Faith, Corporate Privilege, and Democratisation: The Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

This study examines the evolving relationship between the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands and the state in the nineteenth century, spanning the period leading up to and following the restoration of the Roman Catholic episcopal hierarchy, as mandated by the papal bull Ex qua die arcano in March of 1853. The purpose of this analysis is to better understand the changing dynamics of religious toleration in Dutch society, in particular, how the Old Catholic movement, as a religious minority, adapted its religious identity from the confessionally-oriented norms of the Republican period to the nominally secular political climates of the mid-nineteenth century. Of prime importance here are the political implications behind theological belief systems, and how minority beliefs can affect the goal of establishing and maintaining toleration in democratic societies. This approach, which focuses primarily on the period 1825-1870, supports the primary argument of this thesis: that processes...Show moreThis study examines the evolving relationship between the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands and the state in the nineteenth century, spanning the period leading up to and following the restoration of the Roman Catholic episcopal hierarchy, as mandated by the papal bull Ex qua die arcano in March of 1853. The purpose of this analysis is to better understand the changing dynamics of religious toleration in Dutch society, in particular, how the Old Catholic movement, as a religious minority, adapted its religious identity from the confessionally-oriented norms of the Republican period to the nominally secular political climates of the mid-nineteenth century. Of prime importance here are the political implications behind theological belief systems, and how minority beliefs can affect the goal of establishing and maintaining toleration in democratic societies. This approach, which focuses primarily on the period 1825-1870, supports the primary argument of this thesis: that processes of secularisation can become undemocratic and intolerant when differing historical views on toleration and legitimacy emerge between church and state. In particular, if a religious minority’s continued existence can be attributed to specific, time-bound political objectives, societal privileges, and cultural norms, the capacity to respond effectively to newer, constitutionally established modes of religious coexistence is significantly hindered. This argument will be explored in the context of the dialogue between the papacy, the Dutch state, and the Old Catholic communities, comparing the respective political climates of the Republican period and the first half of the nineteenth century. From a historiographical point of view, this approach attempts to steer away from the more polemical, confessional histories that emerge primarily from both Old and Roman Catholic historiographical traditions and indicate the influence of conflicting visions of church and state within an emerging secular state.Show less

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Faith, Corporate Privilege, and Democratisation: The Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries