Michael Brooks
The Netherlands has a long and complex religious history. Catholicism dominated Dutch religion until the early 16th century when the Protestant Reformation began to take root. The Dutch Reformed Church was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. The 16th and 17th centuries were characterized by the Reformation, which greatly influenced the history of the Netherlands, particularly in its western and northern regions. By the early 20th century, the Netherlands was a predominantly Protestant country, but since then, there has been a significant decline in Protestantism, with Catholicism becoming the foremost form of Christianity. In 1722, the Dutch Republic was in the midst of the Further Reformation, and while Calvinism was the dominant faith, many Catholics remained, practicing their faith clandestinely.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 1722 |
| Religion in the Netherlands in 1722 | Catholicism and Calvinism |
| Catholic treatment | Catholics were "reduced to the rank of second-class citizens" and barred from civil service positions |
| Dutch Catholics | Marginalised and poor |
| Dutch Protestants | Dominant religion in the northern areas of the independent Netherlands |
| Catholic areas | Southern areas of the Netherlands |
| Dutch Republic | Ruled by Catholic Spanish Habsburg royalty |
| Dutch Revolt | The Dutch revolted against Catholicism and Spanish control in 1566 |
| Dutch Republic ruling class | Comprised of an aristocracy of city merchants |
| Dutch Republic main religion | Calvinism |
| Catholic religion | Prohibited in 1581 |
| Catholic population | Many remained faithful and practised their faith clandestinely |
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What You'll Learn
- Catholicism was the main religion in the Netherlands until the 16th century
- The Dutch Revolt: the Netherlands' fight for independence from Spain and Catholicism
- The Dutch Reformed Church: the largest Christian denomination until the 20th century
- Anti-Catholic legislation in the 17th century
- Catholics as second-class citizens
Catholicism was the main religion in the Netherlands until the 16th century
Catholicism was the main religion in the Netherlands until the early 16th century. During the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon missionaries like Boniface worked to Christianize the land inhabited by the Frisians. By the 9th century, the Saxon-controlled northeastern regions were subjugated and Christianized by Lebuinus, Plechelmus, and Ludgerus.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the first calls for religious reform within the Catholic Church were heard. Geert Groote established the Brethren of the Common Life, an influential mystical order. The influence of humanism, through the teachings of Erasmus and Dirck Coornhert, shifted the Dutch worldview from theocentric to anthropocentric.
In the early 16th century, the Protestant Reformation began to develop in the Netherlands. Lutheranism did not gain widespread support, but Calvinism, introduced two decades later, did. It began to spread in the Westhoek and the County of Flanders, where secret sermons in Dutch, called hagenpreken ("hedgerow orations"), were held outdoors.
Gradually, discontent among the Dutch grew, and in 1566, the Beeldenstorm erupted, a surge of iconoclasm that quickly spread to all Dutch regions. This resulted in the Dutch revolt from Catholicism and Spanish control. During the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation, an independent Dutch religious tradition emerged in the northern parts of the independent Netherlands.
In the 17th century, the Dutch Republic was dominated by Calvinism, and the practice of Catholicism was prohibited. Catholics in the southern provinces were not allowed to practice their religion openly and had to worship clandestinely in private churches. Dutch Catholics were marginalized and became one of the poorest groups in Dutch society, facing discrimination from the Protestant majority.
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The Dutch Revolt: the Netherlands' fight for independence from Spain and Catholicism
In the early 16th century, Catholicism dominated Dutch religion. However, this began to change with the onset of the Protestant Reformation. Lutheranism did not gain much traction among the Dutch, but Calvinism, introduced two decades later, did. It began to spread in the Westhoek and the County of Flanders, where secret sermons in Dutch, called hagenpreken ("hedgerow orations"), were held outdoors.
Gradually, discontent among the Dutch grew, and in 1566, it erupted with the so-called Beeldenstorm, a surge of iconoclasm. This quickly spread among all Dutch regions and resulted in what became known as the Dutch Revolt or Eighty Years' War, a prolonged conflict between the Dutch and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Protestant Reformation, centralisation, excessive taxation, and the violation of the rights and privileges of the nobility and autonomous cities.
