The Dutch Reformed Church in Colonial Ceylon (18th Century)

The volume edited by Klaus Koschorke contains the – so far unedited – Minutes of the Consistory of the Dutch Reformed Church in Colombo (1735–1797). They are made accessible to the academic public in an English translation for the first time. These documents are of crucial importance for the religious, social and political history of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) in the 18th century. The Colombo Consistory was the highest executive committee of the Colonial Church in Dutch Ceylon. It regulated and coordinated countless church affairs on the island. Manifold problems were discussed here that give us unique insights into the religious, cultural, political, and ecclesiastical life of a Dutch colony in 18th-century Asia. Special attention was paid to the “dangerous spread of Roman papacy in this country” and the seemingly unstoppable advance of the Catholic underground movement. It continually increased in spite of all counter measures by the Dutch authorities, and presented a religious alternative to the prevailing colonial system. These new documents also enhance comparative studies in Church–State relations in different Dutch overseas possessions at that time.