David J Bos | University of Amsterdam (original) (raw)

Books by David J Bos

Bij ons in de Biblebelt: Nalezing op de tentoonstelling in Museum Catharijneconvent, 2020

The Netherlands, too, has a Bible Belt, which is the habitat of a specific, sizeable, well-organi... more The Netherlands, too, has a Bible Belt, which is the habitat of a specific, sizeable, well-organized category of conservative Protestants, colloquially called Refo’s. Unlike Pentecostals and Neo-Calvinists, these Pietist, Puritan Calvinists (a.k.a. "experiential Reformed") tend to shun secular society and culture. Unsurprisingly, then, they were slow to recognize homosexuals within their own communities. When they finally did, the “character” of the “ex-gay”—brought on stage by Pentecostals in the 1960s—had already lost much of its initial appeal. Instead of faith healing or conversion therapy, most Refo's advocated sexual abstinence while recognizing homosexual orientation. Nevertheless, some militant Refo's undersigned the Dutch translation of the Nashville Statement which condemns 'adopting a homosexual or transgender self-conception'. It is argued that this embrace of an American, evangelical, Arminian confessional statement -- that does not explicitly condemn divorce or remarriage -- is indicative of a breach with tradition among Dutch Refo's.

Genot en gebod: Huwelijk en seksualiteit in protestants Nederland na 1800, 2019

A history of the religious-sexual character of "the ex-gay" in the Netherlands. In around 1960, C... more A history of the religious-sexual character of "the ex-gay" in the Netherlands. In around 1960, Catholic and mainline Protestant opinion leaders (notably clergy, psychiatrists and psychologists) began to advocate acceptance of homosexuality. Meanwhile, Pentecostal or "Full Gospel" preachers pleaded for a very different form of "liberation," based on the idea that homosexuality was a form of possession. The 1969 autobiography of "a cured homosexual" (Johan van de Sluis) became an evangelical classic, but not all "Bible-believing" Protestants bought this narrative. Many Neo-Calvinists, for example, regarded homosexual "practice" (i.e. sex) as a sin, but not homosexual orientation. In the 1970s, Pentecostal "demonology" merged with the psychological-psychoanalytic theory of Gerard J. M. van den Aardweg that homosexuality is "a disease of infantile self pity." In the early 1980s, when "equal treatment" legislation was on the agenda, conservative Protestants and Catholics joined forces, and a self-organization of "ex-gays" was established. Interestingly, however, it defined "ex-gay" primarily in terms of a change of lifestyle or self-definition -- not of sexual orientation. Van de Sluis's ministry, EHAH ("Evangelical Help For Homophiles", est. 1975), ws instrumental in founding Exodus Europe. In 1985, another ex-gay ministry was founded, which offered residential treatment à la Frank Worthen's "Love In Action." It grew into Euope's largest, but closed its doors in 1990, when director Raph(ael) Creemers admitted that he was still gay. Since then, support for "conversion therapy" has steadily decreased in the Netherlands, also among conservative Christians. Nevertheless, a legal ban -- at least for minors -- has recently been proposed.

In beschaafde conversatie, zo stelt een oude regel, moeten drie onderwerpen worden vermeden: gods... more In beschaafde conversatie, zo stelt een oude regel, moeten drie onderwerpen worden vermeden: godsdienst, seksualiteit en politiek. Gesprekken daarover zouden namelijk al gauw pijnlijk of ronduit onaangenaam worden. In heden daagse publieke debatten gaat het echter opmerkelijk vaak over juist deze drie -en over de manier waarop ze zich tot elkaar zouden (moeten) verhouden.

Minister of the Word, shepherd and teacher—the titles of Dutch pastors exude authority and presti... more Minister of the Word, shepherd and teacher—the titles of Dutch pastors exude authority and prestige. In the course of the nineteenth century, however, their social position was slowly undermined by the separation of church and state, the emancipation of Catholics and dissenters, and the rise of all sorts of secular “shepherds” and “teachers.” This work of historical sociology analyzes the development of the profession of pastor in the Netherlands Reformed Church, focusing on pastors’ changing relationships with the state, the universities, other professions, and their own congregants. It paints a surprising, lively, and often humorous picture of nineteenth-century ecclesiastical and religious life, and of the many areas of Dutch society and culture where pastors made their mark—in particular, the literary world

"The Netherlands is generally regarded as a gay-friendly country. It was the first country in the... more "The Netherlands is generally regarded as a gay-friendly country. It was the first country in the world where partners of the same sex were allowed to marry. Any number of famous Dutch figures openly profess their homosexuality, including one of the ministers in the present Dutch cabinet. And according to international comparative research, homosexuality is widely accepted in Dutch public opinion. However, hostility towards homosexuality also occurs, for example in schools. And gays and lesbians are not infrequently insulted or even physically assaulted in the streets.
At the request of the Dutch government a study was carried out into the acceptance of homosexuality in the Netherlands. The study describes the present attitudes of the Dutch population as well as trends in the past, and gives a brief history of homosexuality in the Netherlands. It is based on opinion research, interviews with gays and lesbians and an analysis of Internet forums containing discussions on homosexuality."

