Guillaume Groen Van PRINSTERER

Abraham Kuypert úgy méltatták 70. születésnapján 1907-ben, hogy a megelőző negyven év holland történelmét nem lehetne úgy megírni, hogy legyen szó akár az állam, a társadalom, a sajtó, az egyház és az oktatásügy kérdéseiről, ne szere-peljen minden lapon az ő neve. Ez a megnyilvánulás is jól példázza azt a kimagasló tevékenységet, amivel Kuyper-becenevén a "csodálatos Ábrahám"-mint lelkész és teológiai tanár, politikus és újságíró, egyház-és egyetemalapító, miniszterelnök és állammi-niszter hozzájárult a modern Hollandia politikai és társadalmi folyamataihoz. A Kuyper által képviselt neokálvinista szellemiség, amely Kálvin írásmagya-rázati hagyományára nem mint teológiai irányzatra, hanem mint világnézetre tekintett, rányomta a bélyegét a 20. század elejének amerikai teológiájára is, mint ahogyan ihlető erővel látta el a Sebestyén Jenő nevével fémjelzett magyar történelmi kálvinizmus irányzatát is. Tanulmányunk célja rövid betekintést adni Abraham Kuyper életébe és munkásságába, neokálvinista nézeteinek alapvonásaiba. A

The antirevolutionary statesman, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801-1876) constructively and actively engaged as public political figure during the early years of the Dutch constitutional democracy. Despite real opposition to the constitutional revision of 1848 that brought about this political system, Groen, by means of this constructive engagement, managed to play a significant historical role in the consolidation and shaping of the Dutch political system. Most of the existing literature has attributed this to a change in his political theory occurring around 1848, with the institutionalization of the constitutional democracy in the Netherlands. The general claim is that Groen accepted the new democratic system in a way that he would not have, had he maintained his pre-1848 stance regarding what constitutes legitimate political authority, a position characterized by a rejection of republicanism in favor of the res privata notion of political authority. Through an investigation of the primary sources in light of the intellectual traditions that shaped Groen's political thought, this claim is critically evaluated. The article proposes a novel perspective on Groen's notion of political authority, emphasizing its consistency even in the midst of the strategic and flexible political engagement that characterized Groen's career.

https://thenewpolis.com/2020/08/11/liberalism-revolution-and-unbelief/

We are living in the most interesting of times. The world is being ravaged by a deadly virus. Economic ruin seems to be descending on much of the world after government responses to COVID-19. Racial tensions have spilt over into what appears to be the end of a stable regime of law and order in the United States. The international political order is shifting before our very eyes. China is rattling its military sabre at India and Taiwan while the United States rapidly transforms into, at best, a declining and distracted superpower. It is undeniable that we are living through conditions that could spawn dramatic political change. Weakened state and government actors leave power vacuums, whilst hostile civic discourse leads to the collapse of shared political culture. Economic uncertainty, demographic shifts driven by migration and aging populations, and declining confidence in social, legal and political institutions, point to a deeply unstable situation across much of the Western world. Revolutionary rhetoric is being touted, and revolution is a distinct possibility ...

This paper offers a critical discussion of the theoretical and practical theology of the Dutch theologian and statesman Abraham Kuyper. We start by outlining some biographical details pertinent to an understanding of Kuyper’s thought and motivations, from which we can derive some general statements of his constraining theological convictions. This basis will allow us to explore the practical impact of Kuyper’s thinking in the political and academic realms in his homeland and beyond.

In his strategic political positioning and engagement in the nineteenth century, Groen van Prinsterer looked towards both the past and the future. Rhetorically, he appealed to the past as a vindication of the truth and practicality of his anti-revolutionary position. He also expressed optimism for the success of his convictions and political goals in the future. This optimism was reflected in the confidence with which he engaged politically, despite experiencing numerous setbacks in his career. Relying on the phenomenological-narrative approach of David Carr, I highlight the motives and strategies behind Groen's political activity, and reveal that the past and the future in Groen's narrative provide the strategic framework for his rhetoric, and the basis for his activism. I accentuate how the emphasis of his narrative shifts away from the status quo and thus enables a type of political engagement that proved historically significant for the early consolidation of the Dutch constitutional democracy.