W. W. J. Vanoene

The 100 to 120 year period was a time of upheaval in the life of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. The king and his advisors ruled the church, and influenced matters down to a local level. No general Synod had been held since the famous one in Dort, 200 years previously. In response to what the government saw as deviations in doctrine and practice, they came down heavily on ministers and consistories. The government insisted that hymns could not be banned from being sung, and that local churches could not decide who to baptise. This ultimately lead, in the 1930s, to ministers being deposed and even imprisoned. Consequently, a number of congregations, most notably a congregation in Ulrum, separated themselves (seceded). Freedom to worship was restricted; no one was allowed to meet in groups larger than 20. Over time the seceded churches formed a federation, and with a new king freedom to gather was allowed.
However, in the 1880s, local congregations once again separated themselves from the State church, also because of interference from above. This group was primarily led by the strong willed and charismatic Abraham Kuyper (politician, Prime Minister, newspaper founder and editor, founder of a university, and all around smart cookie).
In the 1890s, despite suspicions of Kuyper's ideas and because of Kuyper's energy and drive, the seceded and the separated churches united. A major point of contention was how theological training should be carried out: at the church supervised seminary, or an independent university that included scholarly activity. No one really won the day despite lots of politicking, although Herman Bavinck was enticed from the seminary to the university.
Over the following decade Kuyper's ideas (supralapsarianism) butted against those believing the opposite (infralapsarianism) - It's complicated, but ultimately came down to whether baptism was real at the time it occurs if a child who was baptised needs rejecting the Christian faith.
Although a decision in 1905 calmed matters down somewhat, it was in the lead up and during the dark days of World War 2, that ministers were compelled to teach the former. Klaas Schilder was the most prominent person who was deposed by the Synod - hierarchy was still thing that tipped division across the line. And once again, a large group of congregations liberated themselves to form a new federation, although they, as the other groups in the past, declared that they were the continuing church.
As a side-note, Schilder opposed the Nazi regime more forcefully than his theological opponents, which led to him having to hide.
These events had repercussions overseas, mainly in North America. Churches were set up there of people fleeing the restrictions in the Netherlands, and they in turn lived through some of the further disturbances in the Netherlands as they too choose one side or the other.

All these events are recorded in great detail by Willem van Oene (or WWJvO as he was well known). It's not the first book I would recommend to become acquainted with these events. The writing style is such that it comes across as a transcription of lectures (the author did lecture at a seminary). That English is his second language is also evident. And he does not hide which side of the arguments that he is on - which is fine. It's interesting that the deaths of those he supports are recorded, but not that of Kuyper. Ultimately this is a commentary and analysis of the events, and an excellent record.… (mer)