The Dutch Revolt was driven by economic, political, and religious concerns. While the majority of the population and most of the rebellion's leaders were faithful Catholics, they sought an end to the oppressions of the Spanish army, relief from burdensome taxation, and a more tolerant approach to "heretics". The Spanish crown, however, took a hard line, and the conflict escalated. The most famous period of the revolt was during its early years, when the notorious Duke of Alva, the "iron-fisted" governor of the region, sought to crush any rebellion, and William the Silent, Prince of Orange, emerged as a national hero. William, a convert to Calvinism, started the Eighty Years' War to liberate the Calvinist Dutch from the Catholic Spaniards.
The war consisted of several phases, with the Dutch achieving significant victories under leaders like Prince Frederick Henry of Orange. The Franco-Dutch alliance of 1635 led to the French conquest of the Walloon provinces and a sustained push into Flanders. Finally, in 1648, the Peace of Münster, a treaty that was part of the Peace of Westphalia, was reached. Spain recognised Dutch independence, retaining the Southern Netherlands, while the Northern Netherlands gained independence and became the Dutch Republic.
In the aftermath of the revolt, Catholicism continued to play a role in Dutch society. While Calvinism became the dominant faith, many Catholics remained, practicing their faith clandestinely. Private churches were not unusual in the Northern Netherlands in the 17th century, and they often celebrated mass in living rooms, places of work, and warehouses. Over time, the Netherlands transitioned from a predominantly Protestant country to one where Catholicism became the largest religious group after the First World War. However, in recent decades, the number of Catholics in the Netherlands has decreased, with church attendance declining as well.
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The Dutch Reformed Church: the largest Christian denomination until the 20th century
In the early 16th century, the Dutch, like most Europeans, were predominantly Catholic. However, with the onset of the Protestant Reformation, the religious landscape began to shift. The Dutch embraced Protestantism, and by the 17th century, the Dutch Reformed Church had become the dominant religious institution in the region.
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Calvinist denomination that emphasized the sovereignty of God and the authority of the Bible. It espoused a doctrine of predestination, believing that God had predetermined who would be saved and who would be damned. This strict and austere brand of Protestantism stood in contrast to the more ornate and ritualistic practices of Catholicism.
By the early 18th century, the Dutch Reformed Church had firmly established itself as the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands. While it is difficult to ascertain exact numbers, it is estimated that by 1722, a significant majority of the Dutch population adhered to this faith. This dominance was due in part to the Church's close ties with the state. The Dutch Republic, which valued religious freedom, nonetheless established the Dutch Reformed Church as the "public" or "state" church, granting it special privileges and support.
The Dutch Reformed Church played a pivotal role in shaping Dutch society and culture. It was a central institution in local communities, and its ministers often held positions of authority and influence. The Church's teachings and values permeated everyday life, influencing everything from family structures to economic practices. The Church also played a significant role in education, with many schools and universities being established and run by the Reformed Church.
However, the dominance of the Dutch Reformed Church began to wane in the 19th century with the rise of secularism and the emergence of other Christian denominations. While it remained a significant force, the Dutch society as a whole became more religiously diverse. By the 20th century, the Dutch Reformed Church was no longer the sole dominant denomination, as other faiths, including Catholicism, had regained a foothold in the country. Nonetheless, the Dutch Reformed Church left an indelible mark on the cultural, social, and religious landscape of the Netherlands, shaping the nation's identity and values well into the modern era.
So, to answer the question directly, yes, by 1722, the Dutch had largely shifted from Catholicism to the Dutch Reformed Church, which remained the largest Christian denomination until the societal and cultural shifts of the 19th and 20th centuries introduced greater religious diversity to the country.
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Anti-Catholic legislation in the 17th century
In the early 17th century, Catholic powers such as Spain and France posed a significant political and military threat to the Dutch Republic, leading to a strong anti-Catholic sentiment among the predominantly Protestant Dutch population. This sentiment was further fuelled by the ongoing Counter-Reformation efforts of the Catholic Church, which sought to reclaim territories and populations that had turned Protestant during the Reformation.
The Dutch Republic, which had gained independence from Spain in the late 16th century, was largely Protestant, with Calvinism being the dominant denomination. However, there were also significant populations of Catholics, particularly in the southern and eastern regions of the country, as well as in certain cities, such as Utrecht and Amsterdam. Despite the official tolerance of Catholicism, anti-Catholic sentiment often spilled over into legislation, as Protestants sought to protect their newly gained religious freedom and prevent a return to Catholic dominance.
