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Abraham Kuyper. Photo sourced from

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Abraham Kuyper

Abraham Kuyper was born on October 29, 1873. He was an influential neo-Calvinist theologian, journalist and prime minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905.

Kuyper established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Anti-Revolutionary party and a newspaper.

Learn more about Abraham Kuyper in these top 10 outstanding facts.

1. A Brief History of his Childhood

Abraham Kuyper was born on October 29, 1837 in Maassluis, Netherlands. His father was Jan Frederik Kuyper served as minister for the Dutch Reformed Church in Hoogmade, Maassluis, Middleburg and Leiden.

His father home-schooled him, so he didn’t receive a formal primary education. He received secondary education at the Gymnasium of Leiden. 

In 1855 he graduated from the Gymnasium of Leiden and started studying literature, philosophy and theology at Leiden University.

Kuyper received his propaedeuse (Introductory course into art or science) in literature in 1857, Summa Cum Laude and philosophy in 1858, also Summa Cum Laude. He also took classes in Arabic, Armenian and Physics.

2. He was awarded a Doctor in Theology in 1862

Abraham Kuyper. Photo sourced from

In 1862, Kuyper was promoted to Doctor in Theology based on a dissertation titled Disquisitio historico-theologica exhibens Johannis Calvini et Johannis a Lasco de Ecclesia Sententiarum inter se composition.

His thesis showed the difference in the rules of the church between John Calvin and John Laski.

Contrary to the views of John Calvin and Jan Laski, Kuyper showed a clear sympathy for the more liberal Laski. During his studies, he was a member of the modern tendency within the Dutch Reformed Church.

3. He served as the Minister for the Dutch Reformed Church

In 1862, Kuyper was declared eligible for the ministry and in 1863, he accepted a call to become a minister for the Dutch Reformed Church in Beesd.

Kuyper sympathized with the Orthodox tendency within the Dutch Reformed Church around 1866. This was inspired by the robust reformed faith of Pietje Balthus, a single woman in her early 30s, a miller’s daughter.

He began to oppose the role of the king and began to plead for the separation of church and state. In 1867 he was asked to become minister for the parish in Utrecht and left Beesd and in 1870 was asked to come to Amsterdam.

4. Kuyper Ridiculed Modernism in Theology

Kuyper ridiculed modernism in theology as a new-fangled fad based on a superficial view of reality. He claimed that modernism missed the reality of God, prayer, sin and the church.

He urged that modernism would eventually prove useless as “A squeezed out lemon peel” while traditional truths would survive.

In 1898 at Princeton, he argued that Calvinism was more than theology and provided a comprehensive worldview in his lectures.

According to him, Calvinism had already proven to be a major positive factor in the development of the institution and values of modern society.

5. Kuyper Established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands

Abraham Kuyper. Photo sourced from

The Reformed Churches in the Netherland was established by Kuyper in 1892. It was the second largest protestant church in the Netherlands and one of the two major Calvinist denominations along with the Dutch Reformed Church.

The church ended in 2004 with the creation of the protestant church in the Netherlands, which united the Dutch Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the kingdom of the Netherlands.

Today there is still a small federation named the Continued Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which remains loyal to the foundation laid by Kuyper.

6. Abraham Kuyper’s Theological views

Kuyper’s theological ideas have been very influential. He opposed the liberal tendencies within the Dutch Reformed Church, which led him to succession and the foundation of Reformed Churches in the Netherlands.

He discovered neo-Calvinism which goes beyond conventional Calvinism on several issues. He contributed significantly to formulating the principle of common grace in the context of a Calvinist worldview.

He had a view on the role of God in everyday life. Kuyper believed that God continually influenced the life of believers and daily events could show his workings.

He added that God continually re-creates the universe through acts of grace. God’s acts are necessary to ensure creation’s continued existence; without his direct activity, creation would self-destruct.

7. He served as a Prime Minister (1901-1905)

In the 1901 election, Kuyper was re-elected in Sliedrecht and defeated in Amsterdam. He didn’t take his seat in parliament but was appointed Formateur and later Prime Minister of the Dutch Cabinet.

During his reign as prime minister, he portrayed a strong leadership style; Kuyper changed the rules of procedure of the cabinet to become chair of the cabinet for four years.

In 1903 there was a railway strike, Kuyper put harsh laws to end the strike and pushed them through the parliament. He also proposed legislation to improve working conditions only to those on fishing and harbor construction passed through parliament.

He also made changes in education laws to improve the financial situation of religious schools. He proposed that diplomas of faith-based universities to be equal to that of public universities, but it was defeated in the Senate. Kuyper dissolved the senate and formed another senate that accepted.

8. Kuyper Was Married in 1863

Image by Peter Somers Heslam-

When he accepted a call to become a minister for the Dutch Reformed Church in the town of Beesd, he married Johanna Hendrika Schaay.

They had five sons and three daughters; Herman, Jan, Henriette, Abraham Kuyper Jr., Johanna, Catharina, Guillaume and Levinus.

9. Abraham Kuyper Founded the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 

Kuyper started the institution with a group of Calvinists led by him and it was the first protestant university in the Netherlands.

 It is now a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherland and one of two large publicly funded research universities.

10. Kuyper Wrote Several Theological and Political Books

Kuyper loved writing and wrote many books expressing his political and theological views. Some of his political views have influenced Dutch politics.

In North America, Kuyper’s political and theological views have had a significant impact, especially in the reformed community.

Some of the books he wrote include; Conservatisme en Orthodoxie (Conservatism and Orthodoxy; 1870), Maranatha (1891), Handenarbeid (1889; Manual Labor), Starrentritsen (1915) and many more.