DNK: Documentatieblad voor de Nederlandse kerkgeschiedenis na 1800 - Volume 46, Issue 98, 2023

A biblical person at the center of a bestseller for young people

In 1795 the Dutch Society for Public Welfare (Maatschappij tot Nut van ‘t Algemeen) posthumously awarded a gold medal to a treatise on the Old Testament figure of Joseph, son of Jacob, submitted to the Society by the enlightened Mennonite theologian Willem van Oosterwijk Hulshoff (1771-1795), who had died as a young man. In 1796, the treatise was published as The History of Joseph, for Children. The booklet became a great success with the public and experienced many printings, the 21st being in 1870. This article explains the form and content of The History of Joseph with attention to its commercial success. It is argued that a ‘neutral’ theological profile contributed to its distribution to readers from many denominational backgrounds. Consequently, the work was deemed suitable for use in public elementary schools.

Catholic Association for Spiritual Renovation

Restauration of the Relations between Dutch and German Roman Catholics after World War II

The Catholic Association for Spiritual Renewal (Katholiek Genootschap voor Geestelijke Vernieuwing) was founded in 1946 to halt the ‘degeneration’ of the ethical and religious consciousness of the German people, especially German Catholics, caused by Nazism and World War II.¹ In the first years after the war, dozens of intellectuals and managers of Catholic organizations travelled throughout Germany to renew religious and cultural life through personal meetings, conferences, lectures and courses. During the 1950s, attention shifted to the education of Dutch Catholics, mostly managers of Catholic organizations, with a view to their international contacts. This manifested itself in the name change to Catholic Association for International Relations (Katholiek Genootschap voor Internationale Betrekkingen (KAGIB)). After 1965, KAGIB’s activities declined rapidly; affiliation with the National Center of Catholic Action (Landelijk Centrum voor Katholieke Actie (LCKA)) was a failure, as this center was liquidated in 1965. The KAGIB had to curtail its activities and was finally liquidated in 1977.