Een halve eeuw geleden werd homoseksualiteit nog door vrijwel alle Nederlanders verafschuwd. Vand... more Een halve eeuw geleden werd homoseksualiteit nog door vrijwel alle Nederlanders verafschuwd. Vandaag de dag is acceptatie de norm - maar sommige bevolkingsgroepen houden vast aan morele of culturele bezwaren. Is de homo-emancipatie aan hen voorbijgegaan?

Deze publicatie geeft een overzicht van veranderingen in de manier van omgaan met homoseksualiteit onder (behoudende) protestanten van diverse pluimage. De auteur (theoloog en historisch socioloog) beschrijft hoe protestantse opinieleiders vanaf 1959 belangrijke bijdragen leverden aan de inburgering van 'de homofiele medemens'. Maar ook laat hij zien hoe het aanvaarden of juist afwijzen van homoseksualiteit is geworden tot een religieuze identity marker tussen én binnen geloofsgemeenschappen. Over weinig andere onderwerpen botsen protestanten zo vaak - en zo hard.

Een beknopte versie van deze publicatie is opgenomen in het SCP-rapport Steeds gewoner, nooit gewoon. Acceptatie van homoseksualiteit in Nederland.

"Minister of the Word, shepherd and teacher—the titles of Dutch pastors exude authority and prest... more "Minister of the Word, shepherd and teacher—the titles of Dutch pastors exude authority and prestige. In the course of the nineteenth century, however, their social position was slowly undermined by the separation of church and state, the emancipation of Catholics and dissenters, and the rise of all sorts of secular “shepherds” and “teachers.” This work of historical sociology analyzes the development of the profession of pastor in the Netherlands Reformed Church, focusing on pastors’ changing relationships with the state, the universities, other professions, and their own congregants. It paints a surprising, lively, and often humorous picture of nineteenth-century ecclesiastical and religious life, and of the many areas of Dutch society and culture where pastors made their mark—in particular, the literary world.
CHECK THE 2010 ENGLISH TRANSLATION: http://www.brill.com/servants-kingdom"

Papers by David J Bos

Amsterdam University Press eBooks, Nov 18, 2014

An overview of the religious history of the country now known as The Netherlands, from prehistory... more An overview of the religious history of the country now known as The Netherlands, from prehistory until the present day.

Denkbeeld, 2007

Houding tegenover homoseksualiteit: een begripsbepaling Saskia Keuzenkamp, Lisette Kuyper, Anna A... more Houding tegenover homoseksualiteit: een begripsbepaling Saskia Keuzenkamp, Lisette Kuyper, Anna Adolfsen en Floor Bakker 2.1 Geen nicht in het licht 2.2 Waarover gaat het? 2.3 Benaderingswijze in dit rapport 3 Opinieonderzoek onder de bevolking Anna Adolfsen en Saskia Keuzenkamp, m.m.v. Lisette Kuyper 3.1 Een positieve of een negatieve houding? 3.2 De bronnen 3.3 Acceptatie van homoseksualiteit in internationaal perspectief 3.4 De huidige situatie in Nederland nader bezien 3.4.1 Algemene aanvaarding 3.4.2 Gelijke rechten en antidiscriminatie 3.4.3 Reactie op homoseksualiteit in de naaste omgeving 3.4.4 Houding tegenover homoseksualiteit in de openbaarheid 3.5 Toenemende of afnemende tolerantie? 3.5.1 Algemene acceptatie 3.5.2 Gelijke rechten en antidiscriminatie 3.6 Verschillen binnen Nederland tussen groepen 3.6.1 Welke groepen hebben een negatieve houding ten opzichte van homoseksualiteit? 3.6.2 De houding van jongeren ten aanzien van homoseksualiteit 3.6.3 Verschillen tussen etnische groepen 3.7 Conclusie Noten Inhoud Ongezouten meningen op internet Ramon van Geytenbeek, Edwin van der Hulst, David Bos en Gert Hekma 4.1 Een inhoudsanalyse 4.1.1 Wat wordt gezegd? 4.1.2 Onderzoeksmethode 4.1.3 Overzicht van de gevonden fora en thema's 4.2 Turkse en Marokkaanse websites 4.2.1 Toelaatbaarheid en aanvaardbaarheid 4.2.2 Aard en oorzaak 4.2.3 De kenmerken van homoseksualiteit 4.2.4 Homoseksualiteit in de omgeving 4.3 Protestants-christelijke fora 4.3.1 Toelaatbaarheid en aanvaardbaarheid 4.3.2 Aard en oorzaak 4.3.3 Kenmerken van homoseksualiteit 4.3.4 Homoseksualiteit in de omgeving 4.4 Extreem-rechtse sites 4.4.1 Toelaatbaarheid, aard en oorzaak 4.4.2 Kenmerken van homoseksuelen 4.4.3 Homoseksualiteit in de omgeving 4.5 Hobby-en vrijetijdsfora 4.5.1 Toelaatbaarheid, aard en oorzaak 4.5.2 De kenmerken van homoseksualiteit 4.5.3 Homoseksualiteit in de omgeving 4.6 De rol van moderators 4.7 Conclusies Noten

