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"I believe in Allah, the Father Almighty": How the Dutch Decisions in the Seventeenth Century Shaped Christianity in Indonesia Today
- Mon, Feb 16, 2026
- 4:00 pm–5:30 pm
Meeter Center Lecture Hall
The Dutch arrived in the East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) in the seventeenth century to monopolize the spice trade. As they gained wealth through the colonization of the region, they also brought Calvinism to the archipelago.
Encounters between the Dutch Reformed Christians and the indigenous Muslim population became a fertile ground for language assimilation. The Dutch demonstrated a greater preference for using Arabic in religious expressions of Christianity in the land. This decision left a lasting impact on Christians in Indonesia today.
Dr. Yudha Thianto is P. J. Zondervan Chair and Professor of History of Christianity and Reformed Theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. He is originally from Indonesia and taught for more than two decades at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL, before joining the faculty of CTS in 2022. His current research project focuses on the history of the singing of the Genevan psalms in the Dutch East Indies in the seventeenth century.
Sponsored by the Asian Studies program