Huub Oosterhuis
Encyclopedia
Hubertus Gerardus Josephus Henricus Oosterhuis (1 November 1933, Amsterdam
) is a controversial Dutch
theologian and poet
. He is mainly known for his contribution to Christian music and liturgy in the Dutch language, used in both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, although there is many Catholic opposition to his work, resulting in the banning of several songs in certain dioceses.. He is the author of over 60 books and at the time of over 700 hymns, songs, Psalms (often in an own interpretation), and prayers.
.
In 1954, inspired by Che Guevara
who said that churches have the potential to transform the social structure of society, Oosterhuis combined his priesthood with political activism.
In 1965, Oosterhuis became one of the major supporters of ecumenism
after the modernist interpretation Second Vatican Council
. He started out to rewrite the liturgy and make it acceptable to all. Some of his changes were considered controversial within the Roman Catholic Church especially writing the prayer for agnostics
: "Heer, als U bestaat, kom dan onder ons" ("Lord, if You exist, come amongst us").
His political views, the conflicts regarding the liturgy and his dismissal of celibacy
led to Oosterhuis being expelled from the Jesuit order in 1969. He still however remained working as a priest, running his church in Amsterdam out of the responsibility of a bishop, at the time for about forty years. He is still focussed on writing liturgy, poetry and essays.
Back in the sixties and seventies his liturgical texts were put to music by his fellow former Jesuit Bernard Huijbers (1922-2000). The co-operation between Oosterhuis and Huijbers ended. The last engaged himself more and more in a 'spirituality-without-God' or '-Thou', whereas the former kept to his biblical prayers, hymns, psalms. After they both split up and Huijbers moved to the South of France
Oosterhuis' main composers were two of Huijbers' pupils, Antoine Oomen (1945) and Tom Löwentha] (1954).
Oosterhuis founded the discussion center "De Rode Hoed" ("The Red Hat") in Amsterdam in 1989. The building was a former Remonstrant
shelter church, hidden because Remonstrantism was outlawed in the 17th century. The building was more or less deserted at the time. Oosterhuis wanted to use it for his student organization (1990) and create a discussion center. Its nice interior made it also very suitable for tv-shows. After a short period Oosterhuis was replaced by a managing-director for a more commercial exploitation of this prominent building in Amsterdam's Canal zone - the main hall is still being reserved for the Sunday Liturgy of Oosterhuis and his church.
asked him to deliver the eulogy
at the funeral of her Prince-Consort Claus von Amsberg
, a longtime personal friend. The New Church in Delft
was packed with heads of state, high dignitaries, forming an unexpected audience. That same week the Protestant VU University
in Amsterdam granted Oosterhuis an honorary PhD
(or Doctorate
) in Theology.
It was at De Rode Hoed where André van der Louw
announced his Social Democratic Renewal Program which was an incentive to reform the Labour Party
. Oosterhuis ultimately choose the lesser known Socialist Party
as he viewed it closer to socialist ideals. He also opined that The Socialist Party
is closer to the social ethics of the Bible than many Christian parties."
In 2006 elections
Oosterhuis stood as final candidate
, a symbolic position, for the Socialist Party.
Oosterhuis translated the Torah
together with Alex van Heusden, which was released in five separate books, as an attempt to translate the first five books of the Bible
as close to contemporary Dutch as possible without losing the style figures of the original Hebrew text.
Huub Oosterhuis is the father of the musicians Trijntje Oosterhuis
and Tjeerd Oosterhuis
.
Only a very few books, poems, verses of Huub Oosterhuis were translated into English: Fifty Psalms, Your Word is Near, At Times I See, The Children of the Poor Man, Wake Your Power (CD) - some more.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
) is a controversial Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
theologian and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He is mainly known for his contribution to Christian music and liturgy in the Dutch language, used in both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, although there is many Catholic opposition to his work, resulting in the banning of several songs in certain dioceses.. He is the author of over 60 books and at the time of over 700 hymns, songs, Psalms (often in an own interpretation), and prayers.
Biography
Oosterhuis was a Jesuit and is a Roman Catholic priestPriest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
.
In 1954, inspired by Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
who said that churches have the potential to transform the social structure of society, Oosterhuis combined his priesthood with political activism.
In 1965, Oosterhuis became one of the major supporters of ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
after the modernist interpretation Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. He started out to rewrite the liturgy and make it acceptable to all. Some of his changes were considered controversial within the Roman Catholic Church especially writing the prayer for agnostics
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
: "Heer, als U bestaat, kom dan onder ons" ("Lord, if You exist, come amongst us").
