Between isolation and engagement : the history of the Dutch Calvinist school movement in the Netherlands, the United States, and Canada.

Date

2010-05

Authors

Sikkema, David A., 1984-

Access rights

Worldwide access

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Abstract

Over 200,000 Dutch immigrants have settled in Canada since the end of World War II. The Dutch Calvinists within this larger body have largely maintained their distinct religious and ethnic identities through the establishment and maintenance of separate civic institutions. The purpose of this thesis is to trace the historic development of one institution in particular, the separate school. The underlying motivations behind the creation of separate schools in Canada are rooted in a century long struggle in the Netherlands known in Dutch parlance as the schoolstrijd where the Dutch fought to set up their own educational institutions and won financial equality with their secular counterparts. This thesis will also discuss two strains of Calvinism that emerged within the Reformed body, each having a significant impact on the schools' identity in the Netherlands, the United States, and Canada. Finally, the thesis will offer a case study of one particular school in Southern Ontario, Canada. As this school emerged from a schism within the church, it provides an opportunity to explore another stage in the development of Dutch Calvinist education.

Description

Includes bibliographical references (p. ).

Keywords

Dutch Calvinism., Dutch Calvinist education., Dutch Canadians., Education., Dutch Americans.

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