Tussen preutsheid en permissiviteit. Ontwikkelingen in de protestantse moraal in Nederland, 1945-1955

Samenvatting

Between Prudishness and Permissiveness: Developments in Protestant Morals in the Netherlands, 1945-1955. During the 1970s, the Netherlands changed from one of the most prudish to one of the most permissive nations in the world. The traditional family and marital moral system that had dominated the postwar period was radically altered. Sexuality became valued for its own sake, while marriage lost its exclusivity and became a relationship that lasted only as long as it was good. There was also a shift toward greater gender equality. From 1880 to 1960, the Dutch Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in the Netherlands had played a key role in the development of traditional conjugal and family ethics. However, after 1960 they lost the initiative in this area and began to follow general social developments toward greater liberty and equality. Shifts can be seen in a move from a marriage-based to a relationship-based morality, from hierarchical to equal relationships, in the differentiation of elements of relationships, sexuality, and procreation, and in the psychologicalization of church morals. These churches hold a different opinion only by their rejection of casual sexual contacts and their emphasis on the value of permanent commitments. 38 References. Adapted from the source document.