60 Facts About Abraham Kuyper

Abraham Kuyper established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which upon its foundation became the second largest Reformed denomination in the country behind the state-supported Dutch Reformed Church.

Abraham Kuyper vigorously denounced modernism in theology as a fad that would pass away.

Abraham Kuyper promoted pillarisation, the social expression of the anti-thesis in public life, whereby Protestant, Catholic and secular elements each had their own independent schools, universities and social organisations.

Abraham Kuyper was born on 29 October 1837 in Maassluis, Netherlands.

Abraham Kuyper was inspired by the robust reformed faith of Pietje Baltus, a single woman in her early 30s, the daughter of a miller.

Abraham Kuyper began to oppose the centralization in the church, the role of the King and began to plead for the separation of church and state.

In 1867, Abraham Kuyper was asked to become minister for the parish in Utrecht and he left Beesd.

In 1886, Abraham Kuyper led an exodus from the Dutch Reformed Church.

Abraham Kuyper grieved the loss of Reformed distinctives within the State Church, which no longer required office bearers to agree to the Reformed standards which had once been foundational.

Abraham Kuyper vigorously ridiculed modernism in theology as a new-fangled fad based on a superficial view of reality.

Abraham Kuyper argued that modernism missed the reality of God, of prayer, of sin, and of the church.

Abraham Kuyper said modernism would eventually prove as useless as 'A Squeezed Out Lemon Peel,' while traditional religious truths would survive.

When De Brauw died the next year, Abraham Kuyper stood again in the by-election for the same district.

Abraham Kuyper subsequently moved to The Hague, without telling his friends in Amsterdam.

Abraham Kuyper argued that government's authority, like all human authority, derived from God's authority.

In 1878, Abraham Kuyper returned to politics, he led the petition against a new law on education, which would further disadvantage religious schools.

Abraham Kuyper was the undisputed leader of the party between 1879 and 1920.

Abraham Kuyper's followers gave him the nickname "Abraham de Geweldenaar".

Abraham Kuyper defeated the liberal Van Haaften and the anti-takkian anti-revolutionary Beelaerts van Blokland.

Abraham Kuyper ran as a candidate in Dordrecht and Amsterdam, but was defeated there.

Abraham Kuyper favoured the legislation because he expected the enfranchised lower class voters would favour his party.

The authoritarian leadership of Abraham Kuyper played an important role in this conflict.

Lohman opposed party discipline and wanted MPs to make up their own mind, while Abraham Kuyper favoured strong leadership.

In 1896, Abraham Kuyper voted against the new suffrage law of Van Houten, because according to Abraham Kuyper the reforms did not go far enough.

Abraham Kuyper was defeated by liberals in Zuidhorn and Amsterdam, but he defeated the liberal Wisboom in Sliedrecht.

Warfield, Abraham Kuyper delivered the "Stone Lectures" at Princeton Seminary, which was his first widespread exposure to a North American audience.

Abraham Kuyper discusses the relationship of Calvinism with philosophy, religion, politics, science, art and the future.

Abraham Kuyper did not take his seat in parliament however but was instead appointed formateur and later prime minister of the Dutch cabinet.

Abraham Kuyper originally wanted to become minister of labour and enterprise, but neither Mackay or Heemskerk, prominent anti-revolutionaries, wanted to become minister of Home Affairs, forcing him to take the portfolio.

Abraham Kuyper produced several particularly harsh laws to end the strikes, and pushed them through parliament.

Abraham Kuyper proposed legislation to improve working conditions; however only those on fishing and harbour construction passed through parliament.

In education Abraham Kuyper changed several education laws to improve the financial situation of religious schools.

Consequently, Abraham Kuyper dissolved the Senate and, after a new one was elected, the legislation was accepted.

Abraham Kuyper was heavily involved in foreign policy, giving him the nickname "Minister of Foreign Travels".

Between 1905 and 1907, Abraham Kuyper made a grand tour around the Mediterranean.

In 1907, Abraham Kuyper became honorary doctor at the Delft University of Technology.

In 1908, Abraham Kuyper received the honorary title of minister of state.

Abraham Kuyper was elected to the House of Representatives for the district of Ommen in the by-elections in the same year, defeating the liberal De Meester.

Abraham Kuyper ran in Sneek where he was elected as sole candidate.

In 1918, Abraham Kuyper played an important role in the formation of the first cabinet led by Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck.

In 1920, at the age of 83 Abraham Kuyper died in The Hague and was buried amid great public attention.

In 1905 there was a higher education law enacted, but Abraham Kuyper was against this and became part of the opposition.

Abraham Kuyper opposed the liberal tendencies within the Dutch Reformed Church.

Abraham Kuyper developed the so-called neo-Calvinism, which goes beyond conventional Calvinism on a number of issues.

Furthermore, Abraham Kuyper made a significant contribution to the formulation of the principle of common grace in the context of a Calvinist world-view.

Abraham Kuyper believed that God continually influenced the life of believers, and daily events could show his workings.

Abraham Kuyper rejected the popular sovereignty of France in which all rights originated with the individual, and the state-sovereignty of Germany in which all rights derived from the state.

Abraham Kuyper sought equal government finances for all faith-based institutions.

Abraham Kuyper saw an important role for the state in upholding the morality of the Dutch people.

Abraham Kuyper favoured monarchy, and saw the House of Orange as historically and religiously linked to the Dutch people.

Abraham Kuyper favoured a Senate representing the various interest, vocational and professional groups in society.

Abraham Kuyper formulated the principle of antithesis: a divide between secular and religious politics.

Abraham Kuyper called for workers to accept their fates and be happy with a simple life because the afterlife would be much more satisfying and revolution would only lead to instability.

Abraham Kuyper stood at the cradle of pillarisation, the social expression of the anti-thesis in public life.

Abraham Kuyper's championing of parity treatment for faith-based organisations and institutions created the basis for the alliance between Protestants and Catholics that has dominated Dutch politics to the present day.

Abraham Kuyper is considered the father of Dutch Neo-Calvinism and had considerable influence on the thought of philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd.

In 2006, Reformed Bible College, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan was renamed in honor of Abraham Kuyper and is Kuyper College.

Saul Dubow notes that Abraham Kuyper advocated "the commingling of blood" as "the physical basis for all higher development" in the Stone Lectures.

Harinck argues that "Abraham Kuyper was not guided by the cultural racism of his day, but by his Calvinistic creed of human equality".

Abraham Kuyper's legacy includes a granddaughter, Johtje Vos, who is noted for having sheltered many Jews in her home in the Netherlands from the Nazis.