The Difference between 'True Christian Enlightenment and Obscurantism': Antipapism in the Netherlands between 1795 and 1830

Abstract

In this paper a study is reported into antipapism in The Netherlands between the years 1795 and 1830. In the year 1795 religious freedom was proclaimed in The Netherlands, which started an emancipation process among Catholics in The Netherlands. I have studied antipapist expressions that were published in the journal entitled the Vaderlandsche Letteroefeningen, a Protestant cultural journal that had a general readership. Antipapism was clearly evident in the studied period. Catholicism was seen as a superstition, was unenlightened and unreasonable. These characteristics were seen to apply to Catholics too as well as to countries where Catholicism was the predominant religion. The intensity of antipapism is related to the experienced fear of Roman Catholicism and to the increased power of Catholics. Antipapism changed in view of political and social events during 1795 and 1830. At the end of the paper I plead for a combined historical and psychological approach in studying intergroup relationships and stereotyping.

Keywords: antipapism, stereotypes, history & psychology, societal context