The Power of Dialogue: Religion in Contemporary Dutch Novels for Children

Abstract

This article examines the approach to God and religion in contemporary Dutch children's novels. It is argued that their representation has changed completely when compared to the Protestant children's books from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Analysis of texts by Sjoerd Kuyper and Guus Kuijer, two of the best-known Dutch authors of children's books in which religion is important to the plot, shows at least two important differences. While earlier Protestant writers were only interested in religious instruction written from one particular stance, these two writers focus on dialogue, respectfully discussing religious issues. Looking at them from Ingarden's perspective on literature the conclusion is that the contemporary texts no longer simplify the complexities of life, thus showing the metaphysical qualities Ingarden considered essential to literature.