His political views, the conflicts regarding the liturgy and his dismissal of celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
led to Oosterhuis being expelled from the Jesuit order in 1969. He still however remained working as a priest, running his church in Amsterdam out of the responsibility of a bishop, at the time for about forty years. He is still focussed on writing liturgy, poetry and essays.
Back in the sixties and seventies his liturgical texts were put to music by his fellow former Jesuit Bernard Huijbers (1922-2000). The co-operation between Oosterhuis and Huijbers ended. The last engaged himself more and more in a 'spirituality-without-God' or '-Thou', whereas the former kept to his biblical prayers, hymns, psalms. After they both split up and Huijbers moved to the South of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Oosterhuis' main composers were two of Huijbers' pupils, Antoine Oomen (1945) and Tom Löwentha] (1954).
Oosterhuis founded the discussion center "De Rode Hoed" ("The Red Hat") in Amsterdam in 1989. The building was a former Remonstrant
Remonstrants
The Remonstrants are the Dutch Protestants who, after the death of Jacobus Arminius, maintained the views associated with his name. In 1610 they presented to the States of Holland and Friesland a remonstrance in five articles formulating their points of disagreement from Calvinism.-History:The five...
shelter church, hidden because Remonstrantism was outlawed in the 17th century. The building was more or less deserted at the time. Oosterhuis wanted to use it for his student organization (1990) and create a discussion center. Its nice interior made it also very suitable for tv-shows. After a short period Oosterhuis was replaced by a managing-director for a more commercial exploitation of this prominent building in Amsterdam's Canal zone - the main hall is still being reserved for the Sunday Liturgy of Oosterhuis and his church.
Prince Claus
In 2002 Queen Beatrix of the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
asked him to deliver the eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
at the funeral of her Prince-Consort Claus von Amsberg
Claus von Amsberg
Prince Claus of the Netherlands was the prince consort of the current Queen regnant of the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix.-Biography:...
, a longtime personal friend. The New Church in Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
was packed with heads of state, high dignitaries, forming an unexpected audience. That same week the Protestant VU University
Vrije Universiteit
The Vrije Universiteit is a university in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch name is often abbreviated as VU and in English the university uses the name "VU University". The university is located on a compact urban campus in the southern part of Amsterdam in the Buitenveldert district...
in Amsterdam granted Oosterhuis an honorary PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(or Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
) in Theology.
It was at De Rode Hoed where André van der Louw
André van der Louw
André van der Louw was a Labour Party politician. He served as Mayor of Rotterdam from 1974 to 1981 and served in the Netherlands cabinet Van Agt-2....
announced his Social Democratic Renewal Program which was an incentive to reform the Labour Party
Labour Party (Netherlands)
The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
. Oosterhuis ultimately choose the lesser known Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
as he viewed it closer to socialist ideals. He also opined that The Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Netherlands)
The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet...
is closer to the social ethics of the Bible than many Christian parties."
In 2006 elections
Dutch general election, 2006
The General Election to the House of Representatives of the States-General of the Netherlands was held in the Netherlands on November 22, 2006. And followed the call for new elections after the fall of the Second Balkenende cabinet....
Oosterhuis stood as final candidate
Lijstduwer
Lijstduwer is a Dutch term for the last candidate on a party list.In Suriname, the Netherlands and Belgium, this position is often taken by well-known non-politicians such as artists and sportspeople. They are officially a candidate, but they are put at the end of the party list in a bid to...
, a symbolic position, for the Socialist Party.
Oosterhuis translated the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
together with Alex van Heusden, which was released in five separate books, as an attempt to translate the first five books of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
as close to contemporary Dutch as possible without losing the style figures of the original Hebrew text.
Huub Oosterhuis is the father of the musicians Trijntje Oosterhuis
Trijntje Oosterhuis
Judith Katrijntje "Trijntje" Oosterhuis is a Dutch pop and jazz singer.-Early life:Judith Katrijntje Oosterhuis was born on 5 February 1973, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands...
and Tjeerd Oosterhuis
Tjeerd Oosterhuis
Tjeerd Oosterhuis is the son of the theologian and former priest Huub Oosterhuis. With his younger sister, Trijntje Oosterhuis, Tjeerd formed the late 1980s band Total Touch....
.
Only a very few books, poems, verses of Huub Oosterhuis were translated into English: Fifty Psalms, Your Word is Near, At Times I See, The Children of the Poor Man, Wake Your Power (CD) - some more.