Discovering the Dutch, 2014

Religie & Samenleving

Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of Dutch newspapers, radio and television programs... more Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of Dutch newspapers, radio and television programs, this article offers a long-term genealogy of the present-day discourse on Islam and homosexuality in the Netherlands. It argues that this discourse dates from well before 2001 and even before 1989, without being a mere continuation of 19th century Orientalism. A major turning point were the 1970s, when ‘foreign workers’ and ‘homophiles’ were regarded as companions in societal misfortune. From the mid-1980s onwards, however, ‘Muslims and gays’ appeared to be odd bed-fellows. Notwithstanding the political functions and effects of the present-day discourse, ascribing its emergence solely to (nationalist, populist or neoliberal) politicians and ‘the media’ ignores the agency of others, such as Muslim institutions and organizations – including the ‘minority-within-the-minority’ self-organizations that sprung up in the 1990s.

Religie & Samenleving

Religie & Samenleving, Sep 1, 2016

Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of Dutch newspapers, radio and television programs... more Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of Dutch newspapers, radio and television programs, this article offers a long-term genealogy of the present-day discourse on Islam and homosexuality in the Netherlands. It argues that this discourse dates from well before 2001 and even before 1989, without being a mere continuation of 19 th century Orientalism. A major turning point were the 1970s, when 'foreign workers' and 'homophiles' were regarded as companions in societal misfortune. From the mid-1980s onwards, however, 'Muslims and gays' appeared to be odd bed-fellows. Notwithstanding the political functions and effects of the present-day discourse, ascribing its emergence solely to (nationalist, populist or neoliberal) politicians and 'the media' ignores the agency of others, such as Muslim institutions and organizations – including the 'minority-within-the-minority' self-organizations that sprung up in the 1990s.

Maandblad Geestelijke volksgezondheid, 2005

Bos, D.J. ‘Strangers amongst us. Migrants and ethnic minorities in MGv, 1946-1991’ This article ... more Bos, D.J. ‘Strangers amongst us. Migrants and ethnic minorities in MGv, 1946-1991’
This article reviews and analyses the writings in MGv about Jewish orphans, colonial
returnees from Indonesia,refugees, labour migrants and their descendants. Very little
attention was paid to such groups before the 1980s. The author attributes this to (a)
the postwartaboo on making ‘racial’ distinctions, (b) an unwillingness to acknowledge
that the Netherlands had become an immigration country, and (c) the dominance of
sociologists and anthropologists in this field. As a consequence of the latter factor,
mental health professionals in the 1970s and early 1980s tended to view the
psychological problems of ethnic minorities as part of a structural, social problem they
could do little to change. Only after they freed themselves of that idea did they start
understanding how they could help migrants and minorities. The number of relevant
MGv contributions has risen sharply ever since.

‘Herder en leraar’, ‘dienaar des Woords’, ‘dominee’: de Nederlandse predikant draagt klinkende na... more ‘Herder en leraar’, ‘dienaar des Woords’, ‘dominee’: de Nederlandse predikant draagt klinkende namen. Eeuwenlang was zijn sociale positie dienovereenkomstig. Niet alleen ten tijde van de Republiek, maar ook in het negentiende-eeuwse Koninkrijk der Nederlanden had de predikantenstand een stem van belang. Sinds de scheiding van kerk en staat speelde de dominee zelfs een prominentere rol in de Nederlandse cultuur dan lang tevoren. Maar hoe kon hij zich handhaven in een snel veranderende samenleving? In dienst van het Koninkrijk zoekt het antwoord op die vraag niet alleen in de kerk, de pastorie of de School met den bijbel maar ook daarbuiten: bij Binnenlandse Zaken, in studentencorpora, in het Nut, De Gids, en de HBS. Net zo goed als over de Afscheiding, de Aprilbeweging en de Doleantie gaat het hier over natievorming,, Romantiek en liberalisme. Talloze bekende negentiende-eeuwers komen aan het woord: anti-revolutionairen als Bilderdijk, Groen van Prinsterer en Abraham Kuyper, dominee-dichters als Beets en Ten Kate, ‘moderne theologie’ als Busken Huet, De Genestet en de onsterfelijke Piet Paaltjens. Op basis van origineel, diepgravend onderzoek maar in vlot leesbare taal wordt hier verhaald hoe predikanten zich verhielden tot de spraakmakende gemeente en tot het volk van Nederland. In dienst van het Koninkrijk schetst zo een buitengewoon levendig en verrassend beeld van een onalledaagse beroepsgroep. Dankzij een uitgebreide verklarende woordenlijst is het verhaal ook goed te volgen voor wie niet opgroeide in domineesland.