One of the most significant pieces of anti-Catholic legislation in the 17th century was the Placard of 1619, issued by the States of Holland, the governing body of the most powerful province in the Dutch Republic. The placard, also known as the "Act of Exclusion of Catholics from Public Office," banned Catholics from holding any public office or position of authority within the Dutch Republic. This included not only government positions but also roles in higher education and the military. The placard was a response to the Twelve Years' Truce between the Dutch Republic and Spain, which had ended in 1621, and the fear that Spain and other Catholic powers would attempt to regain influence and control in the region.
Similar laws were passed in other provinces of the Dutch Republic, effectively excluding Catholics from participating in public life. These laws remained in place for much of the 17th century and were only gradually relaxed towards the end of the century, as the threat of Catholic powers diminished and a more tolerant attitude began to emerge. However, it is important to note that even during this period of exclusion, Catholics were not subjected to the same levels of persecution and violence seen in other parts of Europe, such as in England or France.
In the southern Netherlands, which was under Spanish rule for much of the 17th century, Catholics fared somewhat better. Although they were officially discriminated against and excluded from public office, they were generally free to practice their religion and played an important role in the economic and cultural life of the region. The situation changed again after the Southern Netherlands came under Austrian rule in 1713, as the new rulers enacted more repressive policies towards Catholics, leading to further migration of Catholics to the Dutch Republic and other parts of Europe.
So, while the Dutch Republic in 1722 was officially tolerant of Catholicism, the prevailing attitude was one of suspicion and exclusion. Catholics were free to practice their religion but faced significant barriers to participation in public life, and their presence was often seen as a threat to the predominantly Protestant character of the nation. It would not be until the late 18th and early 19th centuries that Catholics in the Netherlands would gain full equality and religious freedom.
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Catholics as second-class citizens
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Protestant Reformation significantly influenced the history of the Netherlands, particularly in the western and northern regions of the country. Catholicism dominated Dutch religion until the early 16th century, when the Protestant Reformation began to take shape. Lutheranism did not gain much support, but Calvinism, which was introduced later, did. This led to discontent among the Dutch, which erupted in 1566 with the Beeldenstorm, a surge of iconoclasm. The Dutch revolted against Catholicism and Spanish control.
In 1581, Calvinism became the official religion of the Dutch Republic, and the overt practice of Catholicism was prohibited. Catholics were reduced to the rank of second-class citizens and were barred from all civil service positions, including administrative posts and minor roles. They faced harassment, and the papal nuncio was not allowed to enter the territory of the Netherlands between 1703 and 1727. Dutch Catholics became marginalised and impoverished, largely due to discrimination by the Protestant majority. They were confined to certain southern areas, such as BrabantStad, where they formed a large minority or majority of the population.
Catholics in the Netherlands during this time experienced limited legal rights and civil rights, which are characteristic features of second-class citizenship. They were systematically discriminated against and excluded from various professions, despite their nominal status as citizens. While they were not enslaved or considered outlaws, they faced significant socioeconomic disadvantages and mistreatment. This treatment is widely regarded as a violation of human rights.
The situation for Catholics in the Netherlands improved somewhat in the following centuries, with private churches operating clandestinely in the Northern Netherlands during the 17th century. However, Catholics still faced challenges, as evidenced by the publication of a report in 2011 detailing widespread child abuse within the Catholic Church in the country since 1945. As of 2021, the Catholic Church remains the largest religious group in the Netherlands, with 21.7% of the population identifying as Catholic, although this number has been decreasing in recent decades.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there were still Dutch Catholics in 1722, but they were a minority and faced persecution and marginalization.
By the 17th century, the Dutch Republic had become predominantly Calvinist, with Catholicism being suppressed. However, many Catholics remained faithful and practiced their religion clandestinely.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch Republic was characterized by a predominantly Calvinist ruling class, with significant Catholic minorities, especially in the southern provinces.
The Catholic Church and the Dutch government had a tense relationship in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The Dutch government barred the papal nuncio from entering the territory of the Netherlands between 1703 and 1727.
The Protestant Reformation, which began in the 16th century, led to a significant shift in Dutch religion away from Catholicism. Lutheranism did not gain much traction, but Calvinism, introduced in the 1540s, sparked a revolt against Catholic Spanish rule.
