Christianity in the Netherlands


For centuries, Christianity was the dominant religion in the Netherlands, with a significant division between Calvinism and Catholicism. While both were prominent in the late 19th century – Calvinism representing around 60% and Catholicism 35% of the population – both have experienced substantial decline since World War II, leading to Catholicism becoming the larger of the two Christian denominations.

⭐ In the context of Christianity in the Netherlands, what shift occurred in the relative sizes of the Calvinist and Catholic populations following World War II?


⭐ Core Definition: Christianity in the Netherlands

Religion in the Netherlands was dominated by Christianity between the 10th and 20th centuries. In the late 19th century, roughly 60% of the population was Calvinist and 35% was Catholic. Also, until The Holocaust, there was a noticeable Jewish minority. Since World War II, there has been a significant decline in Catholic and especially Protestant Christianity, with Protestantism declining to such a degree that Catholicism became the foremost form of the Christian religion. The majority of the Dutch population is secular; however, historic societal pillarisation (verzuiling) based on religious lines continue to influence parts of Dutch society. Relatively sizable Muslim and Hindu minorities also exist.

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In the context of Christianity in the Netherlands, what shift occurred in the relative sizes of the Calvinist and Catholic populations following World War II?
HINT: Following World War II, both Protestant and Catholic Christianity declined in the Netherlands, but Protestantism (including Calvinism) declined at a faster rate, resulting in Catholicism becoming the larger of the two Christian denominations.

In this Dossier

Christianity in the Netherlands in the context of Christianity in Europe

Christianity is the predominant religion in Europe. Christianity has been practiced in Europe since the first century, and a number of the Pauline Epistles were addressed to Christians living in Greece, as well as other parts of the Roman Empire.

According to a 2010 study by the Pew Research Center, 76.2% of the European population identified themselves as Christians.

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Christianity in the Netherlands in the context of Christianity in Albania

Christianity in Albania began when Christians arrived in Illyria soon after the time of Jesus, with a bishop being appointed in Dyrrhachium (Epidamnus) in 58 AD.

When the Roman Empire was divided in 395 AD, modern Albania became part of the Byzantine Empire, but was under the jurisdiction of the Pope until 732, when Emperor Leo III placed the church under the Patriarch of Constantinople. When the Christian church split in 1054, the north followed Rome while the south of the country stayed with Constantinople.

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Christianity in the Netherlands in the context of Christianity in Kosovo

Christianity in Kosovo has a long-standing tradition dating to the Roman Empire. The entire Balkan region had been Christianized by the Roman, Byzantine, First Bulgarian Empire, Serbian Kingdom, Second Bulgarian Empire, and Serbian Empire till 13th century. After the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 until 1912, Kosovo was part of the Muslim Ottoman Empire, and a high level of Islamization occurred. During the time period after World War II, Kosovo was ruled by secular socialist authorities in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). During that period, Kosovars became increasingly secularized. Today, 87% of Kosovo's population are from Muslim family backgrounds, most of whom are ethnic Albanians, but also including Slavic speakers (who mostly identify themselves as Gorani or Bosniaks) and Turks.

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