The Reformation of community

About this book

This book examines the relationship between municipal and ecclesiastical relief agencies in the six chief cities of Holland - Dordrecht, Haarlem, Delft, Leiden, Amsterdam, and Gouda - from the public establishment of the Reformed Church in 1572 to the aftermath of the Synod of Dort. The author argues that the conflict between charitable organizations reveals competing conceptions of Christian community that came to the fore as a result of the Dutch Reformation. He analyzes how civic and church leaders faced these tensions and how the general settlements led to a unique blend of religious pluralism and confessional identity in seventeenth-century Holland. This is the first comparative study of poor relief in Holland, which contributes to our understanding of the Reformation throughout Europe.