In the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic, non-professional theologians articulated well-informed biblical interpretation, producing a lay theology that was unwelcome to representatives of the churches. Historians have long considered this lay theology as a manifestation of Early Enlightenment. It did not, however, necessarily result from the activities of rationalist philosophers usually associated with the Dutch Early Enlightenment, such as Benedictus de Spinoza (1632–1677). Equally important were the clergy’s efforts to educate laity in reading the Bible and contemplating divinity autonomously. This paper reconstructs the Dutch “culture of catechesis,” a collective effort to involve laity in reflection on religion and the Bible, dating back to at least the 1640s. Based on catechetical materials and their authors, this paper argues that the “culture of catechesis” had its roots in the Public Church itself, and that it contributed to lay theology, as much so as the outspoken programs of eccentric philosophers.

中文翻译：

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课堂文化与外来神学

在17世纪的荷兰共和国，非专业的神学家表达了灵通的圣经解释，从而产生了一种不欢迎教会代表的外行神学。历史学家长期以来一直将这种外行神学视为早期启蒙运动的体现。但是，它不一定是通常与荷兰早期启蒙运动有关的理性主义哲学家的活动产生的，例如本尼迪克特·德·斯宾诺莎（Benedictus de Spinoza，1632-1677年）。同样重要的是神职人员努力教育懒惰者阅读圣经和自主考虑神性。本文重建了荷兰的“养生文化”，这是一种集体行动，其目的是使懒惰者对宗教和圣经进行反思，至少可以追溯到1640年代。根据机密材料及其作者，