erasmus. The new Protestant country came into being as a revolt against Philip II of Spain and joined the new Protestantism to the fortunes of the House of Orange. It then became a great trading nation whose ships scoured the globe all way to Indonesia. Very early in modern European history Dutch society developed “columnization” [verzuiling], thus affording all religions a safe way to participate in Dutch society as self-contained units. Finally, the Netherlands has become one of the most secularized parts of Europe. Although it was an original member of the E.U. and among its strongest proponents culturally (Europa Mein Land!) for a long time, it voted against the new Constitution in 2005. In the last ten years, the country has struggled to integrate its Muslim minority. After the Reformation, Dutch Catholics constituted a minority community that suffered some discrimination. However, like American Catholics, the Dutch Catholic Church gradually built itself up with a strong devotion to “the rich Roman life” of Catholic institutions. By 1959, however, the Dutch Primate Cardinal Bernard Alfrink advocated a much more collegial authority. He and the Belgian Cardinal Leo Suenens became the principal advocates of reform at Vatican Council II, and the Dutch Church was suddenly a global model for Catholic Reform. Coleman (below) explains such a change by four factors: 1) the mobilizational resources of columnization; 2) unified support for change from bishops; 3) the new model responded to the Dutch political and social crises of the late 1950s; and 4) “collective effervescence” accompanied the initial stages of reform. The collegial aspects of decision-making worried the Vatican the most, and Rome appointed two conservative bishops in the early 1970s, Adrien Simonis and Jan Gijsen, contrary to the traditional consultative prerogatives of the Dutch Church. Simonis became primate in 1983 as the new Pope John Paul II tried to reign in the Dutch Church. The final result was a disaster for the Dutch Catholicism as many left active participation. By the 1980s columnization had also disappeared, for example, the Catholic political party (KVP) had joined the Christian Democratic center. During the last decade, the major tension in Dutch society has resulted from the very different value sets among Dutch society in general and among immigrant Muslims. In May 2002 Dutch voters reacted to the assassination of right-wing anti-immigrant populist Pim Fortuyn by an environmental activist by giving his party and the Christian Democrats control of the parliament. Fortuyn’s inexperienced followers self-destructed, however, and the government fell in October. The events did strongly affect the style of discourse in what has long been Europe’s most tolerant society. MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh made a movie condemning sexual abuse that employed Qur’anic verses written on a model’s bare skin. A Muslim militant assassinated Van Gogh, which resulted in counter burnings of Muslim schools and Protestant churches. The Amsterdam Council of Churches then pledged solidarity with the country’s nine hundred thousand Muslims, only about 20% of which are practicing. The Buruma book below offers a fine cultural interpretation of the societal and political dynamics of the incident. The last parliamentary election, November 2006, did not result in a new government, Balkenende's Fourth, until February. It was formed by the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the Labour Party (PvdA), and the Christian Union (CU). The left-wing Socialist Party (SP) increased its representation to 25 of the 150 seats. Hanson (2006) discusses “Religion in Contemporary Europe and the Expansion of the European Union” (pp. 138-45); “National Europe: Politics, Immigration, and Education” (pp. 145-50); and “Religion and Politics in the Contemporary West” (pp. 155-163) 2. A Short Introductory Course to Religion and Politics in the Netherlands Coleman presents the classic explanation for the postwar changes in Dutch Catholicism. Hanson discusses the role of Dutch religion and politics, especially the peace movement Pax Christi, in the debate over the Euromissiles, 1980-83. Buruma describes the case of Theo van Gogh in the contemporary Dutch cultural context. Coleman, John A. The Evolution of Dutch Catholicism, 1958-1974 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978). Hanson, Eric O. The Catholic Church in World Politics (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987). Buruma, Ian. Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance. New York: Penguin, 2006. 3. Other Key Resource Materials for Religion and Politics in the Netherlands Byatt, A.S. “What is a European?” New York Times Magazine (October 13, 2002):46-51. Coughlan, John, “God and Caesar in the New Europe,” America 189 (August 4-11, 2003): 20-23. Davie, Grace. Religion in Modern Europe: A Memory Mutates (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000). Dawson, Christopher. The Making of Europe (Cleveland: Meridian, 1956). Emerson, Michael. Redrawing the Map of Europe (London: Macmillian Press, 1998). Garton Ash, Timothy. Free World: America, Europe, and the Surprising Future of the West (New York: Random House, 2004). Greeley, Andrew M. Religion in Europe at the End of the Second Millennium: A Sociological Profile (New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 2003). Judt, Tony. Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 (New York: Penguin, 2005). Kagan, Robert. Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003). Kselman, Thomas, and Buttigieg, Joseph A. European Christian Democracy: Historical Legacies and Comparative Perspectives (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 2003). Maréchal, Brigitee, Allievi, Stefano, Dassetto, Felice, and Nielsen, Jørgen, ed. Muslims in the Enlarged Europe (Leiden: Koninklijke Brill, 2003). Nelsen, Brent F., Guth, James L., and Fraser, Cleveland R., “Does Religion Matter? Christianity and Public Support for the European Union,” European Union Politics 2 (2001): 210. 4. Recent News Articles on the Netherlands “Dutch Voters Solidly Reject New European Constitution,” New York Times, June 2, 2005. “Dutch Struggle to Prevent Terror and Protect Rights, New York Times, December 25, 2005. “Muslim’s Loss of Dutch Citizenship Stirs Storm,” New York Times, May 18, 2006. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, member of parliament, lost her citizenship for lying when she sought citizenship. The decision was later reversed. “Cardinal J. Willebrands, 96; United Faiths,” New York Times, August 3, 2006, obit of great ecumenical cardinal of the Netherlands who worked so hard to improve Catholic-Jewish relations. Head of Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity for 20 years, and Archbishop of Utrecht, 1975-83. "Dutch Vote Likely to Nudge New Government to the Left," New York Times, November 23, 2006. Christian Democrats remain the largest party, but will have to turn to center-left Labour Party to form government. Labor and Liberals lose, Socialists gain. "A Dutch Antagonist of Islam Waits for His Premiere," New York Times, March 22, 2008. Profile of Geert Wilders, anti-Islamic leader of Party of Freedom (6% in last election), as he anticipates the release of "Fitna [civil struggle]," a film which he said he made to denounce the Qur'an. No one has seen it yet, nor have any TV stations agreed to aire it, but his prior politics has made the government very nervious. July 29, 2010. |
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