13-01-'05 | A. Le Coq

The meaning of liberal hymns

In the period 1870-1973 the Nederlandse Protestantenbond (NPB) compiled three hymn volumes: in 1882, 1920 en 1944. PhD student Le Coq studied their theological and hymnological meaning.

The first volume was compiled against the backdrop of nineteenth-century modern theology and mainly contained texts from existing volumes, nearly all edited in a modern-theological style. The early twentieth century saw the rise of a modern right-wing movement that criticized the optimist activism and lack of sense of sin in the first volume. This led to the publication of a Vervolgbundel (1920), in which texts by Jacq. van der Waals and melodies by Jul. Röntgen were prominent.

The third NPB volume (1944) was a coproduction of nearly all liberal-Protestant organizations. This volume, which had a more ecclesiastical character than its predecessors, was inspired by the poet J.J. Thomson. The pursuit of an own liberal-Protestant hymn volume ended through participation in the ecumenical Liedboek voor de Kerken (1973). The NPB volumes have been of great importance in the development of religious community life in liberal Protestantism.

Adri le Coq (Hilversum, 1929) studied theology at Utrecht University. He spent 18 years working as a Dutch Reformed minister and subsequently as a lecturer at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle. He conducted his PhD research at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the University of Groningen.

Date and time

Thursday 13 January 2005, 1.15 p.m.

PhD student

A. Le Coq

PhD thesis

(commercial edition: Uitgeverij Kok, Kampen, ISBN 90-435-1071-8, sales price EUR 34.90)

Het vrijzinnige kerklied in Nederland 1870-1973 [Liberal hymns in the Netherlands 1870-1973]

Supervisor

Prof. E.H. Cossee