Het Herderlijk Schrijven van de Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk in 1941

Abstract

The Pastoral Letter of the Dutch Reformed Church of 1941 The defeat of the Dutch army in 1940 was followed by five years of German occupation. As Dutch churches were not directly under control of the state, they retained the freedom to present their critical views to the occupier. This article analyses an early public request by the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) to withdraw antisemitic policies, followed by a public declaration of its position under German occupation in the Summer of 1941. The DRC was well aware of the successes and failures of the German church struggle. Given this background, the General Synod developed a careful but critical attitude towards the German authorities.