Bij ons in de Biblebelt: Nalezing op de tentoonstelling in Museum Catharijneconvent, 2020

Genot en gebod: Huwelijk en seksualiteit in protestants Nederland na 1800, 2019

Een beknopte versie van deze publicatie is opgenomen in het SCP-rapport Steeds gewoner, nooit gewoon. Acceptatie van homoseksualiteit in Nederland.

Amsterdam University Press eBooks, Nov 18, 2014

Denkbeeld, 2007

Discovering the Dutch, 2014

Religie & Samenleving

Religie & Samenleving, Sep 1, 2016

Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of Dutch newspapers, radio and television programs... more Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of Dutch newspapers, radio and television programs, this article offers a long-term genealogy of the present-day discourse on Islam and homosexuality in the Netherlands. It argues that this discourse dates from well before 2001 and even before 1989, without being a mere continuation of 19 th century Orientalism. A major turning point were the 1970s, when 'foreign workers' and 'homophiles' were regarded as companions in societal misfortune. From the mid-1980s onwards, however, 'Muslims and gays' appeared to be odd bed-fellows. Notwithstanding the political functions and effects of the present-day discourse, ascribing its emergence solely to (nationalist, populist or neoliberal) politicians and 'the media' ignores the agency of others, such as Muslim institutions and organizations – including the 'minority-within-the-minority' self-organizations that sprung up in the 1990s.

Maandblad Geestelijke volksgezondheid, 2005

Public Discourses About Homosexuality and Religion in Europe and Beyond, 2020

This chapter offers an overview of changes in Dutch perceptions of, and attitudes toward, same-se... more This chapter offers an overview of changes in Dutch perceptions of, and attitudes toward, same-sex sexuality and the part religion played in them. It discusses landmark events and publications from 1730—when “sodomy” became a public issue—until the present. It describes the evolution of discourse on same-sex sexuality, with special reference to the earliest publications on “homosexuality,” alias “Uranism,” which often referred to religion. In the twentieth century, Roman Catholic and Protestant opposition to homosexual emancipation gradually gave way to sympathy, and in the 1960s some pastors were vocal advocates of acceptance. In the early 1970s, homosexuality became a doctrinal issue, a religious identity marker. Polarization was exacerbated in the late 1970s, which saw the rise of both the gay and lesbian movement and religious fundamentalism. “Discursive associations” between religion—including Judaism and Islam—and homosexuality are brought to light partly by means of quantitat...

Religion and Theology

Drawing on Marcel Mauss, this article contends that historians and sociologists should not focus ... more Drawing on Marcel Mauss, this article contends that historians and sociologists should not focus on what prayer brings about, but on how it is brought about or “produced.” Specifically, it aims at bringing to light normative conceptions of prayer, through content analysis of Protestant children’s books, written by the Netherlands’ most important twentieth-century author of juvenile literature, W.G. van de Hulst. A recurrent theme in his earlier works is a “breach” in the prayer life of the (male) protagonists – their “conversion” from conventional, “ritual” prayer to individualised, improvised, “sincere” prayer. In his later works, by contrast, Van de Hulst suggested that “real prayer” can be learned gradually, in an intimate relationship between children – notably girls – and their mothers. The gender- and age-specific nature of these models for prayer is shown by mapping out differences between prayer scenes, e.g. with respect to social setting, body postures, and forms of address.

Religion and Theology, 2016

Introduction to a double thematic issue, the second part of which will appear in print in 2017. T... more Introduction to a double thematic issue, the second part of which will appear in print in 2017. The authors argue that a truly historical understanding of spirituality is complicated by the historical claims of present-day proponents of spirituality, as well by the commonplace that “spirituality” is distinct from, or an alternative to “institutional religion.” This conceptual opposition itself merits scholarly analysis, as do appropriations of the past – both being indicative of the self-understanding of those involved.